diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1c268b6b8..f49e4575d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.clawd.bot
 
 ### Fixes
 - Doctor: avoid re-adding WhatsApp ack reaction config when only legacy auth files exist. (#1087) — thanks @YuriNachos.
+- CLI: add WSL2/systemd unavailable hints in daemon status/doctor output.
 
 ## 2026.1.16-2
 
diff --git a/src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle.ts b/src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle.ts
index f249661d6..0ad05f9f7 100644
--- a/src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle.ts
+++ b/src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 import { resolveIsNixMode } from "../../config/paths.js";
 import { resolveGatewayService } from "../../daemon/service.js";
+import { isSystemdUserServiceAvailable } from "../../daemon/systemd.js";
+import { renderSystemdUnavailableHints } from "../../daemon/systemd-hints.js";
+import { isWSL } from "../../infra/wsl.js";
 import { defaultRuntime } from "../../runtime.js";
 import { buildDaemonServiceSnapshot, createNullWriter, emitDaemonActionJson } from "./response.js";
 import { renderGatewayServiceStartHints } from "./shared.js";
@@ -89,7 +92,13 @@ export async function runDaemonStart(opts: DaemonLifecycleOptions = {}) {
     return;
   }
   if (!loaded) {
-    const hints = renderGatewayServiceStartHints();
+    let hints = renderGatewayServiceStartHints();
+    if (process.platform === "linux") {
+      const systemdAvailable = await isSystemdUserServiceAvailable().catch(() => false);
+      if (!systemdAvailable) {
+        hints = [...hints, ...renderSystemdUnavailableHints({ wsl: await isWSL() })];
+      }
+    }
     emit({
       ok: true,
       result: "not-loaded",
@@ -229,7 +238,13 @@ export async function runDaemonRestart(opts: DaemonLifecycleOptions = {}): Promi
     return false;
   }
   if (!loaded) {
-    const hints = renderGatewayServiceStartHints();
+    let hints = renderGatewayServiceStartHints();
+    if (process.platform === "linux") {
+      const systemdAvailable = await isSystemdUserServiceAvailable().catch(() => false);
+      if (!systemdAvailable) {
+        hints = [...hints, ...renderSystemdUnavailableHints({ wsl: await isWSL() })];
+      }
+    }
     emit({
       ok: true,
       result: "not-loaded",
diff --git a/src/cli/daemon-cli/status.gather.ts b/src/cli/daemon-cli/status.gather.ts
index 73567f583..d2fbd9187 100644
--- a/src/cli/daemon-cli/status.gather.ts
+++ b/src/cli/daemon-cli/status.gather.ts
@@ -114,7 +114,9 @@ export async function gatherDaemonStatus(
   const [loaded, command, runtime] = await Promise.all([
     service.isLoaded({ env: process.env }).catch(() => false),
     service.readCommand(process.env).catch(() => null),
-    service.readRuntime(process.env).catch(() => undefined),
+    service
+      .readRuntime(process.env)
+      .catch((err) => ({ status: "unknown", detail: String(err) })),
   ]);
   const configAudit = await auditGatewayServiceConfig({
     env: process.env,
diff --git a/src/cli/daemon-cli/status.print.ts b/src/cli/daemon-cli/status.print.ts
index 832d02e58..43391da0a 100644
--- a/src/cli/daemon-cli/status.print.ts
+++ b/src/cli/daemon-cli/status.print.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@ import {
 } from "../../daemon/constants.js";
 import { renderGatewayServiceCleanupHints } from "../../daemon/inspect.js";
 import { resolveGatewayLogPaths } from "../../daemon/launchd.js";
+import {
+  isSystemdUnavailableDetail,
+  renderSystemdUnavailableHints,
+} from "../../daemon/systemd-hints.js";
+import { isWSLEnv } from "../../infra/wsl.js";
 import { getResolvedLoggerSettings } from "../../logging.js";
 import { defaultRuntime } from "../../runtime.js";
 import { colorize, isRich, theme } from "../../terminal/theme.js";
@@ -164,6 +169,16 @@ export function printDaemonStatus(status: DaemonStatus, opts: { json: boolean })
     spacer();
   }
 
