diff --git a/scripts/brev-launchable-ci-cpu.sh b/scripts/brev-launchable-ci-cpu.sh
index 8da9e73936..a218657948 100755
--- a/scripts/brev-launchable-ci-cpu.sh
+++ b/scripts/brev-launchable-ci-cpu.sh
@@ -249,16 +249,15 @@ npm run build 2>&1 | tail -3
 cd "$NEMOCLAW_CLONE_DIR"
 info "Plugin built"
 
-# Create the global nemoclaw symlink once during setup. This runs here
-# (before any test) so the cold-path npm link cost is absorbed by the
-# launchable's own readiness window rather than a later test's tight
-# execSync timeout. When the test suite rsyncs PR branch code over this
-# clone, a subsequent `npm link` is a fast no-op against the existing
-# symlink. See PR #1888 regression commentary.
-info "Linking nemoclaw CLI globally..."
-sudo npm link 2>&1 | tail -3
-sudo chown -R "$TARGET_USER":"$TARGET_USER" "$NEMOCLAW_CLONE_DIR"
-info "nemoclaw CLI linked"
+# Expose the nemoclaw CLI on PATH. Earlier this was `sudo npm link`, but
+# on cold CPU Brev that routinely hangs inside npm's global-prefix
+# housekeeping and `sudo chown -R node_modules` traversal (≥20 min in
+# CI). npm link just creates two symlinks in the end; do them directly
+# so setup stays deterministic and fast.
+info "Linking nemoclaw CLI (direct symlink)..."
+sudo ln -sf "$NEMOCLAW_CLONE_DIR/bin/nemoclaw.js" /usr/local/bin/nemoclaw
+sudo chmod +x "$NEMOCLAW_CLONE_DIR/bin/nemoclaw.js"
+info "nemoclaw CLI linked at /usr/local/bin/nemoclaw"
 
 # ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
 # 6. Pre-pull Docker images
diff --git a/test/e2e/brev-e2e.test.ts b/test/e2e/brev-e2e.test.ts
index f9700e751c..7e57359345 100644
--- a/test/e2e/brev-e2e.test.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/brev-e2e.test.ts
@@ -423,17 +423,17 @@ function bootstrapLaunchable(elapsed) {
   );
   console.log(`[${elapsed()}] Plugin built`);
 
-  // Install nemoclaw CLI.
-  // Use `sudo npm link` because Node.js is installed system-wide via
-  // nodesource (global prefix is /usr), so creating the global symlink
-  // requires elevated permissions. The launchable setup script already
-  // runs this once during its readiness window, so this invocation is a
-  // fast idempotent no-op against the existing symlink on Brev CPU runs.
-  console.log(`[${elapsed()}] Installing nemoclaw CLI (npm link)...`);
+  // Expose the nemoclaw CLI on PATH. The launchable setup script already
+  // creates /usr/local/bin/nemoclaw → $NEMOCLAW_CLONE_DIR/bin/nemoclaw.js
+  // as a direct symlink, and rsync above preserves that path, so this is
+  // an idempotent re-link to make local dev runs (that skip the launchable)
+  // still work. Avoid `sudo npm link` on cold CPU Brev — it routinely
+  // hangs inside npm's global-prefix housekeeping.
+  console.log(`[${elapsed()}] Linking nemoclaw CLI (direct symlink)...`);
   ssh(
-    `source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh 2>/dev/null || true && cd ${resolvedRemoteDir} && sudo npm link && sudo chown -R $(whoami):$(whoami) ${resolvedRemoteDir}`,
+    `sudo ln -sf ${resolvedRemoteDir}/bin/nemoclaw.js /usr/local/bin/nemoclaw && sudo chmod +x ${resolvedRemoteDir}/bin/nemoclaw.js`,
     {
-      timeout: 120_000,
+      timeout: 30_000,
       stream: true,
     },
   );