diff --git a/.changeset/cli-runner-aware-help-banners.md b/.changeset/cli-runner-aware-help-banners.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..65d7ad4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/cli-runner-aware-help-banners.md
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+---
+'@cipherstash/cli': patch
+---
+
+Make `--help` banners and the post-install "Next steps" panel show commands using the package manager the user actually invoked the CLI with, instead of always emitting `npx`.
+
+A user who runs `bunx @cipherstash/cli --help` now sees:
+
+```
+Usage: bunx @cipherstash/cli <command> [options]
+…
+Examples:
+  bunx @cipherstash/cli init
+  bunx @cipherstash/cli auth login
+  bunx @cipherstash/cli db install
+```
+
+instead of `npx @cipherstash/cli …` regardless of how they invoked it. Same for `pnpm dlx`, `yarn dlx`, and the default `npx` path.
+
+Concretely:
+
+- `--help` (top-level) — usage line and all six examples in `bin/stash.ts`.
+- `--help` (auth) — usage line and the two `auth login` examples in `commands/auth/index.ts`.
+- `db install`'s "Next steps" note — the `wizard` invocation now matches the user's runner.
+- The `@cipherstash/stack is required for this command` hint shown by `requireStack` (when `db push`/`validate`/`schema build` are run before the runtime SDK is installed) now suggests the package manager's install command and the user's runner for the follow-up `init` invocation.
+
+No public-API change. Detection sources unchanged from #379: `npm_config_user_agent` first, then lockfile, then `npx` fallback.
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/bin/stash.ts b/packages/cli/src/bin/stash.ts
index 7770d9c3..23ae7e6f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/bin/stash.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/bin/stash.ts
@@ -34,15 +34,32 @@ function isModuleNotFound(err: unknown): boolean {
   )
 }
 
+import {
+  detectPackageManager,
+  prodInstallCommand,
+  runnerCommand,
+} from '../commands/init/utils.js'
+
+const __dirname = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url))
+const pkg = JSON.parse(
+  readFileSync(join(__dirname, '../../package.json'), 'utf-8'),
+)
+
+// Detect once, share across help rendering and the requireStack hint.
+// Detection reads `npm_config_user_agent` (when the user invoked via
+// `bunx`/`pnpm dlx`/`yarn dlx`) and falls back to the lockfile in cwd.
+const PM = detectPackageManager()
+const STASH = runnerCommand(PM, 'stash')
+
 async function requireStack<T>(importFn: () => Promise<T>): Promise<T> {
   try {
     return await importFn()
   } catch (err: unknown) {
     if (isModuleNotFound(err)) {
       p.log.error(
-        '@cipherstash/stack is required for this command.\n' +
-          '  Install it with: npm install @cipherstash/stack\n' +
-          '  Or run: npx stash init',
+        `@cipherstash/stack is required for this command.
+  Install it with: ${prodInstallCommand(PM, '@cipherstash/stack')}
+  Or run: ${STASH} init`,
       )
       process.exit(1) as never
     }
@@ -50,15 +67,10 @@ async function requireStack<T>(importFn: () => Promise<T>): Promise<T> {
   }
 }
 
-const __dirname = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url))
-const pkg = JSON.parse(
-  readFileSync(join(__dirname, '../../package.json'), 'utf-8'),
-)
-
 const HELP = `
 ${messages.cli.versionBannerPrefix}${pkg.version}
 
-${messages.cli.usagePrefix} <command> [options]
+${messages.cli.usagePrefix}${STASH} <command> [options]
 
 Commands:
   init                 Initialize CipherStash for your project
@@ -98,13 +110,13 @@ DB Flags:
   --database-url <url>       (all db / schema commands) Override DATABASE_URL for this run only — never written to disk
 
 Examples:
-  npx stash init
-  npx stash init --supabase
-  npx stash auth login
-  npx stash wizard
-  npx stash db install
-  npx stash db push
-  npx stash schema build
+  ${STASH} init
+  ${STASH} init --supabase
+  ${STASH} auth login
+  ${STASH} wizard
+  ${STASH} db install
+  ${STASH} db push
+  ${STASH} schema build
 `.trim()
 
 interface ParsedArgs {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/auth/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/auth/index.ts
index e76c1ad7..efe3faae 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/auth/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/auth/index.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 import { messages } from '../../messages.js'
+import { detectPackageManager, runnerCommand } from '../init/utils.js'
 import { bindDevice, login, selectRegion } from './login.js'
 
+const STASH_AUTH = runnerCommand(detectPackageManager(), 'stash auth')
+
 const HELP = `
-${messages.auth.usagePrefix} <command> [options]
+${messages.auth.usagePrefix}${STASH_AUTH} <command> [options]
 
