diff --git a/.changeset/fresh-fishes-help.md b/.changeset/fresh-fishes-help.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b5146b470
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fresh-fishes-help.md
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+"@composio/ao-cli": patch
+"@composio/ao": patch
+---
+
+Fix startup onboarding and install reliability:
+
+- Repair npm global install startup path by improving package resolution and web package discovery hints.
+- Make `ao start` prerequisite installs explicit and interactive for required tools (`tmux`, `git`) with clearer fallback guidance.
+- Keep `ao spawn` preflight check-only for `tmux` (no implicit install).
+- Remove redundant agent runtime re-detection during config generation.
+