diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 8bf3d7ea..c559cf77 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -47,3 +47,55 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Doctor
         run: node dist/cli.js doctor
+
+  unsupported-node:
+    name: Unsupported Node error
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Setup supported Node
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: 22.19
+          cache: npm
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: npm ci
+
+      - name: Build
+        run: npm run build
+
+      - name: Setup unsupported Node
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: 18.19.1
+
+      - name: Verify preinstall rejection
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set +e
+          output="$(node scripts/check-node-version.cjs 2>&1)"
+          status=$?
+          set -e
+
+          test "$status" -ne 0
+          grep -F "DevSpace requires Node.js >=22.19 <27." <<<"$output"
+          grep -F "Current Node.js: v18.19.1" <<<"$output"
+
+      - name: Verify CLI bootstrap error
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set +e
+          output="$(node scripts/devspace.cjs --version 2>&1)"
+          status=$?
+          set -e
+
+          test "$status" -ne 0
+          grep -F "DevSpace requires Node.js >=22.19 <27." <<<"$output"
+          grep -F "Current Node.js: v18.19.1" <<<"$output"
+          if grep -F "Invalid regular expression flags" <<<"$output"; then
+            exit 1
+          fi
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 0d7decc4..af2e4a0b 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
         "zod": "^4.4.3"
       },
       "bin": {
-        "devspace": "dist/cli.js"
+        "devspace": "scripts/devspace.cjs"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "@types/better-sqlite3": "^7.6.13",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 25f21059..c214f996 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     "node": ">=22.19 <27"
   },
   "bin": {
-    "devspace": "dist/cli.js"
+    "devspace": "scripts/devspace.cjs"
   },
   "files": [
     "dist",
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@
     "build": "npm run clean && npm run build:app && tsc -p tsconfig.build.json",
     "build:app": "vite build",
     "dev": "node scripts/dev-server.mjs",
+    "preinstall": "node scripts/check-node-version.cjs",
     "postinstall": "node scripts/fix-node-pty-permissions.mjs",
-    "start": "node dist/cli.js serve",
+    "start": "node scripts/devspace.cjs serve",
     "test": "tsx src/config.test.ts && tsx src/ui/card-types.test.ts && tsx src/ui/patch-display.test.ts && tsx src/ui/tool-display.test.ts && tsx src/apply-patch.test.ts && tsx src/process-platform.test.ts && tsx src/process-sessions.test.ts && tsx src/mcp-sessions.test.ts && tsx src/server-shutdown.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-runtime.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-adapters.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-availability.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-profiles.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-targets.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-store.test.ts && tsx src/roots.test.ts && tsx src/skills.test.ts && tsx src/workspaces.test.ts && tsx src/review-checkpoints.test.ts && tsx src/oauth-store.test.ts && tsx src/cli.test.ts",
     "typecheck": "tsc -p tsconfig.json --noEmit"
   },
diff --git a/scripts/check-node-version.cjs b/scripts/check-node-version.cjs
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..19e48faa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check-node-version.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+"use strict";
+
+const {
+  formatUnsupportedNodeMessage,
+  isSupportedNodeVersion,
+} = require("./node-version.cjs");
+
+if (!isSupportedNodeVersion(process.versions.node)) {
+  console.error(formatUnsupportedNodeMessage());
+  process.exit(1);
+}
diff --git a/scripts/devspace.cjs b/scripts/devspace.cjs
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..d8e548a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/devspace.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+"use strict";
+
+const {
+  formatUnsupportedNodeMessage,
+  isSupportedNodeVersion,
+} = require("./node-version.cjs");
+
+if (!isSupportedNodeVersion(process.versions.node)) {
+  console.error(formatUnsupportedNodeMessage());
+  process.exitCode = 1;
+} else {
+  import("../dist/cli.js").catch((error) => {
+    console.error(error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error));
+    process.exitCode = 1;
+  });
+}
diff --git a/scripts/node-version.cjs b/scripts/node-version.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7b2c6ee6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/node-version.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+"use strict";
+
+const SUPPORTED_NODE_RANGE = ">=22.19 <27";
+
+function parseNodeVersion(version) {
+  const match = /^(?:v)?(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)/.exec(version);
+  if (!match) return null;
+
+  return {
+    major: Number(match[1]),
+    minor: Number(match[2]),
+    patch: Number(match[3]),
+  };
+}
+
+function isSupportedNodeVersion(version) {
+  const parsed = parseNodeVersion(version);
+  if (!parsed) return false;
+
+  return (
+    (parsed.major === 22 && parsed.minor >= 19) ||
+    (parsed.major > 22 && parsed.major < 27)
+  );
+}
+
+function formatUnsupportedNodeMessage(version = process.versions.node) {
+  const displayVersion = version.startsWith("v") ? version : `v${version}`;
+
+  return [
+    `DevSpace requires Node.js ${SUPPORTED_NODE_RANGE}.`,
+    `Current Node.js: ${displayVersion}`,
+    "",
+    "Install or switch to Node.js 22 LTS, then retry:",
+    "",
+    "  nvm install 22 && nvm use 22",
+    "  mise use --global node@22",
+    "",
+    "Then rerun your DevSpace installation.",
+  ].join("\n");
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  SUPPORTED_NODE_RANGE,
+  formatUnsupportedNodeMessage,
+  isSupportedNodeVersion,
+};
diff --git a/src/cli.test.ts b/src/cli.test.ts
index 97b7084a..9de4712d 100644
--- a/src/cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli.test.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,50 @@
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import { execFileSync } from "node:child_process";
 import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { createRequire } from "node:module";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { loadConfig } from "./config.js";
 import { LocalAgentStore } from "./local-agent-store.js";
 
