diff --git a/packages/embedded-postgres/src/binary.ts b/packages/embedded-postgres/src/binary.ts
index 43fa7b5..c597e50 100644
--- a/packages/embedded-postgres/src/binary.ts
+++ b/packages/embedded-postgres/src/binary.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import os from 'os';
+import fs from 'fs/promises';
+import path from 'path';
 
 export type PostgresBinaries = {
     postgres: string;
@@ -6,45 +8,113 @@ export type PostgresBinaries = {
     initdb: string;
 }
 
-function getBinaries(): Promise<PostgresBinaries> {
+/**
+ * npm does not preserve symlinks when publishing packages. The platform
+ * packages include a `pg-symlinks.json` file that records the original
+ * symlinks, and a `postinstall` script (`hydrate-symlinks.js`) to restore
+ * them. However, some package managers and tools (e.g. bunx, pnpm with
+ * --ignore-scripts, yarn PnP) skip lifecycle scripts, so the symlinks may
+ * never be restored.
+ *
+ * This function ensures symlinks are hydrated at runtime if they are missing,
+ * so the postgres binaries work regardless of how the package was installed.
+ */
+async function hydrateSymlinksIfNeeded(binPath: string): Promise<void> {
+    // Resolve the native directory from the binary path (bin -> native -> pg-symlinks.json)
+    const nativeDir = path.dirname(path.dirname(binPath));
+    const symlinkFile = path.join(nativeDir, 'pg-symlinks.json');
+
+    // Read the symlinks manifest
+    let symlinks: { source: string; target: string }[];
+    try {
+        const content = await fs.readFile(symlinkFile, { encoding: 'utf-8' });
+        symlinks = JSON.parse(content);
+    } catch {
+        // No symlinks file found — nothing to do
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // The paths in pg-symlinks.json are relative to the package root (parent of native/)
+    const packageRoot = path.dirname(nativeDir);
+
+    for (const { source, target } of symlinks) {
+        const absoluteTarget = path.resolve(packageRoot, target);
+
+        // Only create symlinks that don't already exist
+        try {
+            await fs.lstat(absoluteTarget);
+        } catch {
+            // Target doesn't exist — create the symlink
+            const absoluteSource = path.resolve(packageRoot, source);
+            const dirname = path.dirname(absoluteTarget);
+            const relSource = path.relative(dirname, absoluteSource);
+
+            try {
+                await fs.symlink(relSource, absoluteTarget);
+            } catch {
+                // Swallow errors (e.g. read-only filesystem, race conditions)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+async function getBinaries(): Promise<PostgresBinaries> {
     const arch = os.arch();
     const platform = os.platform();
-    
+
+    let binaries: PostgresBinaries;
+
     switch (platform) {
         case 'darwin':
             switch(arch) {
                 case 'arm64':
-                    return import('@embedded-postgres/darwin-arm64');
+                    binaries = await import('@embedded-postgres/darwin-arm64');
+                    break;
                 case 'x64':
-                    return import('@embedded-postgres/darwin-x64');
+                    binaries = await import('@embedded-postgres/darwin-x64');
+                    break;
                 default:
                     throw new Error(`Unsupported arch "${arch}" for platform "${platform}"`);
             }
+            break;
         case 'linux':
             switch(arch) {
                 case 'arm64':
-                    return import('@embedded-postgres/linux-arm64');
+                    binaries = await import('@embedded-postgres/linux-arm64');
+                    break;
                 case 'arm':
-                    return import('@embedded-postgres/linux-arm');
+                    binaries = await import('@embedded-postgres/linux-arm');
+                    break;
                 case 'ia32':
-                    return import('@embedded-postgres/linux-ia32');
+                    binaries = await import('@embedded-postgres/linux-ia32');
+                    break;
                 case 'ppc64':
-                    return import('@embedded-postgres/linux-ppc64');
+                    binaries = await import('@embedded-postgres/linux-ppc64');
+                    break;
                 case 'x64':
-                    return import('@embedded-postgres/linux-x64');
+                    binaries = await import('@embedded-postgres/linux-x64');
+                    break;
                 default:
-                    throw new Error(`Unsupported arch "${arch}" for platform "${platform}"`);    
+                    throw new Error(`Unsupported arch "${arch}" for platform "${platform}"`);
             }
+            break;
         case 'win32':
             switch(arch) {
                 case 'x64':
-                    return import('@embedded-postgres/windows-x64');
+                    binaries = await import('@embedded-postgres/windows-x64');
+                    break;
                 default:
                     throw new Error(`Unsupported arch "${arch}" for platform "${platform}"`);
             }
+            break;
         default:
             throw new Error(`Unsupported platform "${platform}"`);
     }
+
+    // Ensure symlinks are hydrated before returning binary paths
+    await hydrateSymlinksIfNeeded(binaries.postgres);
+
+    return binaries;
 }
 
 export default getBinaries;
\ No newline at end of file