diff --git a/scripts/install.mjs b/scripts/install.mjs
index 54c66e7..978adf2 100644
--- a/scripts/install.mjs
+++ b/scripts/install.mjs
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ const OLD_PLUGIN_NAME = 'harborforge-monitor';
 const PLUGIN_SRC_DIR = join(__dirname, 'plugin');
 const SKILLS_SRC_DIR = join(__dirname, 'skills');
 const MONITOR_REPO_URL = 'https://git.hangman-lab.top/zhi/HarborForge.Monitor.git';
+const CLI_REPO_URL = 'https://git.hangman-lab.top/zhi/HarborForge.Cli.git';
 
 const args = process.argv.slice(2);
 const options = {
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ const options = {
   installCli: args.includes('--install-cli'),
   installMonitor: 'no',
   monitorBranch: 'main',
+  cliBranch: 'main',
 };
 
 const profileIdx = args.indexOf('--openclaw-profile-path');
@@ -60,6 +62,11 @@ if (monitorBranchIdx !== -1 && args[monitorBranchIdx + 1]) {
   options.monitorBranch = String(args[monitorBranchIdx + 1]);
 }
 
+const cliBranchIdx = args.indexOf('--cli-branch');
+if (cliBranchIdx !== -1 && args[cliBranchIdx + 1]) {
+  options.cliBranch = String(args[cliBranchIdx + 1]);
+}
+
 function resolveOpenclawPath() {
   if (options.openclawProfilePath) return options.openclawProfilePath;
   if (process.env.OPENCLAW_PATH) return resolve(process.env.OPENCLAW_PATH);
@@ -316,39 +323,40 @@ async function installCli() {
   if (!options.installCli) return;
   const totalSteps = 6;
   logStep(5, totalSteps, 'Building and installing hf CLI...');
-  
+
   const openclawPath = resolveOpenclawPath();
   const binDir = join(openclawPath, 'bin');
   mkdirSync(binDir, { recursive: true });
-  
-  // Find CLI source — look for HarborForge.Cli relative to project root
-  const projectRoot = resolve(__dirname, '..');
-  const cliDir = join(projectRoot, 'HarborForge.Cli');
-  
-  if (!existsSync(cliDir)) {
-    // Try parent directory (monorepo layout)
-    const monoCliDir = resolve(projectRoot, '..', 'HarborForge.Cli');
-    if (!existsSync(monoCliDir)) {
-      logErr(`Cannot find HarborForge.Cli at ${cliDir} or ${monoCliDir}`);
-      logWarn('Skipping CLI installation');
-      return;
-    }
-  }
-  
-  const effectiveCliDir = existsSync(cliDir) 
-    ? cliDir 
-    : resolve(projectRoot, '..', 'HarborForge.Cli');
-  
-  log(` Building hf from ${effectiveCliDir}...`, 'blue');
-  
+
+  // Clone CLI repo to /tmp, build there, copy artifact out. Mirrors
+  // installManagedMonitor so the install never depends on a checked-out
+  // sibling repo at a fixed path.
+  const tmpDir = join('/tmp', `harborforge-cli-${Date.now()}`);
+  const hfBinary = join(binDir, 'hf');
+
   try {
-    const hfBinary = join(binDir, 'hf');
-    exec(`go build -o ${hfBinary} ./cmd/hf`, { cwd: effectiveCliDir, silent: !options.verbose });
+    log(` Cloning ${CLI_REPO_URL} (branch ${options.cliBranch}) → ${tmpDir}...`, 'blue');
+    exec(`git clone --branch ${shellEscape(options.cliBranch)} --depth 1 ${shellEscape(CLI_REPO_URL)} ${shellEscape(tmpDir)}`, { silent: !options.verbose });
+
+    // Stamp the binary with the version string the prod CLI surfaces in
+    // `hf version`. Fall back to a date-only label if rev-parse fails for
+    // any reason (shallow clone shouldn't, but be defensive).
+    let versionLabel = `${new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10)}+install`;
+    try {
+      const sha = exec(`git rev-parse --short HEAD`, { cwd: tmpDir, silent: true }).trim();
+      if (sha) versionLabel = `${new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10)}+${options.cliBranch}-${sha}`;
+    } catch { /* keep fallback */ }
+
+    log(` Building hf (version=${versionLabel})...`, 'blue');
+    const ldflags = `-X git.hangman-lab.top/zhi/HarborForge.Cli/internal/commands.Version=${versionLabel}`;
+    exec(`go build -ldflags ${shellEscape(ldflags)} -o ${shellEscape(hfBinary)} ./cmd/hf`, { cwd: tmpDir, silent: !options.verbose });
     chmodSync(hfBinary, 0o755);
-    logOk(`hf binary → ${hfBinary}`);
+    logOk(`hf binary → ${hfBinary} (branch hint: ${options.cliBranch})`);
   } catch (err) {
     logErr(`Failed to build hf CLI: ${err.message}`);
     logWarn('CLI installation failed, plugin still installed');
+  } finally {
+    rmSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
   }
 }