 Commands:
   login     Authenticate with CipherStash
@@ -12,8 +15,8 @@ Options:
   --drizzle     Track Drizzle as the referrer
 
 Examples:
-  npx stash auth login
-  npx stash auth login --supabase
+  ${STASH_AUTH} login
+  ${STASH_AUTH} login --supabase
 `.trim()
 
 function referrerFromFlags(flags: Record<string, boolean>): string | undefined {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/db/install.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/db/install.ts
index 3c6fe064..9711408e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/db/install.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/db/install.ts
@@ -269,12 +269,13 @@ function resolveProviderOptions(
 }
 
 function printNextSteps(): void {
+  const pm = detectPackageManager()
   p.note(
     [
       'Next steps:',
       '',
       '  1. Wire up encrypt/decrypt with the wizard (AI-guided, automated):',
-      '       stash wizard',
+      `       ${runnerCommand(pm, 'stash')} wizard`,
       '',
       '  2. Or use the client directly from @cipherstash/stack:',
       "       import { Encryption } from '@cipherstash/stack'",
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/messages.ts b/packages/cli/src/messages.ts
index 62f335e8..d55e7de7 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/messages.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/messages.ts
@@ -12,11 +12,19 @@
 export const messages = {
   cli: {
     versionBannerPrefix: 'CipherStash CLI v',
-    usagePrefix: 'Usage: npx stash',
+    /**
+     * Stable leader of the usage line. The runner-and-package portion
+     * (e.g. `npx stash` or `bunx stash`) is appended at render time by
+     * the bin so the help text matches how the user invoked the CLI.
+     * Tests assert on this leader plus `'stash'` separately to stay
+     * runner-agnostic.
+     */
+    usagePrefix: 'Usage: ',
     unknownCommand: 'Unknown command',
   },
   auth: {
-    usagePrefix: 'Usage: npx stash auth',
+    /** Same shape as `cli.usagePrefix` — leader only. */
+    usagePrefix: 'Usage: ',
     unknownSubcommand: 'Unknown auth command',
     selectRegion: 'Select a region',
     cancelled: 'Cancelled.',
diff --git a/packages/cli/tests/e2e/runner-aware-help.e2e.test.ts b/packages/cli/tests/e2e/runner-aware-help.e2e.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4386504d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/tests/e2e/runner-aware-help.e2e.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { render } from '../helpers/pty.js'
+
+/**
+ * E2E coverage for the runner-aware help rendering. The smoke suite
+ * already verifies the help is rendered; this file specifically asserts
+ * that the correct package-manager runner (`npx` / `bunx` / `pnpm dlx` /
+ * `yarn dlx`) flows from `npm_config_user_agent` through
+ * `detectPackageManager` → `runnerCommand` into the Usage line and
+ * Examples.
+ *
+ * Detection itself is unit-tested in
+ * `src/commands/init/__tests__/utils.test.ts`. These E2E tests close the
+ * gap between "the helper works in isolation" and "the rendered HELP
+ * actually surfaces what the helper produces".
+ */
+
+const cases = [
+  { ua: '', label: 'npx' }, // empty UA — falls back to lockfile/npm
+  { ua: 'bun/1.0.0', label: 'bunx' },
+  { ua: 'pnpm/9.0.0', label: 'pnpm dlx' },
+  { ua: 'yarn/4.0.0', label: 'yarn dlx' },
+] as const
+
+describe('--help — runner-aware Usage + Examples', () => {
+  it.each(cases)(
+    'with npm_config_user_agent=$ua, renders "$label stash"',
+    async ({ ua, label }) => {
+      const r = render(['--help'], { env: { npm_config_user_agent: ua } })
+      const { exitCode } = await r.exit
+      expect(exitCode).toBe(0)
+      // Usage line must use the right runner. The leader is stable
+      // (`messages.cli.usagePrefix === 'Usage: '`) so we assert on the
+      // suffix the renderer composes at runtime.
+      expect(r.output).toContain(`Usage: ${label} stash`)
+      // At least one of the Examples lines must surface the same runner.
+      expect(r.output).toContain(`${label} stash init`)
+      expect(r.output).toContain(`${label} stash db install`)
+    },
+  )
+})
+
+describe('auth — runner-aware Usage + Examples', () => {
+  it.each(cases)(
+    'with npm_config_user_agent=$ua, renders "$label stash auth"',
+    async ({ ua, label }) => {
+      // `auth` with no subcommand prints the auth HELP and exits 0.
+      const r = render(['auth'], { env: { npm_config_user_agent: ua } })
+      const { exitCode } = await r.exit
+      expect(exitCode).toBe(0)
+      expect(r.output).toContain(`Usage: ${label} stash auth`)
+      expect(r.output).toContain(`${label} stash auth login`)
+    },
+  )
+})