+  const systemdUnavailable =
+    process.platform === "linux" && isSystemdUnavailableDetail(service.runtime?.detail);
+  if (systemdUnavailable) {
+    defaultRuntime.error(errorText("systemd user services unavailable."));
+    for (const hint of renderSystemdUnavailableHints({ wsl: isWSLEnv() })) {
+      defaultRuntime.error(errorText(hint));
+    }
+    spacer();
+  }
+
   if (service.runtime?.missingUnit) {
     defaultRuntime.error(errorText("Service unit not found."));
     for (const hint of renderRuntimeHints(service.runtime)) {
diff --git a/src/commands/doctor-format.ts b/src/commands/doctor-format.ts
index d54e7a36f..2b120b146 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor-format.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor-format.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ import {
   resolveGatewayWindowsTaskName,
 } from "../daemon/constants.js";
 import { resolveGatewayLogPaths } from "../daemon/launchd.js";
+import {
+  isSystemdUnavailableDetail,
+  renderSystemdUnavailableHints,
+} from "../daemon/systemd-hints.js";
+import { isWSLEnv } from "../infra/wsl.js";
 import type { GatewayServiceRuntime } from "../daemon/service-runtime.js";
 import { getResolvedLoggerSettings } from "../logging.js";
 
@@ -54,6 +59,11 @@ export function buildGatewayRuntimeHints(
       return null;
     }
   })();
+  if (platform === "linux" && isSystemdUnavailableDetail(runtime.detail)) {
+    hints.push(...renderSystemdUnavailableHints({ wsl: isWSLEnv() }));
+    if (fileLog) hints.push(`File logs: ${fileLog}`);
+    return hints;
+  }
   if (runtime.cachedLabel && platform === "darwin") {
     const label = resolveGatewayLaunchAgentLabel(env.CLAWDBOT_PROFILE);
     hints.push(
diff --git a/src/commands/doctor-gateway-daemon-flow.ts b/src/commands/doctor-gateway-daemon-flow.ts
index b898a7cca..1f4cf4dc7 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor-gateway-daemon-flow.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor-gateway-daemon-flow.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@ import {
 } from "../daemon/runtime-paths.js";
 import { resolveGatewayService } from "../daemon/service.js";
 import { buildServiceEnvironment } from "../daemon/service-env.js";
+import { isSystemdUserServiceAvailable } from "../daemon/systemd.js";
+import { renderSystemdUnavailableHints } from "../daemon/systemd-hints.js";
 import { formatPortDiagnostics, inspectPortUsage } from "../infra/ports.js";
+import { isWSL } from "../infra/wsl.js";
 import type { RuntimeEnv } from "../runtime.js";
 import { note } from "../terminal/note.js";
 import { sleep } from "../utils.js";
@@ -55,6 +58,14 @@ export async function maybeRepairGatewayDaemon(params: {
   }
 
   if (!loaded) {
+    if (process.platform === "linux") {
+      const systemdAvailable = await isSystemdUserServiceAvailable().catch(() => false);
+      if (!systemdAvailable) {
+        const wsl = await isWSL();
+        note(renderSystemdUnavailableHints({ wsl }).join("\n"), "Gateway");
+        return;
+      }
+    }
     note("Gateway daemon not installed.", "Gateway");
     if (params.cfg.gateway?.mode !== "remote") {
       const install = await params.prompter.confirmSkipInNonInteractive({
diff --git a/src/commands/oauth-env.ts b/src/commands/oauth-env.ts
index 1f2967f8b..6cddf7a48 100644
--- a/src/commands/oauth-env.ts
+++ b/src/commands/oauth-env.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,4 @@
-import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
-
-function isWSL(): boolean {
-  if (process.platform !== "linux") return false;
-  try {
-    const release = readFileSync("/proc/version", "utf8").toLowerCase();
-    return release.includes("microsoft") || release.includes("wsl");
-  } catch {
-    return false;
-  }
-}
+import { isWSLEnv } from "../infra/wsl.js";
 
