diff --git a/src/wizard/onboarding.finalize.ts b/src/wizard/onboarding.finalize.ts
index 1c071aced..c0d5cbff9 100644
--- a/src/wizard/onboarding.finalize.ts
+++ b/src/wizard/onboarding.finalize.ts
@@ -163,46 +163,62 @@ export async function finalizeOnboardingWizard(options: FinalizeOnboardingOption
     if (!loaded || (loaded && (await service.isLoaded({ env: process.env })) === false)) {
       const devMode =
         process.argv[1]?.includes(`${path.sep}src${path.sep}`) && process.argv[1]?.endsWith(".ts");
-      await withWizardProgress(
-        "Gateway daemon",
-        { doneMessage: "Gateway daemon installed." },
-        async (progress) => {
-          progress.update("Preparing Gateway daemon…");
-          const nodePath = await resolvePreferredNodePath({
-            env: process.env,
-            runtime: daemonRuntime,
-          });
-          const { programArguments, workingDirectory } = await resolveGatewayProgramArguments({
-            port: settings.port,
-            dev: devMode,
-            runtime: daemonRuntime,
-            nodePath,
-          });
-          if (daemonRuntime === "node") {
-            const systemNode = await resolveSystemNodeInfo({ env: process.env });
-            const warning = renderSystemNodeWarning(systemNode, programArguments[0]);
-            if (warning) await prompter.note(warning, "Gateway runtime");
-          }
-          const environment = buildServiceEnvironment({
-            env: process.env,
-            port: settings.port,
-            token: settings.gatewayToken,
-            launchdLabel:
-              process.platform === "darwin"
-                ? resolveGatewayLaunchAgentLabel(process.env.CLAWDBOT_PROFILE)
-                : undefined,
-          });
+      const progress = prompter.progress("Gateway daemon");
+      let installError: string | null = null;
+      try {
+        progress.update("Preparing Gateway daemon…");
+        const nodePath = await resolvePreferredNodePath({
+          env: process.env,
+          runtime: daemonRuntime,
+        });
+        const { programArguments, workingDirectory } = await resolveGatewayProgramArguments({
+          port: settings.port,
+          dev: devMode,
+          runtime: daemonRuntime,
+          nodePath,
+        });
+        if (daemonRuntime === "node") {
+          const systemNode = await resolveSystemNodeInfo({ env: process.env });
+          const warning = renderSystemNodeWarning(systemNode, programArguments[0]);
+          if (warning) await prompter.note(warning, "Gateway runtime");
+        }
+        const environment = buildServiceEnvironment({
+          env: process.env,
+          port: settings.port,
+          token: settings.gatewayToken,
+          launchdLabel:
+            process.platform === "darwin"
+              ? resolveGatewayLaunchAgentLabel(process.env.CLAWDBOT_PROFILE)
+              : undefined,
+        });
 
-          progress.update("Installing Gateway daemon…");
-          await service.install({
-            env: process.env,
-            stdout: process.stdout,
-            programArguments,
-            workingDirectory,
-            environment,
-          });
-        },
-      );
+        progress.update("Installing Gateway daemon…");
+        await service.install({
+          env: process.env,
+          stdout: process.stdout,
+          programArguments,
+          workingDirectory,
+          environment,
+        });
+      } catch (err) {
+        installError = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+      } finally {
+        progress.stop(installError ? "Gateway daemon install failed." : "Gateway daemon installed.");
+      }
+      if (installError) {
+        await prompter.note(`Gateway daemon install failed: ${installError}`, "Gateway");
+        if (process.platform === "win32") {
+          await prompter.note(
+            "Tip: rerun from an elevated PowerShell (Start → type PowerShell → right-click → Run as administrator) or skip daemon install.",
+            "Gateway",
+          );
+        } else {
+          await prompter.note(
+            "Tip: rerun `clawdbot daemon install` after fixing the error.",
+            "Gateway",
+          );
+        }
+      }
     }
   }