diff --git a/scripts/setup.sh b/scripts/setup.sh
index 6c64f2fc..87c9fe58 100755
--- a/scripts/setup.sh
+++ b/scripts/setup.sh
@@ -695,35 +695,27 @@ else
   esac
 fi
 
-# ─── 14. npm global packages (system-wide) ──────────────────────────────────
+# ─── 14. npm global packages (user-local) ───────────────────────────────────
 echo ""
-echo "── npm global packages (system-wide) ──"
+echo "── npm global packages (user-local) ──"
+
+# Ensure ~/.local/bin is in PATH for this session
+export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
 
 if ! has npm; then
   warn "npm not found — skipping global package installs"
 else
-  # Use explicit path to system npm if available, to avoid nvm conflicts
-  SYSTEM_NPM="/usr/bin/npm"
-  if [ ! -f "$SYSTEM_NPM" ]; then
-    SYSTEM_NPM="$(command -v npm)"
-  fi
-  
-  # Set npm prefix to system location so all users can access packages
-  echo "  Configuring npm global prefix to /usr/local..."
-  sudo "$SYSTEM_NPM" config set prefix /usr/local
-  ok "npm prefix set to /usr/local"
-
-  # Update npm itself to latest
-  echo "  Updating npm to latest..."
-  sudo "$SYSTEM_NPM" install -g npm@latest
-  ok "npm updated to v$(npm --version 2>/dev/null)"
+  # Set npm prefix to user-local so no sudo is needed for installs/updates
+  echo "  Configuring npm global prefix to ~/.local..."
+  npm config set prefix "$HOME/.local"
+  ok "npm prefix set to $HOME/.local"
 
   # Pi (coding agent)
   if has pi; then
     skip "pi (@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent)"
   else
     echo "  Installing pi..."
-    sudo "$SYSTEM_NPM" install -g @mariozechner/pi-coding-agent
+    npm install -g @mariozechner/pi-coding-agent
     if has pi; then ok "pi installed"; else warn "pi install failed"; fi
   fi
 
@@ -736,20 +728,12 @@ else
     fi
   fi
 
-  # Fix ~/.pi ownership if needed (in case of mixed user/sudo installs)
-  if [ -d "$HOME/.pi" ]; then
-    if find "$HOME/.pi" -not -user "$USER" -print -quit 2>/dev/null | grep -q .; then
-      sudo chown -R "$USER:$(id -gn)" "$HOME/.pi"
-      ok "Fixed ~/.pi ownership to $USER"
-    fi
-  fi
-
-  # Claude Code
+  # Claude Code (uses Anthropic's own installer for auto-update support)
   if has claude; then
-    skip "claude (@anthropic-ai/claude-code)"
+    skip "claude (claude-code)"
   else
-    echo "  Installing claude-code..."
-    sudo "$SYSTEM_NPM" install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
+    echo "  Installing claude-code via Anthropic installer..."
+    curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | sh
     if has claude; then ok "claude-code installed"; else warn "claude-code install failed"; fi
   fi
 
@@ -758,7 +742,7 @@ else
     skip "pm2"
   else
     echo "  Installing pm2..."
-    sudo "$SYSTEM_NPM" install -g pm2
+    npm install -g pm2
     if has pm2; then ok "pm2 installed"; else warn "pm2 install failed"; fi
   fi
 fi
diff --git a/src/servers/sidecar/claude/claude-manager.ts b/src/servers/sidecar/claude/claude-manager.ts
index 09e60f7b..ece56cb0 100644
--- a/src/servers/sidecar/claude/claude-manager.ts
+++ b/src/servers/sidecar/claude/claude-manager.ts
@@ -8,11 +8,9 @@ import { parseStream } from './stream-parser';
 
 const SEND_TIMEOUT_MS = 5 * 60 * 1000;
 
-// Resolve absolute path to claude binary
-const CLAUDE_BIN = (() => {
-  const result = Bun.spawnSync({ cmd: ['which', 'claude'], stdout: 'pipe', stderr: 'ignore' });
-  return result.stdout.toString().trim() || 'claude';
-})();
+// Use /usr/local/bin/claude so it's visible inside bwrap sandbox (which ro-binds /usr).
+// The actual binary lives at ~/.local/bin/claude, symlinked from /usr/local/bin/claude.
+const CLAUDE_BIN = '/usr/local/bin/claude';
 
 const DATA_PATH = process.env.DATA_PATH ?? join(process.cwd(), 'data');
 
diff --git a/src/servers/sidecar/pi/pi-manager.ts b/src/servers/sidecar/pi/pi-manager.ts
index c67f9c40..6fbbada5 100644
--- a/src/servers/sidecar/pi/pi-manager.ts
+++ b/src/servers/sidecar/pi/pi-manager.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ function isPidAlive(pid: number): boolean {
   }
 }
 
-// Resolve pi as [node, cli.js]
+// Resolve pi as [node, cli.js] — the real .js path lives under ~/.local/lib/node_modules
+// which is ro-mounted in the sandbox. Node is at /usr/bin/node (under /usr ro-bind).
 const PI_CMD = (() => {
   const whichResult = Bun.spawnSync({ cmd: ['which', 'pi'], stdout: 'pipe', stderr: 'ignore' });
   const piBin = whichResult.stdout.toString().trim() || 'pi';
diff --git a/src/servers/sidecar/sandbox.ts b/src/servers/sidecar/sandbox.ts
index f800f609..dc0f54ac 100644
--- a/src/servers/sidecar/sandbox.ts
+++ b/src/servers/sidecar/sandbox.ts
@@ -65,9 +65,21 @@ export function buildSandboxPrefix(email: string): string[] {
   if (existsSync('/lib64')) args.push('--ro-bind', '/lib64', '/lib64');
   if (existsSync('/sbin')) args.push('--ro-bind', '/sbin', '/sbin');
 
+  // Ensure intermediate dirs under HOME are traversable after runuser drops privileges
+  // (bwrap auto-creates them as root-owned drwx------)
+  const homeDir = process.env.HOME!;
+  args.push('--perms', '0755', '--dir', homeDir);
+
   // Bun runtime (e.g. /home/pastilhas/.bun)
   args.push('--ro-bind', BUN_DIR, BUN_DIR);
 
+  // npm global packages (~/.local/lib) — pi and its dependencies
+  const localLib = join(homeDir, '.local', 'lib');
+  if (existsSync(localLib)) {
+    args.push('--perms', '0755', '--dir', join(homeDir, '.local'));
+    args.push('--ro-bind', localLib, localLib);
+  }
+
   // Project source (for MCP server)
   args.push('--ro-bind', PROJECT_ROOT, PROJECT_ROOT);