 export function isRemoteEnvironment(): boolean {
   if (process.env.SSH_CLIENT || process.env.SSH_TTY || process.env.SSH_CONNECTION) {
@@ -23,7 +13,7 @@ export function isRemoteEnvironment(): boolean {
     process.platform === "linux" &&
     !process.env.DISPLAY &&
     !process.env.WAYLAND_DISPLAY &&
-    !isWSL()
+    !isWSLEnv()
   ) {
     return true;
   }
diff --git a/src/commands/onboard-helpers.ts b/src/commands/onboard-helpers.ts
index 90eb39c93..b609ee3b7 100644
--- a/src/commands/onboard-helpers.ts
+++ b/src/commands/onboard-helpers.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { callGateway } from "../gateway/call.js";
 import { normalizeControlUiBasePath } from "../gateway/control-ui.js";
 import { isSafeExecutableValue } from "../infra/exec-safety.js";
 import { pickPrimaryTailnetIPv4 } from "../infra/tailnet.js";
+import { isWSL } from "../infra/wsl.js";
 import { runCommandWithTimeout } from "../process/exec.js";
 import type { RuntimeEnv } from "../runtime.js";
 import { stylePromptTitle } from "../terminal/prompt-style.js";
@@ -91,27 +92,6 @@ type BrowserOpenSupport = {
   command?: string;
 };
 
-let wslCached: boolean | null = null;
-
-async function isWSL(): Promise<boolean> {
-  if (wslCached !== null) return wslCached;
-  if (process.platform !== "linux") {
-    wslCached = false;
-    return wslCached;
-  }
-  if (process.env.WSL_INTEROP || process.env.WSL_DISTRO_NAME || process.env.WSLENV) {
-    wslCached = true;
-    return wslCached;
-  }
-  try {
-    const release = (await fs.readFile("/proc/version", "utf8")).toLowerCase();
-    wslCached = release.includes("microsoft") || release.includes("wsl");
-  } catch {
-    wslCached = false;
-  }
-  return wslCached;
-}
-
 type BrowserOpenCommand = {
   argv: string[] | null;
   reason?: string;
diff --git a/src/daemon/systemd-hints.ts b/src/daemon/systemd-hints.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a393657ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/daemon/systemd-hints.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+export function isSystemdUnavailableDetail(detail?: string): boolean {
+  if (!detail) return false;
+  const normalized = detail.toLowerCase();
+  return (
+    normalized.includes("systemctl --user unavailable") ||
+    normalized.includes("systemctl not available") ||
+    normalized.includes("not been booted with systemd") ||
+    normalized.includes("failed to connect to bus") ||
+    normalized.includes("systemd user services are required")
+  );
+}
+
+export function renderSystemdUnavailableHints(options: { wsl?: boolean } = {}): string[] {
+  if (options.wsl) {
+    return [
+      "WSL2 needs systemd enabled: edit /etc/wsl.conf with [boot]\\nsystemd=true",
+      "Then run: wsl --shutdown (from PowerShell) and reopen your distro.",
+      "Verify: systemctl --user status",
+    ];
+  }
+  return [
+    "systemd user services are unavailable; install/enable systemd or run the gateway under your supervisor.",
+    "If you're in a container, run the gateway in the foreground instead of `clawdbot daemon`.",
+  ];
+}
diff --git a/src/infra/wsl.ts b/src/infra/wsl.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..20861f9e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/infra/wsl.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import fs from "node:fs/promises";
+
+let wslCached: boolean | null = null;
+
+export function isWSLEnv(): boolean {
+  if (process.env.WSL_INTEROP || process.env.WSL_DISTRO_NAME || process.env.WSLENV) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
+export async function isWSL(): Promise<boolean> {
+  if (wslCached !== null) return wslCached;
+  if (isWSLEnv()) {
+    wslCached = true;
+    return wslCached;
+  }
+  try {
+    const release = await fs.readFile("/proc/sys/kernel/osrelease", "utf8");
+    wslCached = release.toLowerCase().includes("microsoft") || release.toLowerCase().includes("wsl");
+  } catch {
+    wslCached = false;
+  }
+  return wslCached;
+}