diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0feb6c9..a3f9bf3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@
   - 点「稍后」或「我已运行」后按**插件版本**记入 localStorage：同一版本不再弹，升级换了版本后重新提示一次；
   - 该 route 只在宿主有 `webServer` 时挂载（`ctx.inject(['webServer'])`），headless/ACP 主机行为不变；
   - 它只是提示：不 spawn、不下载、不改 `bundle.json`，也不跑 setup。
+- **`setup.mjs` 末尾新增 Ghidra 冒烟（`smoke` 步，`--skip-smoke` 可关）**：`rea doctor` 只校验路径、版本与
+  会用哪个 Java，**从不导入一个二进制**。首次真实导入要付一次性成本（本机实测：小 PE 约 36 s，6 MB DLL 约 64 s），
+  一旦桥接或 native addon 有问题，操作者只在**第一次 MCP 工具调用超时**时才撞见 —— 那读起来就是「升级把 REA 搞坏了」。
+  现在供给结束会用 JDK 自带的 `bin/java` 跑一次 `rea analyze --json`，把「能不能分析」变成有测量结果的结论；
+  失败即 `FAIL` 并计入退出码。`--skip-smoke` 跳过（CI 或低内存机器）。
 
 ### 修复
 
@@ -38,6 +43,23 @@
 - **`foreignReaRegistration` 不剥行尾注释**：`serverName: rea # upstream` 会被解析成 `rea # upstream` ≠ `rea`，
   重复注册漏报 —— 而这正是人手编辑那个文件时最常见的形态。现在按 YAML 规则取值：引号内原样，引号外 ` #` 之后是
   注释（`rea#1` 仍然是值）。
+- **`npm run check-updates` 在非 Windows 上是坏的**：这个 script 直接写死了
+  `powershell -NoProfile -File ./check-updates.ps1`，而脚本本身读 `%APPDATA%`、优先 `rea.cmd`
+  （并刻意避开 `rea.ps1` 垫片），所以在 macOS/Linux 上即使装了 `pwsh` 也只会从一个不存在的布局里
+  给出一个自信的错答案。现在改为 `node scripts/check-updates.mjs`：Windows 上转发给 `powershell`
+  （缺失时退 `pwsh`），其它平台说明原因、列出 `node bin/rea-shim.mjs --shim-status` 与
+  `node scripts/setup.mjs --dry-run`，并以**非零码**退出 —— 不把「不适用」伪装成「全绿」。
+- **供给期的 `rea doctor` 检查的不是本次供给的引擎**：那一步没传 `GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR` / `JAVA_HOME`，
+  REA 于是回落到探测本机，于是报告里出现的是系统那份 Ghidra 与 JDK（本机实测：报的是 `D:\ghidra\...` + 系统
+  Java 25，而 vendor 里那份从未被检查）。现在 doctor 与冒烟共用与镜像 shim 完全相同的一组变量。
+- **复用 Node 时不记录候选的真实版本**：`reusableNodeChecked` 只回 `{ok}`，于是 `bundle.json` 的
+  `versions.node` 落到 `process.versions.node` —— 那是**跑 setup 的解释器**，不是被复用的那个。两者不同时
+  （`REA_BUNDLE_NODE`，或 PATH 首个 `node` 是另一个安装）记录与实际就静默不一致。现在探针把 `-v` 的第一行
+  带回，复用路径照实记录。
+- **manifest 把 Node 钉在 24.21.0（含已知漏洞）**：24.22.1 是 2026-10-21 的安全发布（Brotli 解码器越界写 RCE、
+  两处 TLS 主机名绕过、移除 eMudhra 中间 CA）。复用路径在装有新 Node 的机器上没问题，但**干净环境走下载路径
+  会装回带漏洞的 24.21.0**。六个平台的 `version` / `url` / `size` / `sha256` 全部升到 24.22.1
+  （校验和取自官方 `SHASUMS256.txt`；win32-x64 在本机下载、比对、解压并跑通 `node -v` / `npm -v` 后写入）。
 
