diff --git a/src/auth/interactiveAuth.test.ts b/src/auth/interactiveAuth.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3c2fd99e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/auth/interactiveAuth.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2026 Element Creations Ltd.
+
+SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only OR LicenseRef-Element-Commercial
+Please see LICENSE in the repository root for full details.
+*/
+
+import { afterEach, expect, test, vi } from "vitest";
+import { createClient, type MatrixClient, MatrixError } from "matrix-js-sdk";
+import type * as MatrixJsSdk from "matrix-js-sdk";
+
+import { loginWithPassword, registerWithPassword } from "./interactiveAuth";
+
+vi.mock("matrix-js-sdk", async (importOriginal) => ({
+  ...(await importOriginal<typeof MatrixJsSdk>()),
+  createClient: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+const credentials = {
+  user_id: "@alice:example.org",
+  device_id: "AAAA",
+  access_token: "secret",
+};
+
+// What interactive auth asks of the client besides the request itself
+const authClient = { generateClientSecret: () => "client-secret" };
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  vi.clearAllMocks();
+});
+
+test("logs in with a password", async () => {
+  const login = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ ...credentials, extra: "ignored" });
+  vi.mocked(createClient).mockReturnValue({
+    ...authClient,
+    login,
+  } as Partial<MatrixClient> as MatrixClient);
+
+  await expect(
+    loginWithPassword("https://hs.example.org", "alice", "hunter2"),
+  ).resolves.toEqual(credentials);
+
+  expect(createClient).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+    baseUrl: "https://hs.example.org",
+  });
+  expect(login).toHaveBeenCalledWith("m.login.password", {
+    identifier: { type: "m.id.user", user: "alice" },
+    password: "hunter2",
+  });
+});
+
+test("registers, agreeing to the terms and answering the recaptcha", async () => {
+  // The homeserver turns the first request away with the stages to complete
+  // No error in it: that is the shape of a challenge rather than a refusal
+  const challenge = new MatrixError(
+    {
+      session: "session",
+      flows: [{ stages: ["m.login.terms", "m.login.recaptcha"] }],
+      params: {},
+      completed: [],
+    },
+    401,
+  );
+  const registerRequest = vi
+    .fn()
+    .mockImplementation(({ auth }: { auth?: { type: string } }) => {
+      if (auth === undefined) throw challenge;
+      challenge.data.completed = [
+        ...(challenge.data.completed as string[]),
+        auth.type,
+      ];
+      if (challenge.data.completed.length < 2) throw challenge;
+      return credentials;
+    });
+  vi.mocked(createClient).mockReturnValue({
+    ...authClient,
+    registerRequest,
+  } as Partial<MatrixClient> as MatrixClient);
+
+  await expect(
+    registerWithPassword(
+      "https://hs.example.org",
+      "alice",
+      "hunter2",
+      "captcha",
+    ),
+  ).resolves.toEqual(credentials);
+
+  expect(registerRequest).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+    expect.objectContaining({
+      username: "alice",
+      password: "hunter2",
+      auth: expect.objectContaining({ type: "m.login.terms" }),
+    }),
+  );
+  expect(registerRequest).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+    expect.objectContaining({
+      auth: expect.objectContaining({
+        type: "m.login.recaptcha",
+        response: "captcha",
+      }),
+    }),
+  );
+});
