diff --git a/crates/buzz-acp/src/setup_mode.rs b/crates/buzz-acp/src/setup_mode.rs
index b1a9372ea4..b7b85ab3a4 100644
--- a/crates/buzz-acp/src/setup_mode.rs
+++ b/crates/buzz-acp/src/setup_mode.rs
@@ -115,6 +115,8 @@ pub(crate) enum RequirementPayload {
     },
     /// Git for Windows is missing; open Agent runtimes for the installation guide.
     GitBash,
+    /// A custom ACP harness command cannot be resolved in the desktop's PATH.
+    MissingBinary { command: String },
 }
 
 impl RequirementPayload {
@@ -189,6 +191,9 @@ impl RequirementPayload {
             RequirementPayload::GitBash => {
                 "install Git for Windows (open Agent runtimes in Settings to diagnose)".to_string()
             }
+            RequirementPayload::MissingBinary { command } => {
+                format!("install `{command}` or update PATH so Buzz Desktop can find it")
+            }
         }
     }
 }
@@ -257,24 +262,49 @@ impl SetupPayload {
                 .requirements
                 .iter()
                 .any(|r| matches!(r, RequirementPayload::GitBash));
-            let all_external = self
+            let has_missing_binary = self
                 .requirements
                 .iter()
-                .all(|r| matches!(r, RequirementPayload::CliConfigInvalid { .. }));
-            let any_external = self
+                .any(|r| matches!(r, RequirementPayload::MissingBinary { .. }));
+            let has_config_invalid = self
                 .requirements
                 .iter()
                 .any(|r| matches!(r, RequirementPayload::CliConfigInvalid { .. }));
+            let all_external = self.requirements.iter().all(|r| {
+                matches!(
+                    r,
+                    RequirementPayload::CliConfigInvalid { .. }
+                        | RequirementPayload::MissingBinary { .. }
+                )
+            });
+            let any_external = self.requirements.iter().any(|r| {
+                matches!(
+                    r,
+                    RequirementPayload::CliConfigInvalid { .. }
+                        | RequirementPayload::MissingBinary { .. }
+                )
+            });
 
             let footer = if has_doctor_requirement {
                 "Open Agent runtimes in Settings, install Git for Windows, then re-check and restart the agent.".to_string()
             } else if all_external {
-                // All requirements are external config files — Edit Agent cannot
-                // help. Don't send the user there.
-                "Fix the config file(s) and restart the agent.".to_string()
+                // External config and PATH failures cannot be fixed in Edit Agent.
+                match (has_missing_binary, has_config_invalid) {
+                    (true, true) => "Install the missing harness command(s) or update PATH, fix the config file(s), then restart the agent.".to_string(),
+                    (true, false) => "Install the missing harness command(s) or update PATH, then restart the agent.".to_string(),
+                    (false, true) => {
+                        "Fix the config file(s) and restart the agent.".to_string()
+                    }
+                    (false, false) => unreachable!("all_external requires an external requirement"),
+                }
             } else if any_external {
-                // Mixed: some Buzz-managed fields, some external config.
-                "Open Edit Agent in the Buzz app for the Buzz-managed fields; fix the external CLI config files manually and restart the agent.".to_string()
+                // Mixed: some Buzz-managed fields, plus external config or PATH.
+                match (has_missing_binary, has_config_invalid) {
+                    (true, true) => "Open Edit Agent in the Buzz app for the Buzz-managed fields; install the missing harness command(s) or update PATH, fix the external CLI config files manually, and restart the agent.".to_string(),
+                    (true, false) => "Open Edit Agent in the Buzz app for the Buzz-managed fields; install the missing harness command(s) or update PATH, then restart the agent.".to_string(),
+                    (false, true) => "Open Edit Agent in the Buzz app for the Buzz-managed fields; fix the external CLI config files manually and restart the agent.".to_string(),
+                    (false, false) => unreachable!("any_external requires an external requirement"),
+                }
             } else {
                 // All Buzz-managed — original footer unchanged.
                 "Open Edit Agent in the Buzz app to set these.".to_string()
@@ -699,6 +729,49 @@ mod tests {
         ));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn setup_payload_accepts_missing_binary_requirement() {
+        let payload: SetupPayload = serde_json::from_str(
+            r#"{"agent_name":"Custom Agent","agent_pubkey":"test","requirements":[{"surface":"missing_binary","command":"custom-acp"}]}"#,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        let body = payload.nudge_body();
+        assert!(
+            body.contains("custom-acp"),
+            "missing-binary nudge must name the unresolved command; got: {body:?}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            !body.contains("Open Edit Agent"),
+            "missing-binary setup cannot be fixed in Edit Agent; got: {body:?}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            body.contains("restart the agent"),
+            "missing-binary nudge must tell the user to restart after fixing PATH; got: {body:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn nudge_body_mixed_missing_binary_uses_split_footer() {
+        let payload = SetupPayload {
+            agent_name: "Custom Agent".to_string(),
+            agent_pubkey: "test".to_string(),
+            requirements: vec![
+                RequirementPayload::EnvKey {
+                    key: "CUSTOM_API_KEY".to_string(),
+                },
+                RequirementPayload::MissingBinary {
+                    command: "custom-acp".to_string(),
+                },
+            ],
+        };
+
+        let body = payload.nudge_body();
+        assert!(body.contains("Open Edit Agent"));
+        assert!(body.contains("update PATH"));
+        assert!(body.contains("restart the agent"));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn nudge_body_names_all_requirements() {
         let payload = SetupPayload {
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/ui/config-nudge-attachment.test.mjs b/desktop/src/shared/ui/config-nudge-attachment.test.mjs
index e526be34fe..191ba5f1ed 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/ui/config-nudge-attachment.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/ui/config-nudge-attachment.test.mjs
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ globalThis.window = {
 
