diff --git a/scripts/build_pack.py b/scripts/build_pack.py
index 1c01846..a13b46d 100644
--- a/scripts/build_pack.py
+++ b/scripts/build_pack.py
@@ -569,18 +569,47 @@ def _probe_command(component_id: str, name: str, executable: Path) -> list[str]:
     raise PackBuildError(f"no probe for {component_id}.{name}")
 
 
+def normalize_node_launchers(executables: Mapping[str, str], payload: Path) -> None:
+    """Repair npm launchers whose upstream symlinks were safely materialized."""
+
+    for name in ("npm", "npx"):
+        relative = PurePosixPath(executables[name])
+        if relative.suffix.casefold() == ".cmd":
+            continue
+        launcher = payload.joinpath(*relative.parts)
+        cli_relative = PurePosixPath("lib", "node_modules", "npm", "bin", f"{name}-cli.js")
+        cli = payload.joinpath(*cli_relative.parts)
+        if not launcher.is_file() or not cli.is_file():
+            raise PackBuildError(f"Node.js {name} launcher target is missing")
+        if launcher.read_bytes() != cli.read_bytes():
+            raise PackBuildError(f"Node.js {name} launcher is not the reviewed upstream link")
+        launcher.write_bytes(
+            (
+                "#!/usr/bin/env node\n"
+                f"require('../{cli_relative.as_posix()}')\n"
+            ).encode()
+        )
+        launcher.chmod(0o755)
+
+
 def probe_payload(
     component_id: str,
     version: str,
+    bin_dirs: list[str],
     executables: Mapping[str, str],
     payload: Path,
 ) -> None:
     outputs: dict[str, str] = {}
     probe_names = {
         "python": {"python"},
-        "node": {"node"},
+        "node": {"node", "npm", "npx"},
         "gitBash": {"git", "bash"},
     }[component_id]
+    environment = os.environ.copy()
+    path_key = next((key for key in environment if key.casefold() == "path"), "PATH")
+    environment[path_key] = os.pathsep.join(
+        str(payload.joinpath(*PurePosixPath(relative).parts)) for relative in bin_dirs
+    )
     for name, relative in sorted(executables.items()):
         executable = payload.joinpath(*PurePosixPath(relative).parts)
         if not executable.is_file():
@@ -597,6 +626,7 @@ def probe_payload(
             stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
             text=True,
             timeout=60,
+            env=environment,
         )
         output = completed.stdout.strip()
         if completed.returncode != 0 or not output:
@@ -778,7 +808,15 @@ def build_pack(
             payload,
             case_sensitive_paths=target.startswith("linux-"),
         )
-        probe_payload(component_id, component["version"], component["executables"], payload)
+        if component_id == "node":
+            normalize_node_launchers(component["executables"], payload)
+        probe_payload(
+            component_id,
+            component["version"],
+            component["binDirs"],
+            component["executables"],
+            payload,
+        )
         collect_licenses(payload, pack_root / "licenses")
         manifest = {
             "schemaVersion": 1,
diff --git a/sources.json b/sources.json
index 998c300..5078547 100644
--- a/sources.json
+++ b/sources.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "schemaVersion": 1,
-  "catalogVersion": "2026-08-21.1",
-  "releaseTag": "v2026.08.21.1",
+  "catalogVersion": "2026-08-21.2",
+  "releaseTag": "v2026.08.21.2",
   "sourceDateEpoch": 1787270400,
   "targets": {
     "darwin-arm64": {
diff --git a/tests/test_pack_safety.py b/tests/test_pack_safety.py
index 91872f1..7b91344 100644
--- a/tests/test_pack_safety.py
+++ b/tests/test_pack_safety.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
     _register_path_shape,
     _verify_authenticode_signature,
     collect_licenses,
+    normalize_node_launchers,
     sha256_file,
 )
 from scripts.generate_release import (
@@ -72,6 +73,30 @@ def test_tar_extraction_materializes_safe_internal_symlink(tmp_path: Path) -> No
     assert not (payload / "bin" / "tool").is_symlink()
 
 
+def test_node_launcher_normalization_repairs_materialized_npm_symlinks(
+    tmp_path: Path,
+) -> None:
+    payload = tmp_path / "payload"
+    cli_root = payload / "lib" / "node_modules" / "npm" / "bin"
+    cli_root.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (payload / "bin").mkdir()
+    executables = {"node": "bin/node", "npm": "bin/npm", "npx": "bin/npx"}
+    for name in ("npm", "npx"):
+        original = f"#!/usr/bin/env node\n// {name}\n".encode()
+        (cli_root / f"{name}-cli.js").write_bytes(original)
+        (payload / "bin" / name).write_bytes(original)
+
+    normalize_node_launchers(executables, payload)
+
+    for name in ("npm", "npx"):
+        launcher = payload / "bin" / name
+        assert launcher.read_text(encoding="utf-8") == (
+            "#!/usr/bin/env node\n"
+            f"require('../lib/node_modules/npm/bin/{name}-cli.js')\n"
+        )
+        assert launcher.stat().st_mode & 0o111
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("name", ["root/NUL.txt", "root/file:stream", "root/trailing. "])
 def test_tar_extraction_rejects_nonportable_names(tmp_path: Path, name: str) -> None:
     archive = tmp_path / "input.tar.gz"
diff --git a/tests/test_validate_sources.py b/tests/test_validate_sources.py
index 4ab6ccf..5b6b556 100644
--- a/tests/test_validate_sources.py
+++ b/tests/test_validate_sources.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def _valid() -> dict:
 
 def test_checked_in_sources_are_complete_and_native() -> None:
     value = load_sources(ROOT / "sources.json")
-    assert value["catalogVersion"] == "2026-08-21.1"
+    assert value["catalogVersion"] == "2026-08-21.2"
     assert set(value["targets"]) == {
         "darwin-arm64",
         "darwin-x64",
diff --git a/tests/test_workflow_contract.py b/tests/test_workflow_contract.py
index 29a6589..72097f7 100644
--- a/tests/test_workflow_contract.py
+++ b/tests/test_workflow_contract.py
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ def test_every_workflow_is_valid_yaml() -> None:
 
 def test_catalog_identity_matches_release_tag_contract() -> None:
     sources = json.loads((ROOT / "sources.json").read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
-    assert sources["catalogVersion"] == "2026-08-21.1"
-    assert sources["releaseTag"] == "v2026.08.21.1"
+    assert sources["catalogVersion"] == "2026-08-21.2"
+    assert sources["releaseTag"] == "v2026.08.21.2"
 
 
 def test_repository_publishes_the_complete_apache_2_license() -> None: