diff --git a/selfdrive/athena/registration.py b/selfdrive/athena/registration.py
index aa23b37def..6bcb29e4b0 100644
--- a/selfdrive/athena/registration.py
+++ b/selfdrive/athena/registration.py
@@ -10,10 +10,14 @@ from common.params import Params
 from common.spinner import Spinner
 from common.file_helpers import mkdirs_exists_ok
 from common.basedir import PERSIST
-from selfdrive.hardware import HARDWARE, PC
+from selfdrive.controls.lib.alertmanager import set_offroad_alert
+from selfdrive.hardware import HARDWARE
 from selfdrive.swaglog import cloudlog
 
 
+UNREGISTERED_DONGLE_ID = "UnregisteredDevice"
+
+
 def register(show_spinner=False) -> str:
   params = Params()
   params.put("SubscriberInfo", HARDWARE.get_subscriber_info())
@@ -68,9 +72,7 @@ def register(show_spinner=False) -> str:
 
         if resp.status_code in (402, 403):
           cloudlog.info(f"Unable to register device, got {resp.status_code}")
-          dongle_id = None
-          if PC:
-            dongle_id = "UnofficialDevice"
+          dongle_id = UNREGISTERED_DONGLE_ID
         else:
           dongleauth = json.loads(resp.text)
           dongle_id = dongleauth["dongle_id"]
@@ -85,6 +87,7 @@ def register(show_spinner=False) -> str:
 
   if dongle_id:
     params.put("DongleId", dongle_id)
+    set_offroad_alert("Offroad_UnofficialHardware", dongle_id == UNREGISTERED_DONGLE_ID)
   return dongle_id
 
 
diff --git a/selfdrive/athena/tests/test_registration.py b/selfdrive/athena/tests/test_registration.py
index ffd0761cd1..37d87e4c4c 100755
--- a/selfdrive/athena/tests/test_registration.py
+++ b/selfdrive/athena/tests/test_registration.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from unittest import mock
 
 from common.params import Params
-from selfdrive.athena.registration import register
+from selfdrive.athena.registration import register, UNREGISTERED_DONGLE_ID
 from selfdrive.athena.tests.helpers import MockResponse
 
 
@@ -64,24 +64,15 @@ class TestRegistration(unittest.TestCase):
       self.assertEqual(m.call_count, 1)
     self.assertEqual(self.params.get("DongleId", encoding='utf-8'), dongle)
 
-  def test_unregistered_pc(self):
+  def test_unregistered(self):
     # no keys, no dongle id
-    with mock.patch("selfdrive.athena.registration.api_get", autospec=True) as m, \
-         mock.patch("selfdrive.athena.registration.PC", new=True):
+    with mock.patch("selfdrive.athena.registration.api_get", autospec=True) as m:
       m.return_value = MockResponse(None, 402)
       dongle = register()
-      self.assertGreater(len(dongle), 0)
       self.assertEqual(m.call_count, 1)
+      self.assertEqual(dongle, UNREGISTERED_DONGLE_ID)
     self.assertEqual(self.params.get("DongleId", encoding='utf-8'), dongle)
 
-  def test_unregistered_non_pc(self):
-    # no keys, no dongle id
-    with mock.patch("selfdrive.athena.registration.api_get", autospec=True) as m, \
-         mock.patch("selfdrive.athena.registration.PC", new=False):
-      m.return_value = MockResponse(None, 402)
-      self.assertIs(register(), None)
-      self.assertEqual(m.call_count, 1)
-
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
   unittest.main()
diff --git a/selfdrive/common/params.cc b/selfdrive/common/params.cc
index dd27331d47..8bf11689ce 100644
--- a/selfdrive/common/params.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/common/params.cc
@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ std::unordered_map<std::string, uint32_t> keys = {
     {"Offroad_NeosUpdate", CLEAR_ON_MANAGER_START},
     {"Offroad_UpdateFailed", CLEAR_ON_MANAGER_START},
     {"Offroad_HardwareUnsupported", CLEAR_ON_MANAGER_START},
+    {"Offroad_UnofficialHardware", CLEAR_ON_MANAGER_START},
     {"ForcePowerDown", CLEAR_ON_MANAGER_START},
 };
 
diff --git a/selfdrive/controls/lib/alerts_offroad.json b/selfdrive/controls/lib/alerts_offroad.json
index 79642ccef2..f8aaab74e8 100644
--- a/selfdrive/controls/lib/alerts_offroad.json
+++ b/selfdrive/controls/lib/alerts_offroad.json
@@ -40,5 +40,9 @@
   "Offroad_HardwareUnsupported": {
     "text": "White and grey panda are unsupported. Upgrade to comma two or black panda.",
     "severity": 0
+  },
+  "Offroad_UnofficialHardware": {
+    "text": "Device failed to register. It will not connect to or upload to comma.ai servers, and receives no support from comma.ai. If this is an official device, contact support@comma.ai.",
+    "severity": 1
   }
 }
diff --git a/selfdrive/manager/manager.py b/selfdrive/manager/manager.py
index c7df568cd7..b568fee63f 100755
--- a/selfdrive/manager/manager.py
+++ b/selfdrive/manager/manager.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from selfdrive.hardware import HARDWARE, PC, TICI
 from selfdrive.manager.helpers import unblock_stdout
 from selfdrive.manager.process import ensure_running
 from selfdrive.manager.process_config import managed_processes
-from selfdrive.athena.registration import register
+from selfdrive.athena.registration import register, UNREGISTERED_DONGLE_ID
 from selfdrive.swaglog import cloudlog, add_file_handler
 from selfdrive.version import dirty, get_git_commit, version, origin, branch, commit, \
                               terms_version, training_version, comma_remote, \
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@ def manager_thread():
   params = Params()
 
   ignore = []
+  if params.get("DongleId") == UNREGISTERED_DONGLE_ID:
+    ignore += ["manage_athenad", "uploader"]
   if os.getenv("NOBOARD") is not None:
     ignore.append("pandad")
   if os.getenv("BLOCK") is not None:
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/widgets/offroad_alerts.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/widgets/offroad_alerts.cc
index b0afdb4ffe..7816b251f9 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/widgets/offroad_alerts.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/widgets/offroad_alerts.cc
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ OffroadAlert::OffroadAlert(QWidget* parent) : QFrame(parent) {
   alerts_layout = new QVBoxLayout;
   alerts_layout->setMargin(0);
   alerts_layout->setSpacing(30);
-  alerts_layout->addStretch(1);
   alerts_widget->setLayout(alerts_layout);
   alerts_widget->setStyleSheet("background-color: transparent;");