diff --git a/src/auth/interactiveAuth.ts b/src/auth/interactiveAuth.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b5813311
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/auth/interactiveAuth.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2026 Element Creations Ltd.
+
+SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only OR LicenseRef-Element-Commercial
+Please see LICENSE in the repository root for full details.
+*/
+
+import {
+  createClient,
+  InteractiveAuth,
+  type LoginResponse,
+  type RegisterResponse,
+} from "matrix-js-sdk";
+import { logger } from "matrix-js-sdk/lib/logger";
+
+import { type Session } from "../ClientContext";
+
+/** What the homeserver hands out for a new session. */
+export type Credentials = Pick<
+  Session,
+  "user_id" | "device_id" | "access_token"
+>;
+
+/**
+ * Logs in to the given homeserver with a password.
+ */
+export async function loginWithPassword(
+  homeserver: string,
+  username: string,
+  password: string,
+): Promise<Credentials> {
+  const authClient = createClient({ baseUrl: homeserver });
+  const interactiveAuth = new InteractiveAuth({
+    matrixClient: authClient,
+    doRequest: async (): Promise<LoginResponse> =>
+      authClient.login("m.login.password", {
+        identifier: {
+          type: "m.id.user",
+          user: username,
+        },
+        password,
+      }),
+    stateUpdated: (): void => {},
+    requestEmailToken: async (): Promise<{ sid: string }> =>
+      Promise.resolve({ sid: "" }),
+  });
+  return credentials(await interactiveAuth.attemptAuth());
+}
+
+/**
+ * Registers an account on the given homeserver, accepting its terms and
+ * answering its recaptcha challenge.
+ */
+export async function registerWithPassword(
+  homeserver: string,
+  username: string,
+  password: string,
+  recaptchaResponse: string,
+): Promise<Credentials> {
+  const authClient = createClient({ baseUrl: homeserver });
+  const interactiveAuth = new InteractiveAuth({
+    matrixClient: authClient,
+    doRequest: async (auth): Promise<RegisterResponse> =>
+      authClient.registerRequest({
+        username,
+        password,
+        auth: auth || undefined,
+      }),
+    stateUpdated: (nextStage, status): void => {
+      if (status.error) {
+        throw new Error(status.error);
+      }
+
+      if (nextStage === "m.login.terms") {
+        interactiveAuth
+          .submitAuthDict({
+            type: "m.login.terms",
+          })
+          .catch((e) => {
+            logger.error(e);
+          });
+      } else if (nextStage === "m.login.recaptcha") {
+        interactiveAuth
+          .submitAuthDict({
+            type: "m.login.recaptcha",
+            response: recaptchaResponse,
+          })
+          .catch((e) => {
+            logger.error(e);
+          });
+      }
+    },
+    requestEmailToken: async (): Promise<{ sid: string }> =>
+      Promise.resolve({ sid: "dummy" }),
+  });
+  return credentials(await interactiveAuth.attemptAuth());
+}
+
+// XXX: attemptAuth claims to return an IAuthData which contains none of these
+// things - the js-sdk types may be wrong?
+function credentials(authData: unknown): Credentials {
+  /* eslint-disable camelcase */
+  const { user_id, access_token, device_id } = authData as Credentials;
+  return { user_id, access_token, device_id };
+  /* eslint-enable camelcase */
+}
diff --git a/src/auth/useInteractiveLogin.ts b/src/auth/useInteractiveLogin.ts
index f818abda6..3b4ceb66d 100644
--- a/src/auth/useInteractiveLogin.ts
+++ b/src/auth/useInteractiveLogin.ts
@@ -6,15 +6,12 @@ Please see LICENSE in the repository root for full details.
 */
 