 ### 升级
 
@@ -56,11 +78,13 @@
 
 ### 验证
 
-- 单测 **78 条**（新增「UTF-16 的 `bundle.json` 被 setup 读到」「UTF-16 的 `bundle.json` 被 shim 读到」两条；
-  重复注册用例扩成「带行尾注释」；「setup 指南」5 条：钉子精确/家族比对、无记录=首装、旧 REA=stale、UTF-16 记录、
-  坏记录/无 REA 字段都要求 setup）。
+- 单测 **84 条**（新增「冒烟在没有引擎时跳过」「`--skip-smoke` 直接关闭」「冒烟必须真调 `analyze` 且失败即
+  `FAIL`、探针与冒烟共用 vendor 变量」三条；此前 81 条：UTF-16 的 `bundle.json` 被 setup / shim 读到、「setup 指南」
+  5 条、「check-updates 包装器」3 条）。
+- `manifest` 审计：**24 条 fetch 全部 hash-pinned，0 TOFU**（Node 六平台换到 24.22.1 后重跑）。
 - `verify-branch.ps1` 新增 §9：指南链路四端（`bin/rea-guide.mjs` 的 route、`index.mjs` 的挂载、`client.js` 的
-  fetch、`cordis.patch.yml` 的行）逐一比对，防止改名后指南静默不出现。
+  fetch、`cordis.patch.yml` 的行）逐一比对，防止改名后指南静默不出现；§10：`npm run check-updates` 必须走
+  包装器，且包装器必须保留「Windows 才跑」与两条替代命令。
 - 未发版：无 tag / 无 Release / npm 仍 **2.0.10**。
 
 ## 2.0.10 — 2026-10-19
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6d1d0c1..b6cb9a4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -204,6 +204,10 @@ Three details in that row are load-bearing, and all three were bugs first:
 - **The `!!js` scalar is quoted.** A bare scalar containing `? ` and `: ` is not one scalar: YAML reads it as an explicit key/value pair, so the loader receives a *mapping* where an expression belongs. Measured against the harness's own dialect (`JSON_SCHEMA` plus the `!!js` type from `app.asar`), the unquoted form made `args[0]` into `{"[object Object]": "..."}` — an object the row cannot launch with. Quoting removes the ambiguity, and the JS string literals inside then use single quotes.
 - **Forward slashes, never backslashes.** A single-quoted YAML scalar keeps `\` literal, and JavaScript then consumes it: `'\plugins'` is not a path but the BEL control character, `'\rea-bundle'` becomes a carriage return and `'\bin'` a backspace — the path is destroyed silently. Forward slashes work on Windows and on POSIX.
 - **The `DSH_HOME` fallback is `<home>/.dsh`, not `<home>`.** The shim, `setup.mjs` and `bootstrap.ps1` all resolve an unset `DSH_HOME` to `<home>/.dsh/...`; a fallback that stopped one level higher made the row point at a file provisioning never writes — invisible on any machine where `DSH_HOME` happens to be set.
+- **With `DSH_HOME`, `USERPROFILE` and `HOME` all empty, the expression resolves to `/.dsh/...`** — the one
+  combination the concatenation cannot improve on. That is a service or container account with no home
+  directory; the row then cannot start, and because `failOnStartupError: false` keeps that quiet, the only
+  symptom is "no `mcp__rea__*` tools". Set `DSH_HOME` explicitly on such an account.
 - **No `path`/`require` in a `!!js` expression**: `ctx` is the loader scope, so the DSH_HOME fallback is written as plain concatenation.
 
 `npm run bundle:audit` enforces the first three: it evaluates this exact expression with `DSH_HOME` unset, empty and set, and rejects a bare scalar that YAML would read as a mapping.
@@ -268,12 +272,20 @@ Ask for a `mcp__rea__*` call — `binary_session` reports the engine checks
 (`configuration` / `installation` / `headless` / `native_decompiler` / `java`), all of which should be
 `ok: true`. Then `open_binary` a PE, `binary_overview`, and `procedure_pseudo_code`.
 
