diff --git a/scripts/buildkite/bootstrap.sh b/scripts/buildkite/bootstrap.sh
index 57b1b7e..ceba3a4 100755
--- a/scripts/buildkite/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/scripts/buildkite/bootstrap.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 source "$SCRIPT_DIR/lib.sh"
 
 REPO_ROOT="$(bk_repo_root)"
-export PATH="${HOME}/.local/bin:/usr/local/bin:${PATH:-}"
+bk_export_cursor_path
 
 # Sleek RID (Garden HTTPS checkouts lack a rad:// remote until we link them).
 RADICLE_RID="${RADICLE_RID:-rad:z9mjPzpVK472QXaaP1picc5U9xBR}"
@@ -78,25 +78,32 @@ bk_soft_secret() {
 }
 
 install_cursor_agent() {
-  if command -v cursor-agent >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    return 0
-  fi
-  if command -v agent >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  local cmd
+  bk_export_cursor_path
+  if cmd="$(bk_cursor_agent_cmd)"; then
+    echo "[bootstrap] Cursor CLI already on PATH: ${cmd} ($(command -v "$cmd"))"
     return 0
   fi
 
-  echo "[bootstrap] installing Cursor CLI..."
+  echo "[bootstrap] installing Cursor CLI (curl https://cursor.com/install)..."
   curl -fsSL https://cursor.com/install | bash
-  export PATH="${HOME}/.cursor/bin:${PATH:-}"
+  # Installer may land in ~/.local/bin and/or ~/.cursor/bin; re-export both.
+  bk_export_cursor_path
+
+  if ! cmd="$(bk_cursor_agent_cmd)"; then
+    echo "[bootstrap] warn: looking for agent binaries under common install dirs..." >&2
+    ls -la "${HOME}/.local/bin/agent" "${HOME}/.local/bin/cursor-agent" \
+      "${HOME}/.cursor/bin/agent" "${HOME}/.cursor/bin/cursor-agent" 2>&1 || true
+    bk_die "cursor-agent / agent not found after install (expected under ~/.local/bin or ~/.cursor/bin)"
+  fi
+  echo "[bootstrap] Cursor CLI installed: ${cmd} ($(command -v "$cmd"))"
 }
 
 cursor_agent_cmd() {
-  if command -v cursor-agent >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    echo "cursor-agent"
-    return 0
-  fi
-  if command -v agent >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    echo "agent"
+  bk_export_cursor_path
+  local cmd
+  if cmd="$(bk_cursor_agent_cmd)"; then
+    echo "$cmd"
     return 0
   fi
   bk_die "cursor-agent / agent not found after install"
diff --git a/scripts/buildkite/delegate.sh b/scripts/buildkite/delegate.sh
index 9faa78b..5004eaa 100755
--- a/scripts/buildkite/delegate.sh
+++ b/scripts/buildkite/delegate.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@
 #                      [--output-format json|text] [--timeout SECONDS] [--force]
 set -euo pipefail
 
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+# shellcheck source=lib.sh
+source "$SCRIPT_DIR/lib.sh"
+bk_export_cursor_path
+
 task=""
 workspace=""
 model=""
@@ -34,12 +39,12 @@ if [[ -z "${task:-}" ]]; then
 fi
 
 AGENT_BIN=""
-if command -v cursor-agent >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-  AGENT_BIN=cursor-agent
-elif command -v agent >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-  AGENT_BIN=agent
+if AGENT_BIN="$(bk_cursor_agent_cmd)"; then
+  :
+else
+  echo "error: cursor-agent / agent not found on PATH (tried ~/.cursor/bin ~/.local/bin)" >&2
+  exit 127
 fi
-[[ -n "$AGENT_BIN" ]] || { echo "error: cursor-agent / agent not found on PATH" >&2; exit 127; }
 "$AGENT_BIN" status >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "error: Cursor CLI not authenticated (set CURSOR_API_KEY or run: $AGENT_BIN login)" >&2; exit 1; }
 
 args=(--print --output-format "$output_format")
diff --git a/scripts/buildkite/lib.sh b/scripts/buildkite/lib.sh
index c21d5ff..e89fbe7 100755
--- a/scripts/buildkite/lib.sh
+++ b/scripts/buildkite/lib.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,27 @@ bk_require_cmd() {
   command -v "$1" >/dev/null 2>&1 || bk_die "$1 not found on PATH"
 }
 
+# Cursor installer puts `agent` / `cursor-agent` under ~/.local/bin (and sometimes
+# ~/.cursor/bin). Bootstrap runs as a subprocess, so every issue-agent entrypoint
+# must re-export these dirs — otherwise delegate sees exit 127 after a successful
+# install.
+bk_export_cursor_path() {
+  export PATH="${HOME}/.cursor/bin:${HOME}/.local/bin:/usr/local/bin:${PATH:-}"
+}
+
+# Resolve cursor-agent CLI name after PATH is set. Prints binary name or returns 1.
+bk_cursor_agent_cmd() {
+  if command -v cursor-agent >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo "cursor-agent"
+    return 0
+  fi
+  if command -v agent >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo "agent"
+    return 0
+  fi
+  return 1
+}
+
 bk_repo_root() {
   git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null || bk_die "not inside a git repository"
 }
diff --git a/scripts/buildkite/run-issue-agent.sh b/scripts/buildkite/run-issue-agent.sh
index 4ae242a..c1431d0 100755
--- a/scripts/buildkite/run-issue-agent.sh
+++ b/scripts/buildkite/run-issue-agent.sh
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ cd "$REPO_ROOT"
 
 # shellcheck source=lib.sh
 source "$SCRIPT_DIR/lib.sh"
+bk_export_cursor_path
 
 TIMEOUT="${RADICLE_AGENT_TIMEOUT:-3600}"
 MODEL="${RADICLE_AGENT_MODEL:-}"
@@ -65,6 +66,12 @@ if git show-ref --verify --quiet "refs/heads/$RADICLE_ISSUE_BRANCH"; then
 fi
 
 bash "$SCRIPT_DIR/bootstrap.sh"
+# Bootstrap is a subprocess — re-apply Cursor + local bin PATH for delegate.
+bk_export_cursor_path
+if ! bk_cursor_agent_cmd >/dev/null; then
+  bk_die "cursor-agent / agent not found on PATH after bootstrap (PATH=$PATH)"
+fi
+echo "cursor-agent: $(command -v "$(bk_cursor_agent_cmd)")"
 
 if command -v buildkite-agent >/dev/null 2>&1; then
   buildkite-agent meta-data set "radicle_issue_id" "$RADICLE_ISSUE_ID" || true