Auto-injector for administering a dose of a liquid medicament, comprising: - a tubular chassis telescopable in an elongate case, - a carrier subassembly comprising a tubular carrier slidably arranged partially inside the chassis and inside the case, the carrier adapted to contain a syringe with a hollow injection needle, a drive spring and a plunger for forwarding load of the drive spring to a stopper of the syringe, wherein the syringe is lockable for joint axial translation with the carrier, - a control spring arranged around the carrier, characterized in that the auto-injector further comprises: - a needle insertion control mechanism for coupling a proximal end of the control spring to either the carrier for advancing it for needle insertion or to the chassis, wherein the needle insertion control mechanism comprises a first collar biased by the control spring in a proximal direction, wherein at least one fifth clip (2.10) is arranged on one of the chassis or the first collar initially abutting a block (20.7) on the other of the chassis or the first collar, wherein a ramped engagement between the fifth clip (2.10) and the carrier is provided for outwardly deflecting the fifth clip (2.10) on translation of the carrier in the proximal direction, wherein outward deflection of the fifth clip (2.10) and translation of the carrier in the proximal direction is initially prevented by the case outwardly abutting the fifth clip (2.10), wherein the case is at least initially biased in the distal direction, wherein the case is arranged to translate against the bias in the proximal direction relative to the chassis into an advanced position thereby translating a second window (12.8) in the case outwardly behind the fifth clip (2.10) thus allowing outward deflection so as to decouple the fifth clip (2.10) from the block (20.7) and to allow the first collar to abut against the carrier and advance it under load of the control spring. - a tubular chassis telescopable in an elongate case, - a carrier subassembly comprising a tubular carrier slidably arranged partially inside the chassis and inside the case, the carrier adapted to contain a syringe with a hollow injection needle, a drive spring and a plunger for forwarding load of the drive spring to a stopper of the syringe, wherein the syringe is lockable for joint axial translation with the carrier, - a control spring arranged around the carrier, characterized in that the auto-injector further comprises: - a needle insertion control mechanism for coupling a proximal end of the control spring to either the carrier for advancing it for needle insertion or to the chassis, wherein the needle insertion control mechanism comprises a first collar biased by the control spring in a proximal direction, wherein at least one fifth clip (2.10) is arranged on one of the chassis or the first collar initially abutting a block (20.7) on the other of the chassis or the first collar, wherein a ramped engagement between the fifth clip (2.10) and the carrier is provided for outwardly deflecting the fifth clip (2.10) on translation of the carrier in the proximal direction, wherein outward deflection of the fifth clip (2.10) and translation of the carrier in the proximal direction is initially prevented by the case outwardly abutting the fifth clip (2.10), wherein the case is at least initially biased in the distal direction, wherein the case is arranged to translate against the bias in the proximal direction relative to the chassis into an advanced position thereby translating a second window (12.8) in the case outwardly behind the fifth clip (2.10) thus allowing outward deflection so as to decouple the fifth clip (2.10) from the block (20.7) and to allow the first collar to abut against the carrier and advance it under load of the control spring.