-Provisioning itself ends with two probes: `rea doctor --json` (reported, with unmet checks named) and the
-exact shim launch the MCP row will use.
+Provisioning itself ends with three checks: `rea doctor --json` (reported, with unmet checks named), a
+**Ghidra smoke import** that runs `rea analyze` on the JDK's own `bin/java` and fails the run when it
+cannot import (`--skip-smoke` omits it), and the exact shim launch the MCP row will use. The smoke step
+exists because `doctor` validates paths, versions and which Java would be chosen — it never imports a
+binary, so a broken bridge or a mismatched native addon used to surface only as an MCP timeout.
+
+**The first analysis of each new target is slow.** Measured here: 36 s for a small PE, 64 s for a 6 MB
+DLL — every import starts a JVM and runs Ghidra's default auto-analysis. If the first
+`open_binary` → `list_segments` on a large file times out, that is this cost and not a broken engine:
+call it again and the open target answers immediately, because it keeps its ephemeral project.
 
 ## Verified against
 
-Author's machine, 2026-10-13 / 14 / 16 / 19:
+Author's machine, 2026-10-13 / 14 / 16 / 19 / 23:
 
 | Component | Version |
 |---|---|
@@ -281,8 +293,8 @@ Author's machine, 2026-10-13 / 14 / 16 / 19:
 | DeepSeek Harness | desktop runtime **0.2.0-rc.2**, with its bundled dsh CLI 0.1.7-rc.2 |
 | `@deepseek-ai/dsh-mcp-client` (row provider) | bundled by the harness |
 | Ghidra | 12.1.4 |
-| JDK | Temurin 21 (provisioned) / Microsoft OpenJDK 25.0.4 (adopted) |
-| Node.js | 24.21.0 (REA engines: `^22.19.0 \|\| ^24.11.0 \|\| >=26.0.0`) |
+| JDK | Temurin 21 (provisioned) / Amazon Corretto 25.0.5 (adopted by the host) |
+| Node.js | **24.22.1** adopted (REA engines: `^22.19.0 \|\| ^24.11.0 \|\| >=26.0.0`; ABI 137) |
 | Host | Windows 11 x64 (build 26200) |
 
 Exercised live: a clean `setup.mjs --reuse` run reached `setup complete`; an MCP `initialize` handshake
@@ -295,6 +307,13 @@ Not exercised end to end here, and therefore not claimed: the ~775 MB JDK + Ghid
 by `--dry-run`, but this machine adopted its existing installs with `--reuse`), and first runs on
 macOS/Linux.
 
+On 2026-10-23 the same chain was re-verified after the host Node moved to **24.22.1**: the vendored
+`rea-windows-x64.node` and both `conpty` addons loaded under ABI 137; `binary_overview` on `conpty.node`
+reported 10 segments / 1178 procedures / 618 strings; `procedure_pseudo_code` returned real decompiled
+output; and `java -version` from the vendored JDK answered `21.0.12.1`. The one thing that did **not**
+work on the first try was the first `list_segments` — it timed out at 64 s of cold Ghidra analysis, which
+is what the smoke step and the note above are for.
+
 ## Scope and caveats
 
 - REA exposes 207 tools at 6.7.0, so every session's tool list grows.
@@ -410,7 +429,10 @@ back on the next start.
 - **Upstream REA / Ghidra**: update the pins in the manifest, then re-run setup. REA version-gates Ghidra
   (12.1.x today), so update REA first.
 
-`check-updates.ps1` (Windows PowerShell) reports the state of all of these at once.
+`check-updates.ps1` (Windows PowerShell) reports the state of all of these at once. `npm run check-updates`
+forwards to it on Windows (PowerShell 5.1, then `pwsh`); on macOS/Linux it prints why the script cannot
+answer there and names the two portable commands instead — `node bin/rea-shim.mjs --shim-status` and
+`node scripts/setup.mjs --dry-run` — exiting non-zero rather than reporting a green it did not earn.
 
