diff --git a/apps/server/src/cli/invocation.test.ts b/apps/server/src/cli/invocation.test.ts
index f23b96063a576..cd00f6ba1e408 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/cli/invocation.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/cli/invocation.test.ts
@@ -71,7 +71,15 @@ it.layer(NodeServices.layer)("root CLI commands", (it) => {
 
       expect(yield* rootCommand(desktop)).toBe(`sudo '${shim}' browser setup`);
 
+      // An unrelated `t3` on PATH, such as an older npm global, is another install's CLI.
       expect(yield* rootCommand({ ...desktop, path: yield* pathWithT3 })).toBe(
+        `sudo '${shim}' browser setup`,
+      );
+
+      // The link the app installs onto PATH leads to its own launcher, so plain `t3` is right.
+      const linked = yield* fs.makeTempDirectoryScoped();
+      yield* fs.symlink(shim, path.join(linked, "t3"));
+      expect(yield* rootCommand({ ...desktop, path: linked })).toBe(
         'sudo env "PATH=$PATH" t3 browser setup',
       );
 
diff --git a/apps/server/src/cli/invocation.ts b/apps/server/src/cli/invocation.ts
index 5ee3c58a68688..dbff3add054f7 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/cli/invocation.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/cli/invocation.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import * as Schema from "effect/Schema";
 
 import type { ServerInstallation } from "@t3tools/contracts";
 import * as HostProcess from "@t3tools/shared/HostProcess";
-import { isCommandAvailable } from "@t3tools/shared/shell";
+import { resolveCommandPath } from "@t3tools/shared/shell";
 
 import packageJson from "../../package.json" with { type: "json" };
 
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ const resolveInstallLauncher = Effect.gen(function* () {
 });
 
 /**
- * Uses `t3` on PATH, the originating package runner, or this install's absolute launcher path.
+ * Uses this install's `t3` on PATH, the originating runner, or its absolute launcher path.
  * Arguments are quoted for POSIX shells or PowerShell on Windows.
  */
 export const resolveHostCliCommand = Effect.fn("invocation.resolveHostCliCommand")(function* (
@@ -155,7 +155,16 @@ export const resolveHostCliCommand = Effect.fn("invocation.resolveHostCliCommand
     [prefix, ...args.map((arg) => hostShellWord(platform, arg))].join(" ");
   const command = yield* resolveCliCommand(subcommand);
   if (command !== `t3 ${subcommand}`) return { command: withArgs(command), launcher: false };
-  if (yield* isCommandAvailable("t3")) return { command: withArgs(command), launcher: false };
+  const onPath = yield* resolveCommandPath("t3");
+  if (onPath !== null) {
+    const shim = (yield* HostProcess.Environment).T3CODE_CLI_PATH?.trim();
+    const fs = yield* FileSystem.FileSystem;
+    const real = (file: string) => fs.realPath(file).pipe(Effect.orElseSucceed(() => null));
+    const shimReal = shim ? yield* real(shim) : null;
+    if (shimReal === null || shimReal === (yield* real(onPath))) {
+      return { command: withArgs(command), launcher: false };
+    }
+  }
   const launcher = yield* resolveInstallLauncher;
   if (Option.isNone(launcher)) return { command: withArgs(command), launcher: false };
   // PowerShell runs a quoted path only through the call operator.