+const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
+const {
+  SUPPORTED_NODE_RANGE,
+  formatUnsupportedNodeMessage,
+  isSupportedNodeVersion,
+} = require("../scripts/node-version.cjs") as {
+  SUPPORTED_NODE_RANGE: string;
+  formatUnsupportedNodeMessage(version?: string): string;
+  isSupportedNodeVersion(version: string): boolean;
+};
 const packageJson = JSON.parse(readFileSync(new URL("../package.json", import.meta.url), "utf8")) as {
+  bin: { devspace: string };
+  engines: { node: string };
+  files: string[];
+  scripts: { preinstall: string };
   version: string;
 };
+const packageLock = JSON.parse(readFileSync(new URL("../package-lock.json", import.meta.url), "utf8")) as {
+  packages: { "": { bin: { devspace: string } } };
+};
+
+assert.equal(packageJson.bin.devspace, "scripts/devspace.cjs");
+assert.equal(packageLock.packages[""].bin.devspace, packageJson.bin.devspace);
+assert.equal(packageJson.engines.node, SUPPORTED_NODE_RANGE);
+assert.equal(packageJson.scripts.preinstall, "node scripts/check-node-version.cjs");
+assert.ok(packageJson.files.includes("scripts"));
+assert.equal(isSupportedNodeVersion("18.19.1"), false);
+assert.equal(isSupportedNodeVersion("20.20.0"), false);
+assert.equal(isSupportedNodeVersion("22.18.0"), false);
+assert.equal(isSupportedNodeVersion("22.19.0"), true);
+assert.equal(isSupportedNodeVersion("v22.19.0"), true);
+assert.equal(isSupportedNodeVersion("23.0.0"), true);
+assert.equal(isSupportedNodeVersion("26.9.0"), true);
+assert.equal(isSupportedNodeVersion("27.0.0"), false);
+assert.equal(isSupportedNodeVersion("invalid"), false);
+assert.match(formatUnsupportedNodeMessage("v18.19.1"), /requires Node\.js >=22\.19 <27/);
+assert.match(formatUnsupportedNodeMessage("v18.19.1"), /Current Node\.js: v18\.19\.1/);
+assert.match(formatUnsupportedNodeMessage("18.19.1"), /Current Node\.js: v18\.19\.1/);
 
 for (const flag of ["-v", "--version"]) {
   const output = execFileSync("node", ["--import", "tsx", "src/cli.ts", flag], {
diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index 7a1ac63f..0e3dedb6 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,9 @@ import { shutdownHttpServer } from "./server-shutdown.js";
 
 type Command = "serve" | "init" | "doctor" | "config" | "agents" | "help" | "version";
 const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
-const SUPPORTED_NODE_RANGE = ">=20.12 <27";
+const { SUPPORTED_NODE_RANGE } = require("../scripts/node-version.cjs") as {
+  SUPPORTED_NODE_RANGE: string;
+};
 
 async function main(argv: string[]): Promise<void> {
   assertSupportedNode();