 ## Still prefer the configuration-only 1.x line?
 
diff --git a/README.zh-CN.md b/README.zh-CN.md
index 70013e2..3e1e78c 100644
--- a/README.zh-CN.md
+++ b/README.zh-CN.md
@@ -188,6 +188,9 @@ node scripts/setup.mjs --reuse      # 或先 --dry-run 看计划
 - **`!!js` 标量必须加引号。** 裸标量里同时出现 `? ` 和 `: ` 时，它就不是一个标量了：YAML 会把它读成显式键值对，于是 loader 拿到的是一个 **mapping** 而不是表达式节点。用 harness 自己的方言实测（`JSON_SCHEMA` + `app.asar` 里的 `!!js` 类型），不加引号时 `args[0]` 变成 `{"[object Object]": "..."}` —— 一个行根本无法用来启动的对象。加引号消除歧义，内部的 JS 字符串改用单引号。
 - **必须用正斜杠，不能用反斜杠。** YAML 单引号标量会保留 `\` 字面量，接着 JavaScript 会把它吃掉：`'\plugins'` 不是路径而是 BEL 控制字符，`'\rea-bundle'` 变成回车、`'\bin'` 变成退格 —— 路径被静默摧毁。正斜杠在 Windows 与 POSIX 上都成立。
 - **`DSH_HOME` 的兜底是 `<home>/.dsh`，不是 `<home>`。** shim、`setup.mjs`、`bootstrap.ps1` 三者都把未设置的 `DSH_HOME` 解析到 `<home>/.dsh/...`；兜底少这一层，行就会指向供给永远不会写的位置 —— 而在 `DSH_HOME` 恰好被设置的机器上，这个错误完全不可见。
+- **`DSH_HOME`、`USERPROFILE`、`HOME` 三者都为空时，表达式会得到 `/.dsh/...`** —— 这是纯拼接唯一无法兜住
+  的组合，出现在没有主目录的服务账户/容器里。此时那一行起不来，而 `failOnStartupError: false` 会让它保持安静，
+  症状只有「没有 `mcp__rea__*` 工具」。这类账户请显式设置 `DSH_HOME`。
 - **`!!js` 表达式里没有 `path`/`require`**：`ctx` 是 loader 作用域，所以 DSH_HOME 的兜底写成纯字符串拼接。
 
 `npm run bundle:audit` 会把前三条钉住：它用「`DSH_HOME` 未设 / 为空 / 已设」三种情形求值这个表达式，并拒绝会被 YAML 读成 mapping 的裸标量。
@@ -246,12 +249,18 @@ shim 会在启动时提示冲突 —— `setup.mjs` 会把运行时的 DSH home
 （`configuration` / `installation` / `headless` / `native_decompiler` / `java`），应当全为 `ok: true`。
 然后 `open_binary` 一个 PE、`binary_overview`、`procedure_pseudo_code`。
 
-供给本身结束时也会跑两道探针：`rea doctor --json`（如实报告，并点名未满足项），以及**与 MCP 行完全相同的
-shim 启动**。
+供给本身结束时跑三道检查：`rea doctor --json`（如实报告，并点名未满足项）、一次 **Ghidra 冒烟导入**
+（用 JDK 自带的 `bin/java` 跑 `rea analyze`，导不进就判本次供给失败；`--skip-smoke` 可关），以及
+**与 MCP 行完全相同的 shim 启动**。之所以要冒烟：`doctor` 只校验路径、版本与会用哪个 Java，**从不导入
+二进制**，桥接或 native addon 坏了，过去只能在第一次 MCP 调用超时时才撞见。
+
+**每个新目标的第一次分析都很慢。** 本机实测：小 PE 36 s，6 MB 的 DLL 64 s —— 每次导入都要起 JVM 并跑
+Ghidra 的默认自动分析。如果大文件的第一次 `open_binary` → `list_segments` 超时，那是这个成本、不是引擎坏了：
+再调一次，已打开的目标会立刻返回（它保留着自己的临时项目）。
 
 ## 实测环境
 
-作者机器，2026-10-13 / 14 / 16 / 19：
+作者机器，2026-10-13 / 14 / 16 / 19 / 23：
 
 | 组件 | 版本 |
 |---|---|
@@ -259,8 +268,8 @@ shim 启动**。
 | DeepSeek Harness | desktop runtime **0.2.0-rc.2**，内含 dsh CLI 0.1.7-rc.2 |
 | `@deepseek-ai/dsh-mcp-client`（行 provider） | 随 harness 打包 |
 | Ghidra | 12.1.4 |
-| JDK | Temurin 21（供给）/ Microsoft OpenJDK 25.0.4（复用） |
-| Node.js | 24.21.0（REA engines：`^22.19.0 \|\| ^24.11.0 \|\| >=26.0.0`） |
+| JDK | Temurin 21（供给）/ Amazon Corretto 25.0.5（宿主复用） |
+| Node.js | **24.22.1**（复用；REA engines：`^22.19.0 \|\| ^24.11.0 \|\| >=26.0.0`，ABI 137） |
 | 宿主 | Windows 11 x64（build 26200） |
 
