diff --git a/scripts/install.sh b/scripts/install.sh
index 966c9e35781..6ddbbf1cc67 100755
--- a/scripts/install.sh
+++ b/scripts/install.sh
@@ -742,7 +742,18 @@ install_nodejs() {
   ensure_nvm_loaded --force
   nvm use 22 --silent
   nvm alias default 22 2>/dev/null || true
-  info "Node.js installed: $(node --version)"
+  local installed_version
+  installed_version="$(node --version)"
+  info "Node.js installed via nvm: ${installed_version} (default alias)"
+  # Surface the shell-reload requirement right next to the install line so the
+  # user isn't left thinking the new Node is already active in their terminal.
+  # install.sh runs as a subprocess; the parent shell's PATH genuinely cannot
+  # be mutated from here, so we print the truth and the exact command.
+  # See issue #2178.
+  warn "Your current shell may still resolve \`node\` to an older version until it's reloaded."
+  printf "        Open a new terminal, or run this in your existing shell:\n"
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2016  # intentional: user pastes this literally; their shell expands the vars
+  printf '          source "${NVM_DIR:-$HOME/.nvm}/nvm.sh" && nvm use 22\n'
 }
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/test/install-preflight.test.ts b/test/install-preflight.test.ts
index 52fe703ef24..4f6a4889857 100644
--- a/test/install-preflight.test.ts
+++ b/test/install-preflight.test.ts
@@ -1531,6 +1531,27 @@ fi`,
     expect(gitCalls).not.toMatch(/clone/);
     expect(gitCalls).not.toMatch(/fetch/);
   });
+
+  // Issue #2178 — when nvm installs a new Node, the user's parent shell still
+  // resolves `node` to the old version until the shell is reloaded. The
+  // installer's upgrade path must surface this loudly and adjacent to the
+  // "Node.js installed" line, not only in the generic bottom-of-output Next
+  // block where it's easy to miss.
+  it("install_nodejs upgrade path emits a Node-specific shell-reload hint", () => {
+    const script = fs.readFileSync(INSTALLER_PAYLOAD, "utf-8");
+    const installNodejs = script.match(/install_nodejs\(\)\s*\{[\s\S]*?\n\}/);
+    expect(installNodejs).not.toBeNull();
+    const body = installNodejs![0];
+    // Anchor to the actual warn/printf calls (not the comment) so the test
+    // fails if the executable statements are removed. A child process can't
+    // mutate the parent's PATH, so the honest fix is printing the exact
+    // command the user can run in their existing shell (no exec tricks —
+    // those create a nested shell that masks the problem; see PR #2298).
+    expect(body).toMatch(/\n\s*warn\s+"Your current shell may still resolve/);
+    // Single-quoted printf avoids bash expansion of $NVM_DIR / $HOME in the
+    // printed text — the user gets a literal, env-aware command to paste.
+    expect(body).toMatch(/\n\s*printf\s+'[^']*NVM_DIR:-\$HOME\/\.nvm[^']*nvm use 22/);
+  });
 });
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------