 import {
   focusTargetForRequirement,
+  isInformationalOnly,
   shouldOpenDoctor,
 } from "./config-nudge-attachment.tsx";
 import {
@@ -60,6 +61,38 @@ test("shouldOpenDoctor_regularMixedRequirements_routesToEditAgent", () => {
   );
 });
 
+test("isInformationalOnly_missingBinary_hasNoMisleadingEditAgentRoute", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    isInformationalOnly([{ surface: "missing_binary", command: "custom-acp" }]),
+    true,
+  );
+});
+
+test("isInformationalOnly_allExternalRequirements_hasNoInAppRoute", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    isInformationalOnly([
+      { surface: "missing_binary", command: "custom-acp" },
+      {
+        surface: "cli_config_invalid",
+        probe_args: ["codex"],
+        setup_copy: "fix the config",
+        diagnostic: "invalid TOML",
+      },
+    ]),
+    true,
+  );
+});
+
+test("isInformationalOnly_externalMixedWithEditable_stillRoutesToEditAgent", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    isInformationalOnly([
+      { surface: "missing_binary", command: "custom-acp" },
+      { surface: "env_key", key: "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" },
+    ]),
+    false,
+  );
+});
+
 // ── focusTargetForRequirement — pure function ─────────────────────────────────
 
 test("focusTargetForRequirement_envKey_returnsEnvKeyTarget", () => {
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/ui/config-nudge-attachment.tsx b/desktop/src/shared/ui/config-nudge-attachment.tsx
index cc5931e23e..e2367cb84a 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/ui/config-nudge-attachment.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/ui/config-nudge-attachment.tsx
@@ -81,14 +81,21 @@ function isAuthOnly(reqs: ConfigNudgePayload["requirements"]): boolean {
 }
 
 /**
- * Returns true when every requirement is a `cli_config_invalid` surface.
- * Config-invalid cards are purely informational — the user must edit an
- * external file; there is no in-app destination that can fix it.
+ * Returns true when the card has no in-app destination. Auth-only cards already
+ * contain the login command, while external config and PATH failures must be
+ * repaired outside Buzz. A mixed card remains actionable when at least one
+ * requirement maps to Edit Agent.
  */
-function isAllConfigInvalid(reqs: ConfigNudgePayload["requirements"]): boolean {
-  return (
-    reqs.length > 0 && reqs.every((r) => r.surface === "cli_config_invalid")
-  );
+export function isInformationalOnly(
+  reqs: ConfigNudgePayload["requirements"],
+): boolean {
+  const allExternal =
+    reqs.length > 0 &&
+    reqs.every(
+      (r) =>
+        r.surface === "cli_config_invalid" || r.surface === "missing_binary",
+    );
+  return isAuthOnly(reqs) || allExternal;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -189,11 +196,7 @@ export function ConfigNudgeCard({
 
   const allCliLogin = isAllCliLogin(nudge.requirements);
   const opensDoctor = shouldOpenDoctor(nudge.requirements);
-  const authOnly = isAuthOnly(nudge.requirements);
-  const allConfigInvalid = isAllConfigInvalid(nudge.requirements);
-  // Any card that is purely informational (auth-only or all-config-invalid)
-  // has no clickable destination — treat them the same for affordance/routing.
-  const informationalOnly = authOnly || allConfigInvalid;
+  const informationalOnly = isInformationalOnly(nudge.requirements);
 
   const openDoctor = () => {
     if (!onOpenSettings) {