diff --git a/hermes_cli/main.py b/hermes_cli/main.py
index 0a8612a9a1..e9f02c72c9 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/main.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/main.py
@@ -7044,12 +7044,66 @@ def _run_with_idle_timeout(
     return subprocess.CompletedProcess(cmd, rc, stdout=combined, stderr="")
 
 
+def _nixos_build_env() -> dict[str, str] | None:
+    """Return extra env vars for native module builds on NixOS.
+
+    On NixOS, python3 is typically not on the system PATH (it lives in
+    the Nix store and only enters PATH inside a nix-shell or when
+    explicitly installed as a system package).  node-gyp uses Python to
+    compile native addons like ``node-pty`` and its ``find-python.js``
+    does a bare ``PATH`` lookup — which fails on NixOS.
+
+    Two-tier resolution:
+    1. Fast path — the hermes venv's python3 (present in managed installs)
+    2. Fallback — resolves the absolute python3 path via ``nix-shell``
+
+    Returns an env dict suitable for ``subprocess.run(env=...)`` or
+    ``None`` when we are not on NixOS or python3 is already on PATH.
+    """
+    import re
+
+    try:
+        os_release = Path("/etc/os-release").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    except OSError:
+        return None
+    if not re.search(r"^ID=nixos$", os_release, re.M):
+        return None
+
+    # python3 already on PATH — nothing to do
+    if shutil.which("python3"):
+        return None
+
+    # Tier 1: fast path — hermes venv python3, no nix-shell overhead
+    for venv_name in ("venv", ".venv"):
+        venv_python = PROJECT_ROOT / venv_name / "bin" / "python3"
+        if venv_python.exists():
+            return {**os.environ, "PYTHON": str(venv_python)}
+
+    # Tier 2: nix-shell fallback — resolves the absolute python3 path once.
+    # Slower (~2–5 s for the nix-shell eval) but always works, even without
+    # a hermes venv (pip / non-managed / bare-git installs).  The resolved
+    # path is a self-contained Nix store binary (all deps via RPATH) so it
+    # stays valid even after the nix-shell exits.
+    try:
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ["nix-shell", "-p", "python3", "--run", "which python3"],
+            capture_output=True, text=True, check=False, timeout=15,
+        )
+        if result.returncode == 0:
+            python3_path = result.stdout.strip()
+            if python3_path and Path(python3_path).exists():
+                return {**os.environ, "PYTHON": python3_path}
+    except Exception:
+        pass  # nix-shell not available — caller will get None
+
+    return None
 def _run_npm_install_deterministic(
     npm: str,
     cwd: Path,
     *,
     extra_args: tuple[str, ...] = (),
     capture_output: bool = True,
+    env: dict[str, str] | None = None,
 ) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
     """Run a deterministic npm install that does not mutate ``package-lock.json``.
 
@@ -7066,6 +7120,7 @@ def _run_npm_install_deterministic(
         ci_result = subprocess.run(
             ci_cmd,
             cwd=cwd,
+            env=env,
             capture_output=capture_output,
             text=True,
             encoding="utf-8",
@@ -7080,6 +7135,7 @@ def _run_npm_install_deterministic(
     return subprocess.run(
         install_cmd,
         cwd=cwd,
+        env=env,
         capture_output=capture_output,
         text=True,
         encoding="utf-8",
@@ -7620,7 +7676,8 @@ def cmd_gui(args: argparse.Namespace):
             print(f"✓ Desktop {build_label} is up to date (content stamp matches)")
         else:
             print("→ Installing desktop workspace dependencies...")
-            install_result = _run_npm_install_deterministic(npm, PROJECT_ROOT, capture_output=False)
+            nixos_env = _nixos_build_env()
+            install_result = _run_npm_install_deterministic(npm, PROJECT_ROOT, capture_output=False, env=nixos_env)
             if install_result.returncode != 0:
                 print("✗ Desktop dependency install failed")
                 print(f"  Run manually:  cd {PROJECT_ROOT} && npm ci")
@@ -9619,6 +9676,8 @@ def _update_node_dependencies() -> None:
     print("→ Updating Node.js dependencies...")
     extra_args = ["--no-fund", "--no-audit", "--progress=false"]
 
+    nixos_env = _nixos_build_env()
+
     # Step 1: root install (no workspace recursion).
     root_args = [*extra_args, "--workspaces=false"]
     root_result = _run_npm_install_deterministic(
@@ -9626,6 +9685,7 @@ def _update_node_dependencies() -> None:
         PROJECT_ROOT,
         extra_args=tuple(root_args),
         capture_output=False,
+        env=nixos_env,
     )
     if root_result.returncode != 0:
         print("  ⚠ npm install failed in repo root")
@@ -9642,6 +9702,7 @@ def _update_node_dependencies() -> None:
         PROJECT_ROOT,
         extra_args=tuple(ws_args),
         capture_output=False,
+        env=nixos_env,
     )
     if ws_result.returncode == 0:
         print("  ✓ repo root + ui-tui, web workspaces (desktop skipped)")
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_gui_command.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_gui_command.py
index 0b96e99018..04d10018e2 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_gui_command.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_gui_command.py
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def test_gui_installs_packages_and_launches_desktop_app(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
         cli_main.cmd_gui(_ns())
 
     assert exc.value.code == 0
-    mock_install.assert_called_once_with("/usr/bin/npm", root, capture_output=False)
+    mock_install.assert_called_once_with("/usr/bin/npm", root, capture_output=False, env=None)
     assert mock_run.call_args_list[0].args[0] == ["/usr/bin/npm", "run", "pack"]
     assert mock_run.call_args_list[0].kwargs["cwd"] == desktop_dir
     assert mock_run.call_args_list[1].args[0] == [str(packaged_exe)]