diff --git a/daemon/packaging/install.sh b/daemon/packaging/install.sh
index e033f0c..67349ce 100755
--- a/daemon/packaging/install.sh
+++ b/daemon/packaging/install.sh
@@ -76,6 +76,15 @@ else
   fail_line "not available. Install it (e.g. apt install python3-venv)." || PREFLIGHT_FAIL=1
 fi
 
+# pip or ensurepip (venv will get pip via ensurepip or get-pip.py)
+PREFLIGHT_LABEL="pip / ensurepip"
+preflight_check "$PREFLIGHT_LABEL"
+if python3 -m pip --version >/dev/null 2>&1 || python3 -c 'import ensurepip' 2>/dev/null; then
+  ok_line "available"
+else
+  fail_line "pip not found. Install python3-pip or python3-venv (e.g. apt install python3-venv python3-pip)." || PREFLIGHT_FAIL=1
+fi
+
 # systemd
 PREFLIGHT_LABEL="systemd"
 preflight_check "$PREFLIGHT_LABEL"
@@ -140,19 +149,48 @@ do_install() {
   install -m 644 "$BRIDGE_ROOT/daemon/main.py" "$INSTALL_PREFIX/"
   install -m 644 "$BRIDGE_ROOT/daemon/requirements.txt" "$INSTALL_PREFIX/"
   chown -R "$SERVICE_USER:$SERVICE_GROUP" "$INSTALL_PREFIX"
-  # Python venv (pip quiet to keep log small)
+
+  # Python venv: ensure pip is available, then install deps and verify uvicorn
   if [[ ! -x "$INSTALL_PREFIX/venv/bin/uvicorn" ]]; then
     python3 -m venv "$INSTALL_PREFIX/venv"
-    "$INSTALL_PREFIX/venv/bin/pip" install --disable-pip-version-check -q -r "$INSTALL_PREFIX/requirements.txt"
+    VENV_PYTHON="$INSTALL_PREFIX/venv/bin/python"
+
+    # Ensure pip in venv (some minimal python3-venv installs create venv without pip)
+    if ! "$VENV_PYTHON" -m pip --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+      if "$VENV_PYTHON" -m ensurepip --upgrade 2>/dev/null; then
+        : # pip now available
+      else
+        GET_PIP="$(mktemp)"
+        if curl -sSf -o "$GET_PIP" "https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py" && "$VENV_PYTHON" "$GET_PIP"; then
+          rm -f "$GET_PIP"
+        else
+          rm -f "$GET_PIP"
+          echo "FATAL: Could not install pip into venv (ensurepip failed and get-pip.py failed or unavailable)." >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+      fi
+    fi
+
+    "$VENV_PYTHON" -m pip install --disable-pip-version-check -q -r "$INSTALL_PREFIX/requirements.txt" || {
+      echo "FATAL: pip install -r requirements.txt failed." >&2
+      exit 1
+    }
+
+    if [[ ! -x "$INSTALL_PREFIX/venv/bin/uvicorn" ]]; then
+      echo "FATAL: uvicorn not found after pip install. Check requirements.txt and network." >&2
+      exit 1
+    fi
+
     chown -R "$SERVICE_USER:$SERVICE_GROUP" "$INSTALL_PREFIX/venv"
   fi
+
   # systemd unit
   install -m 644 "$BRIDGE_ROOT/daemon/systemd/orderpy-bridge.service" /etc/systemd/system/
   systemctl daemon-reload
   exit 0
 }
 
-( do_install; echo $? > "$INSTALL_EXIT_FILE" ) >> "$INSTALL_LOG" 2>&1 &
+( do_install; r=$?; echo $r > "$INSTALL_EXIT_FILE"; exit $r ) >> "$INSTALL_LOG" 2>&1 &
 INSTALL_PID=$!
 
 # Progress bar (indeterminate: moving cursor)