diff --git a/etc/raspberrypios/wrolpi-app.service b/etc/raspberrypios/wrolpi-app.service
index b9dd0e98..9cf447c9 100644
--- a/etc/raspberrypios/wrolpi-app.service
+++ b/etc/raspberrypios/wrolpi-app.service
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ Conflicts=wrolpi-app-dev.service
 
 [Service]
 # Use explicit `serve.json` so `epub.html` is not lost.
-ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/serve build -l 3000 -c /opt/wrolpi/app/serve.json
+# Resolve `serve` via PATH so it works regardless of npm's global prefix
+# (/usr/local/bin vs /usr/bin depending on how node was installed).
+ExecStart=/usr/bin/env serve build -l 3000 -c /opt/wrolpi/app/serve.json
 Group=wrolpi
 User=wrolpi
 WorkingDirectory=/opt/wrolpi/app/
diff --git a/scripts/install_debian_12.sh b/scripts/install_debian_12.sh
index 7ae2f5ec..23d43379 100755
--- a/scripts/install_debian_12.sh
+++ b/scripts/install_debian_12.sh
@@ -20,8 +20,11 @@ apt-get install -y $(cat /opt/wrolpi/debian-live-config/config/package-lists/wro
 node -v
 npm -v
 
-# Install serve, and archiving tools.
-single-file --version || sudo npm i -g serve@12.0.1 single-file-cli@2.0.73 readability-extractor@0.0.6
+# Install serve, and archiving tools.  Check each independently so a present
+# single-file cannot mask a missing serve (which breaks wrolpi-app).
+command -v serve >/dev/null || sudo npm i -g serve@12.0.1
+single-file --version >/dev/null 2>&1 || sudo npm i -g single-file-cli@2.0.73
+command -v readability-extractor >/dev/null || sudo npm i -g readability-extractor@0.0.6
 
 # Install Deno runtime; single-file runs under it.
 command -v deno || {
diff --git a/scripts/install_raspberrypios.sh b/scripts/install_raspberrypios.sh
index 0c7e2ece..3e005676 100755
--- a/scripts/install_raspberrypios.sh
+++ b/scripts/install_raspberrypios.sh
@@ -20,8 +20,11 @@ apt-get install -y $(cat /opt/wrolpi/pi-gen/stage2/04-wrolpi/01-packages-nr)
 node -v
 npm -v
 
-# Install serve, and archiving tools.
-single-file --version || sudo npm i -g serve@12.0.1 single-file-cli@2.0.73 readability-extractor@0.0.6
+# Install serve, and archiving tools.  Check each independently so a present
+# single-file cannot mask a missing serve (which breaks wrolpi-app).
+command -v serve >/dev/null || sudo npm i -g serve@12.0.1
+single-file --version >/dev/null 2>&1 || sudo npm i -g single-file-cli@2.0.73
+command -v readability-extractor >/dev/null || sudo npm i -g readability-extractor@0.0.6
 
 # Install Deno runtime; single-file runs under it.
 command -v deno || {