diff --git a/src/dashboard.ts b/src/dashboard.ts
index 1e1fd79..b8759b4 100644
--- a/src/dashboard.ts
+++ b/src/dashboard.ts
@@ -184,11 +184,20 @@ if [ "$major" -lt 22 ]; then
   echo "submitfleet needs Node.js 22.5 or newer (found $(node -v))" >&2
   exit 1
 fi
-if command -v pnpm >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-  pnpm add -g @profullstack/submitfleet
+# npm first: its global bin works out of the box. pnpm only when npm is missing or fails
+# (pnpm add -g aborts unless its global bin directory was set up beforehand).
+if command -v npm >/dev/null 2>&1 && npm install -g @profullstack/submitfleet; then
+  bin_dir="$(npm prefix -g)/bin"
+elif command -v pnpm >/dev/null 2>&1 && pnpm add -g @profullstack/submitfleet; then
+  bin_dir="$(pnpm bin -g)"
 else
-  npm install -g @profullstack/submitfleet
+  echo "submitfleet: install failed (tried npm and pnpm)" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+if command -v submitfleet >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  submitfleet doctor || true
+  echo "Installed. Try: submitfleet coverage report"
+else
+  echo "Installed to $bin_dir, which is not on your PATH. Add it, then run: submitfleet doctor"
 fi
-submitfleet doctor || true
-echo "Installed. Try: submitfleet coverage report"
 `;