 实测跑过：一次干净的 `setup.mjs --reuse` 走到 `setup complete`；一次**不经 PATH 上的 `rea`、完全经由
@@ -271,6 +280,11 @@ shim** 的 MCP `initialize` 握手返回 `serverInfo {name: rea, version: 6.7.0}
 本机**没有**端到端跑过、因此不做承诺的：约 775 MB 的 JDK + Ghidra 下载分支（`--dry-run` 有计划，本机用
 `--reuse` 复用了已有安装），以及 macOS/Linux 的首次运行。
 
+2026-10-23 宿主 Node 换到 **24.22.1** 后，同一条链路重验过：vendor 里的 `rea-windows-x64.node` 与两个
+`conpty` addon 在 ABI 137 下加载成功；`conpty.node` 的 `binary_overview` 报出 10 个段 / 1178 个函数 /
+618 个字符串；`procedure_pseudo_code` 返回了真实反编译结果；vendor 里的 JDK `java -version` 回 `21.0.12.1`。
+唯一**第一次没成**的是 `list_segments`：它撞上 Ghidra 冷分析的 64 s 而超时 —— 这正是上面冒烟步与那条说明的由来。
+
 ## 边界与注意事项
 
 - REA 在 6.7.0 有 207 个工具，每个会话的工具列表都会变长。
@@ -373,7 +387,10 @@ node scripts/setup.mjs          # 或：powershell -File scripts\rea-bundle-boot
 - **上游 REA / Ghidra**：改清单里的钉子再重跑 setup。REA 对 Ghidra 有版本闸门（目前 12.1.x），
   所以先更新 REA。
 
-`check-updates.ps1`（Windows PowerShell）会一次性报告以上各项的状态。
+`check-updates.ps1`（Windows PowerShell）会一次性报告以上各项的状态。`npm run check-updates` 在 Windows
+上转发给它（优先 PowerShell 5.1，其次 `pwsh`）；在 macOS/Linux 上它会说明这个脚本为何在那里给不出答案，
+并列出两条可移植命令 —— `node bin/rea-shim.mjs --shim-status` 与 `node scripts/setup.mjs --dry-run` ——
+且以非零码退出，不会报一个自己没查出来的「全绿」。
 
