diff --git a/bench/uv.lock b/bench/uv.lock
index b169178..fca6c8c 100644
--- a/bench/uv.lock
+++ b/bench/uv.lock
@@ -848,7 +848,7 @@ wheels = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "docpull"
-version = "6.5.3"
+version = "6.5.4"
 source = { editable = "../" }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "aiohttp" },
diff --git a/docs/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
index 33c44d3..7f55125 100644
--- a/docs/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [6.5.4] - 2026-09-04
+
+### Fixed
+- Treat a non-executable `docpull` path as an unavailable runtime and return the
+  same actionable setup guidance as a missing executable.
+
 ## [6.5.3] - 2026-09-04
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index cce8849..d3681cb 100644
--- a/plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "docpull",
-  "version": "6.5.3",
+  "version": "6.5.4",
   "description": "Pull public web sources into Claude Code. Indexes static and server-rendered sites as local Markdown with conditional-GET caching, then exposes them as MCP tools. Local, browser-free, no API keys.",
   "author": {
     "name": "Raintree Technology",
diff --git a/plugin/.codex-plugin/plugin.json b/plugin/.codex-plugin/plugin.json
index ee266bb..bfc5641 100644
--- a/plugin/.codex-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugin/.codex-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "id": "docpull",
   "name": "docpull",
-  "version": "6.5.3",
+  "version": "6.5.4",
   "description": "Pull public web sources into Codex as local, searchable Markdown through docpull's MCP server.",
   "skills": "./skills/",
   "mcpServers": "./.mcp.json",
diff --git a/plugin/README.md b/plugin/README.md
index e544590..2f21129 100644
--- a/plugin/README.md
+++ b/plugin/README.md
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ for the boundary between the plugin's MCP tools and the broader CLI/SDK.
 The plugin wraps the `docpull` CLI. Install the MCP extra first:
 
 ```bash
-pipx install 'docpull[mcp]==6.5.3'
-docpull --version                   # should print 6.5.3 or newer
+pipx install 'docpull[mcp]==6.5.4'
+docpull --version                   # should print 6.5.4 or newer
 docpull mcp --help
 ```
 
diff --git a/plugin/scripts/launch-docpull-mcp.mjs b/plugin/scripts/launch-docpull-mcp.mjs
index 27e4626..eb452c1 100644
--- a/plugin/scripts/launch-docpull-mcp.mjs
+++ b/plugin/scripts/launch-docpull-mcp.mjs
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ const child = spawn("docpull", ["mcp", ...process.argv.slice(2)], {
 });
 
 child.on("error", (error) => {
-  if (error.code === "ENOENT") {
+  if (error.code === "ENOENT" || error.code === "EACCES") {
     console.error(
-      "DocPull is not installed. Run: pipx install 'docpull[mcp]==6.5.3'",
+      "DocPull is not installed or is not executable. Run: pipx install 'docpull[mcp]==6.5.4'",
     );
     process.exitCode = 127;
     return;
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index a9dfc10..de7a19d 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "docpull"
-version = "6.5.3"
+version = "6.5.4"
 dynamic = []
 description = "Declare, sync, diff, and lock context dependencies for AI agents"
 readme = {file = "README.md", content-type = "text/markdown"}
diff --git a/sdk/js/package.json b/sdk/js/package.json
index 31a02f8..f4824cc 100644
--- a/sdk/js/package.json
+++ b/sdk/js/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@raintree-technology/docpull-sdk",
-  "version": "6.5.3",
+  "version": "6.5.4",
   "description": "TypeScript SDK for reading docpull context packs and running the docpull CLI",
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/server.json b/server.json
index aa0898c..30b186a 100644
--- a/server.json
+++ b/server.json
@@ -8,12 +8,12 @@
     "source": "github"
   },
   "websiteUrl": "https://github.com/raintree-technology/docpull",
-  "version": "6.5.3",
+  "version": "6.5.4",
   "packages": [
     {
       "registryType": "pypi",
       "identifier": "docpull",
-      "version": "6.5.3",
+      "version": "6.5.4",
       "transport": {
         "type": "stdio"
       }
diff --git a/src/docpull/__init__.py b/src/docpull/__init__.py
index 2abcaba..a250f46 100644
--- a/src/docpull/__init__.py
+++ b/src/docpull/__init__.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
 from .surface import PUBLIC_SDK_EXPORTS
 
-__version__ = "6.5.3"
+__version__ = "6.5.4"
 
 _LAZY_EXPORTS: dict[str, tuple[str, str]] = {
     **{
diff --git a/tests/test_ci_policy.py b/tests/test_ci_policy.py
index 3ee4524..ae62219 100644
--- a/tests/test_ci_policy.py
+++ b/tests/test_ci_policy.py
@@ -310,20 +310,42 @@ def test_plugin_manifest_versions_match_project_version() -> None:
         assert manifest["version"] == project_version()
 
 
-def test_plugin_launcher_reports_actionable_setup_when_docpull_is_missing() -> None:
+def test_plugin_launcher_reports_actionable_setup_when_docpull_is_missing(
+    tmp_path: Path,
+) -> None:
     launcher = REPO_ROOT / "plugin" / "scripts" / "launch-docpull-mcp.mjs"
-    node = shutil.which("node")
-    assert node is not None
+    node_shim = shutil.which("node")
+    assert node_shim is not None
+    node = subprocess.run(  # nosec B603
+        [node_shim, "-p", "process.execPath"],
+        check=True,
+        text=True,
+        capture_output=True,
+    ).stdout.strip()
+    proc = subprocess.run(  # nosec B603
+        [node, str(launcher)],
+        check=False,
+        text=True,
+        env={"PATH": ""},
+        capture_output=True,
+        cwd=tmp_path,
+    )
+
+    assert proc.returncode == 127
+    assert "pipx install 'docpull[mcp]==6.5.4'" in proc.stderr
+
+    (tmp_path / "docpull").mkdir()
     proc = subprocess.run(  # nosec B603
         [node, str(launcher)],
         check=False,
         text=True,
         env={"PATH": ""},
         capture_output=True,
+        cwd=tmp_path,
     )
 
     assert proc.returncode == 127
-    assert "pipx install 'docpull[mcp]==6.5.3'" in proc.stderr
+    assert "pipx install 'docpull[mcp]==6.5.4'" in proc.stderr
 
 
 def test_codex_plugin_default_prompt_fits_host_limit() -> None:
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index 4b1c125..3362f5b 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -1305,7 +1305,7 @@ wheels = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "docpull"
-version = "6.5.3"
+version = "6.5.4"
 source = { editable = "." }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "aiohttp" },