diff --git a/packaging/arch/package-manager.install b/packaging/arch/package-manager.install
index 65f858b..e003b1b 100644
--- a/packaging/arch/package-manager.install
+++ b/packaging/arch/package-manager.install
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 post_install() {
-  /usr/lib/package-manager/nix/init.sh || echo ">>> ERROR: /usr/lib/package-manager/nix/init.sh not found or not executable."
+  /usr/lib/package-manager/nix/init.sh
 }
 
 post_upgrade() {
-  /usr/lib/package-manager/nix/init.sh || echo ">>> ERROR: /usr/lib/package-manager/nix/init.sh not found or not executable."
+  /usr/lib/package-manager/nix/init.sh
 }
 
 post_remove() {
diff --git a/packaging/debian/postinst b/packaging/debian/postinst
index 3f416b3..142963f 100755
--- a/packaging/debian/postinst
+++ b/packaging/debian/postinst
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ set -e
 
 case "$1" in
     configure)
-        /usr/lib/package-manager/nix/init.sh || echo ">>> ERROR: /usr/lib/package-manager/nix/init.sh not found or not executable."
+        /usr/lib/package-manager/nix/init.sh
         ;;
 esac
 
diff --git a/packaging/fedora/package-manager.spec b/packaging/fedora/package-manager.spec
index 3570f0a..5d2251b 100644
--- a/packaging/fedora/package-manager.spec
+++ b/packaging/fedora/package-manager.spec
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ rm -rf \
   %{buildroot}/usr/lib/package-manager/.gitkeep || true
 
 %post
-/usr/lib/package-manager/nix/init.sh || echo ">>> ERROR: /usr/lib/package-manager/nix/init.sh not found or not executable."
+/usr/lib/package-manager/nix/init.sh
 
 %postun
 echo ">>> package-manager removed. Nix itself was not removed."
diff --git a/scripts/launcher.sh b/scripts/launcher.sh
index 7a1ba70..95b2080 100755
--- a/scripts/launcher.sh
+++ b/scripts/launcher.sh
@@ -37,10 +37,16 @@ fi
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 if ! command -v nix >/dev/null 2>&1; then
   if [[ -x "${FLAKE_DIR}/nix/init.sh" ]]; then
-    "${FLAKE_DIR}/nix/init.sh" || true
+    "${FLAKE_DIR}/nix/init.sh"
   fi
 fi
 
+if ! command -v nix >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "[launcher] ERROR: 'nix' binary not found on PATH after init." >&2
+  echo "[launcher] Nix is required to run pkgmgr (no Python fallback)." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Primary path: use Nix flake if available (with GitHub 403 retry)
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -51,7 +57,3 @@ if declare -F run_with_github_403_retry >/dev/null; then
 else
   exec nix run "${FLAKE_DIR}#pkgmgr" -- "$@"
 fi
-
-echo "[launcher] ERROR: 'nix' binary not found on PATH after init."
-echo "[launcher] Nix is required to run pkgmgr (no Python fallback)."
-exit 1