 import { useCallback } from "react";
-import { InteractiveAuth } from "matrix-js-sdk";
-import {
-  createClient,
-  type LoginResponse,
-  type MatrixClient,
-} from "matrix-js-sdk";
+import { type MatrixClient } from "matrix-js-sdk";
 
 import { initClient } from "../utils/initClient";
 import { type Session } from "../ClientContext";
+import { loginWithPassword } from "./interactiveAuth";
+
 /**
  * This provides the login method to login using user credentials.
  * @param oldClient If there is an already authenticated client it should be passed to this hook
@@ -36,32 +33,8 @@ export function useInteractiveLogin(
     ) => Promise<[MatrixClient, Session]>
   >(
     async (homeserver: string, username: string, password: string) => {
-      const authClient = createClient({ baseUrl: homeserver });
-
-      const interactiveAuth = new InteractiveAuth({
-        matrixClient: authClient,
-        doRequest: async (): Promise<LoginResponse> =>
-          authClient.login("m.login.password", {
-            identifier: {
-              type: "m.id.user",
-              user: username,
-            },
-            password,
-          }),
-        stateUpdated: (): void => {},
-        requestEmailToken: async (): Promise<{ sid: string }> =>
-          Promise.resolve({ sid: "" }),
-      });
-
-      // XXX: This claims to return an IAuthData which contains none of these
-      // things - the js-sdk types may be wrong?
-      /* eslint-disable camelcase,@typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */
-      const { user_id, access_token, device_id } =
-        (await interactiveAuth.attemptAuth()) as any;
-      const session = {
-        user_id,
-        access_token,
-        device_id,
+      const session: Session = {
+        ...(await loginWithPassword(homeserver, username, password)),
         passwordlessUser: false,
       };
 
@@ -70,13 +43,12 @@ export function useInteractiveLogin(
       const client = await initClient(
         {
           baseUrl: homeserver,
-          accessToken: access_token,
-          userId: user_id,
-          deviceId: device_id,
+          accessToken: session.access_token,
+          userId: session.user_id,
+          deviceId: session.device_id,
         },
         false,
       );
-      /* eslint-enable camelcase */
       return [client, session];
     },
     [oldClient],
diff --git a/src/auth/useInteractiveRegistration.ts b/src/auth/useInteractiveRegistration.ts
index 4c79b26d1..97f813f7f 100644
--- a/src/auth/useInteractiveRegistration.ts
+++ b/src/auth/useInteractiveRegistration.ts
@@ -5,19 +5,14 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only OR LicenseRef-Element-Commercial
 Please see LICENSE in the repository root for full details.
 */
 
-import { useState, useEffect, useCallback, useRef } from "react";
-import { InteractiveAuth } from "matrix-js-sdk";
-import {
-  createClient,
-  type MatrixClient,
-  type RegisterResponse,
-} from "matrix-js-sdk";
-import { logger } from "matrix-js-sdk/lib/logger";
+import { useCallback } from "react";
+import { type MatrixClient } from "matrix-js-sdk";
 
 import { initClient } from "../utils/initClient";
 import { type Session } from "../ClientContext";
 import { Config } from "../config/Config";
-import { useUrlParams } from "../UrlParams";
+import { registerWithPassword } from "./interactiveAuth";
+import { useRegistrationTerms } from "./useRegistrationTerms";
 
 export const useInteractiveRegistration = (
   oldClient?: MatrixClient,
@@ -32,31 +27,7 @@ export const useInteractiveRegistration = (
     passwordlessUser: boolean,
   ) => Promise<[MatrixClient, Session]>;
 } => {
-  const { isWidget } = useUrlParams();
-  const [privacyPolicyUrl, setPrivacyPolicyUrl] = useState<string | undefined>(
-    undefined,
-  );
-  const [recaptchaKey, setRecaptchaKey] = useState<string | undefined>(
-    undefined,
-  );
-
-  const authClient = useRef<MatrixClient | undefined>(undefined);
-  if (!authClient.current) {
-    authClient.current = createClient({
-      baseUrl: Config.defaultHomeserverUrl()!,
-    });
-  }
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (isWidget) return;
-    // An empty registerRequest is used to get the privacy policy and recaptcha key.
-    authClient.current!.registerRequest({}).catch((error) => {
-      setPrivacyPolicyUrl(
-        error.data?.params["m.login.terms"]?.policies?.privacy_policy?.en?.url,
-      );
-      setRecaptchaKey(error.data?.params["m.login.recaptcha"]?.public_key);
-    });
-  }, [isWidget]);
+  const { privacyPolicyUrl, recaptchaKey } = useRegistrationTerms();
 
