diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/Constants.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/Constants.swift
index 2eea34b27..89723312a 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/Constants.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/Constants.swift
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ let voiceWakeForwardCommandKey = "clawdis.voiceWakeForwardCommand"
 let modelCatalogPathKey = "clawdis.modelCatalogPath"
 let modelCatalogReloadKey = "clawdis.modelCatalogReload"
 let voiceWakeSupported: Bool = ProcessInfo.processInfo.operatingSystemVersion.majorVersion >= 26
+let cliHelperSearchPaths = ["/usr/local/bin", "/opt/homebrew/bin"]
 let defaultVoiceWakeForwardCommand = "clawdis-mac agent --message \"${text}\" --thinking low"
 let defaultVoiceWakeForwardPort = 22
 let defaultVoiceWakeForwardTimeout: TimeInterval = 6
diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/Utilities.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/Utilities.swift
index cf7b2f215..6a04960ed 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/Utilities.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/Utilities.swift
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ enum CLIInstaller {
             return
         }
 
-        let targets = ["/usr/local/bin/clawdis-mac", "/opt/homebrew/bin/clawdis-mac"]
+        let targets = cliHelperSearchPaths.map { "\($0)/clawdis-mac" }
         let result = await self.privilegedSymlink(source: helper.path, targets: targets)
         await statusHandler(result)
     }
diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/VoiceWakeForwarder.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/VoiceWakeForwarder.swift
index 4348c767b..ae8b8d589 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/VoiceWakeForwarder.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/VoiceWakeForwarder.swift
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ struct VoiceWakeForwardConfig: Sendable {
 
 enum VoiceWakeForwarder {
     private static let logger = Logger(subsystem: "com.steipete.clawdis", category: "voicewake.forward")
+    private static let cliPathPrefix = "PATH=\(cliHelperSearchPaths.joined(separator: ":")):$PATH"
+
+    static func commandWithCliPath(_ command: String) -> String {
+        "\(self.cliPathPrefix); \(command)"
+    }
 
     enum VoiceWakeForwardError: LocalizedError, Equatable {
         case invalidTarget
@@ -57,7 +62,7 @@ enum VoiceWakeForwarder {
         args.append(userHost)
 
         let rendered = self.renderedCommand(template: config.commandTemplate, transcript: transcript)
-        args.append(contentsOf: ["sh", "-c", rendered])
+        args.append(contentsOf: ["sh", "-c", self.commandWithCliPath(rendered)])
 
         self.logger.info("voice wake forward starting host=\(userHost, privacy: .public)")
 
@@ -134,7 +139,8 @@ enum VoiceWakeForwarder {
 
         // Stage 2: ensure remote clawdis-mac is present and responsive.
         var checkArgs = baseArgs
-        checkArgs.append(contentsOf: [userHost, "clawdis-mac", "status"])
+        let statusCommand = self.commandWithCliPath("clawdis-mac status")
+        checkArgs.append(contentsOf: [userHost, "sh", "-c", statusCommand])
         let checkProc = Process()
         checkProc.executableURL = URL(fileURLWithPath: "/usr/bin/ssh")
         checkProc.arguments = checkArgs
diff --git a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/VoiceWakeForwarderTests.swift b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/VoiceWakeForwarderTests.swift
index c343dbaaa..e3626bffe 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/VoiceWakeForwarderTests.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/VoiceWakeForwarderTests.swift
@@ -29,4 +29,11 @@ import Testing
         let command = VoiceWakeForwarder.renderedCommand(template: template, transcript: "ignored")
         #expect(command == template)
     }
+
+    @Test func commandPrefersCliInstallPaths() {
+        let command = VoiceWakeForwarder.commandWithCliPath("clawdis-mac status")
+        let prefix = "PATH=\(cliHelperSearchPaths.joined(separator: ":")):$PATH; "
+        #expect(command.hasPrefix(prefix))
+        #expect(command.contains("clawdis-mac status"))
+    }
 }