diff --git a/scripts/install.sh b/scripts/install.sh
index ffd553823aa..8b01d8795fa 100755
--- a/scripts/install.sh
+++ b/scripts/install.sh
@@ -1000,7 +1000,7 @@ prefer_user_local_openshell() {
 
 ensure_cli_shim() {
   local cli_bin="${1:-$_CLI_BIN}"
-  local npm_bin shim_path node_path node_dir cli_path
+  local npm_bin shim_path node_path node_dir cli_path expected_shim
   npm_bin="$(resolve_npm_bin)" || true
   shim_path="${NEMOCLAW_SHIM_DIR}/${cli_bin}"
 
@@ -1029,12 +1029,22 @@ ensure_cli_shim() {
     return 0
   fi
 
-  mkdir -p "$NEMOCLAW_SHIM_DIR"
-  cat >"$shim_path" <<EOF
+  expected_shim="$(
+    cat <<EOF
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 export PATH="$node_dir:\$PATH"
 exec "$cli_path" "\$@"
 EOF
+  )"
+
+  if [[ -x "$shim_path" ]] && cmp -s "$shim_path" <(printf '%s\n' "$expected_shim"); then
+    refresh_path
+    ensure_local_bin_in_profile
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  mkdir -p "$NEMOCLAW_SHIM_DIR"
+  printf '%s\n' "$expected_shim" >"$shim_path"
   chmod +x "$shim_path"
   refresh_path
   ensure_local_bin_in_profile
diff --git a/test/install-preflight.test.ts b/test/install-preflight.test.ts
index a5ccd93b826..8d684da7c3c 100644
--- a/test/install-preflight.test.ts
+++ b/test/install-preflight.test.ts
@@ -1355,11 +1355,22 @@ exit 99
 if [ "\${1:-}" = "-c" ]; then
   shift 2
 fi
-if [ "$1" = "clone" ]; then
+if [ "\${1:-}" = "-C" ]; then
+  shift 2
+fi
+if [ "$1" = "init" ]; then
   target="\${@: -1}"
-  mkdir -p "$target/nemoclaw"
+  mkdir -p "$target/nemoclaw" "$target/scripts"
   echo '{"name":"nemoclaw","version":"0.1.0","dependencies":{"openclaw":"2026.3.11"}}' > "$target/package.json"
   echo '{"name":"nemoclaw-plugin","version":"0.1.0"}' > "$target/nemoclaw/package.json"
+  cat > "$target/scripts/install-openshell.sh" <<'EOS'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+exit 0
+EOS
+  chmod +x "$target/scripts/install-openshell.sh"
+  exit 0
+fi
+if [ "$1" = "remote" ] || [ "$1" = "fetch" ] || [ "$1" = "checkout" ]; then
   exit 0
 fi
 exit 0
@@ -1448,7 +1459,9 @@ exit 0
     expect(result.status).toBe(0);
     expect(fs.readFileSync(shimPath, "utf-8")).toContain(`export PATH="${fakeBin}:$PATH"`);
     expect(fs.readFileSync(shimPath, "utf-8")).toContain(path.join(prefix, "bin", "nemoclaw"));
-    expect(`${result.stdout}${result.stderr}`).toMatch(/Created user-local shim/);
+    expect(`${result.stdout}${result.stderr}`.match(/Created user-local shim/g) ?? []).toHaveLength(
+      1,
+    );
   });
 
   it("preserves ready output when nemoclaw is already resolvable after install", () => {