   const register = useCallback(
     async (
@@ -66,72 +37,30 @@ export const useInteractiveRegistration = (
       recaptchaResponse: string,
       passwordlessUser: boolean,
     ): Promise<[MatrixClient, Session]> => {
-      const interactiveAuth = new InteractiveAuth({
-        matrixClient: authClient.current!,
-        doRequest: async (auth): Promise<RegisterResponse> =>
-          authClient.current!.registerRequest({
-            username,
-            password,
-            auth: auth || undefined,
-          }),
-        stateUpdated: (nextStage, status): void => {
-          if (status.error) {
-            throw new Error(status.error);
-          }
+      const homeserver = Config.defaultHomeserverUrl()!;
+      const session: Session = {
+        ...(await registerWithPassword(
+          homeserver,
+          username,
+          password,
+          recaptchaResponse,
+        )),
+        passwordlessUser,
+        ...(passwordlessUser ? { tempPassword: password } : {}),
+      };
 
-          if (nextStage === "m.login.terms") {
-            interactiveAuth
-              .submitAuthDict({
-                type: "m.login.terms",
-              })
-              .catch((e) => {
-                logger.error(e);
-              });
-          } else if (nextStage === "m.login.recaptcha") {
-            interactiveAuth
-              .submitAuthDict({
-                type: "m.login.recaptcha",
-                response: recaptchaResponse,
-              })
-              .catch((e) => {
-                logger.error(e);
-              });
-          }
-        },
-        requestEmailToken: async (): Promise<{ sid: string }> =>
-          Promise.resolve({ sid: "dummy" }),
-      });
-
-      // XXX: This claims to return an IAuthData which contains none of these
-      // things - the js-sdk types may be wrong?
-      /* eslint-disable camelcase,@typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */
-      const { user_id, access_token, device_id } =
-        (await interactiveAuth.attemptAuth()) as any;
       await oldClient?.logout(true);
       const client = await initClient(
         {
-          baseUrl: Config.defaultHomeserverUrl()!,
-          accessToken: access_token,
-          userId: user_id,
-          deviceId: device_id,
+          baseUrl: homeserver,
+          accessToken: session.access_token,
+          userId: session.user_id,
+          deviceId: session.device_id,
         },
         false,
       );
 
       await client.setDisplayName(displayName);
-
-      const session: Session = {
-        user_id,
-        device_id,
-        access_token,
-        passwordlessUser,
-      };
-      /* eslint-enable camelcase */
-
-      if (passwordlessUser) {
-        session.tempPassword = password;
-      }
-
       const user = client.getUser(client.getUserId()!)!;
       user.setRawDisplayName(displayName);
       user.setDisplayName(displayName);
diff --git a/src/auth/useRegistrationTerms.ts b/src/auth/useRegistrationTerms.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b32673872
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/auth/useRegistrationTerms.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2022-2024 New Vector Ltd.
+Copyright 2026 Element Creations Ltd.
+
+SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only OR LicenseRef-Element-Commercial
+Please see LICENSE in the repository root for full details.
+*/
+
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import { createClient } from "matrix-js-sdk";
+
+import { Config } from "../config/Config";
+import { useUrlParams } from "../UrlParams";
+
+/**
+ * What the homeserver asks of a registration: its privacy policy to agree to
+ * and the recaptcha key to answer a challenge with.
+ */
+export function useRegistrationTerms(): {
+  privacyPolicyUrl?: string;
+  recaptchaKey?: string;
+} {
+  const { isWidget } = useUrlParams();
+  const [privacyPolicyUrl, setPrivacyPolicyUrl] = useState<string | undefined>(
+    undefined,
+  );
+  const [recaptchaKey, setRecaptchaKey] = useState<string | undefined>(
+    undefined,
+  );
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (isWidget) return;
+    // An empty registerRequest is used to get the privacy policy and recaptcha key.
+    createClient({ baseUrl: Config.defaultHomeserverUrl()! })
+      .registerRequest({})
+      .catch((error) => {
+        setPrivacyPolicyUrl(
+          error.data?.params["m.login.terms"]?.policies?.privacy_policy?.en
+            ?.url,
+        );
+        setRecaptchaKey(error.data?.params["m.login.recaptcha"]?.public_key);
+      });
+  }, [isWidget]);
+
+  return { privacyPolicyUrl, recaptchaKey };
+}