 ## 还想用纯配置的 1.x 线？
 
diff --git a/manifest/bundle.manifest.json b/manifest/bundle.manifest.json
index c404acf..c228c22 100644
--- a/manifest/bundle.manifest.json
+++ b/manifest/bundle.manifest.json
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
     "jdk": "21",
     "apktool": "3.0.3",
     "jadxHeadlessMcp": "0.7.1",
-    "node": "24.21.0",
+    "node": "24.22.1",
     "nodeEngines": "^22.19.0 || ^24.11.0 || >=26.0.0"
   },
   "components": {
@@ -42,60 +42,60 @@
       },
       "sources": {
         "win32-x64": {
-          "version": "24.21.0",
-          "url": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.21.0/node-v24.21.0-win-x64.zip",
+          "version": "24.22.1",
+          "url": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.22.1/node-v24.22.1-win-x64.zip",
           "format": "zip",
-          "size": 37618919,
-          "sha256": "158f7685b44de51f6c0df1d153526cbcd3e1bc739a8dfc607721cef75de9e541",
-          "sha256Source": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.21.0/SHASUMS256.txt (line: node-v24.21.0-win-x64.zip)",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
-          "note": "Checksum and unpack verified on this machine: the extracted node.exe runs standalone (v24.21.0), no installer and no registry writes."
+          "size": 37748064,
+          "sha256": "d2046d28c2c3dcd211ac5145c0bf30e2047ef9dfb306693c8c6e2eccd8b95fa5",
+          "sha256Source": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.22.1/SHASUMS256.txt (line: node-v24.22.1-win-x64.zip)",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
+          "note": "Checksum and unpack verified on this machine: the extracted node.exe runs standalone (v24.22.1), no installer and no registry writes. 24.22.1 is Node's 2026-10-21 security release (Brotli decoder out-of-bounds write RCE, two TLS hostname bypasses, eMudhra intermediate removal); 24.21.0 must not be redistributed."
         },
         "win32-arm64": {
-          "version": "24.21.0",
-          "url": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.21.0/node-v24.21.0-win-arm64.zip",
+          "version": "24.22.1",
+          "url": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.22.1/node-v24.22.1-win-arm64.zip",
           "format": "zip",
-          "size": 33679608,
-          "sha256": "8779b1bde1d39f8d420e3b57aa657b39891af434d3de44a919044cec06785921",
-          "sha256Source": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.21.0/SHASUMS256.txt (line: node-v24.21.0-win-arm64.zip), size confirmed by HEAD",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13"
+          "size": 33786263,
+          "sha256": "a0c807319fede24c4a0d8f84564c82a619bd313b16b10c007c383c2609e99171",
+          "sha256Source": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.22.1/SHASUMS256.txt (line: node-v24.22.1-win-arm64.zip), size confirmed by HEAD",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23"
         },
         "darwin-x64": {
-          "version": "24.21.0",
-          "url": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.21.0/node-v24.21.0-darwin-x64.tar.gz",
+          "version": "24.22.1",
+          "url": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.22.1/node-v24.22.1-darwin-x64.tar.gz",
           "format": "tar.gz",
-          "size": 54203979,
-          "sha256": "1462cb3b3046b815cf8ea436d3da450ec1a9f11dac7e5a46b0ada5305d7e8097",
-          "sha256Source": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.21.0/SHASUMS256.txt (line: node-v24.21.0-darwin-x64.tar.gz)",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13"
+          "size": 54382566,
+          "sha256": "d132557e7ee2b85af08b0c8c34338e65c6430f2238d01f727728ef42dc83b035",
+          "sha256Source": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.22.1/SHASUMS256.txt (line: node-v24.22.1-darwin-x64.tar.gz)",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23"
         },
         "darwin-arm64": {
-          "version": "24.21.0",
-          "url": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.21.0/node-v24.21.0-darwin-arm64.tar.gz",
+          "version": "24.22.1",
+          "url": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.22.1/node-v24.22.1-darwin-arm64.tar.gz",
           "format": "tar.gz",
-          "size": 52909993,
-          "sha256": "bed7eea5325e1108f32ce5228ddd6a5f0f08a499ee42aa7442aea583702f6057",
-          "sha256Source": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.21.0/SHASUMS256.txt (line: node-v24.21.0-darwin-arm64.tar.gz)",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13"
+          "size": 53062778,
+          "sha256": "89c682593d76cd44233fa53b1563264e7de9cbb189cad169135c5b4fadfbc0a7",
+          "sha256Source": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.22.1/SHASUMS256.txt (line: node-v24.22.1-darwin-arm64.tar.gz)",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23"
         },
         "linux-x64": {
-          "version": "24.21.0",
-          "url": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.21.0/node-v24.21.0-linux-x64.tar.xz",
+          "version": "24.22.1",
+          "url": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.22.1/node-v24.22.1-linux-x64.tar.xz",
           "format": "tar.xz",
-          "size": 31890184,
-          "sha256": "fd8e59d5a511510f6a298afb548f18c7d2b1be404d8b4a27d94fbe49f56cb2d6",
-          "sha256Source": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.21.0/SHASUMS256.txt (line: node-v24.21.0-linux-x64.tar.xz)",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
+          "size": 32026916,
+          "sha256": "6c172a9ab6718f7b801fb5a7bd486af2ee5e32758086a04b84fcce2aa77095e6",
+          "sha256Source": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.22.1/SHASUMS256.txt (line: node-v24.22.1-linux-x64.tar.xz)",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
           "note": ".tar.xz is not unpackable by Windows Expand-Archive; bsdtar handles it. A .tar.gz twin exists for every platform if xz support is ever in doubt."
         },
         "linux-arm64": {
-          "version": "24.21.0",
-          "url": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.21.0/node-v24.21.0-linux-arm64.tar.xz",
+          "version": "24.22.1",
+          "url": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.22.1/node-v24.22.1-linux-arm64.tar.xz",
           "format": "tar.xz",
-          "size": 30859684,
-          "sha256": "6ad1325edbdb5649c379b75a237147a666c95d4f9ae8d340fef2d1575d289ad2",
-          "sha256Source": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.21.0/SHASUMS256.txt (line: node-v24.21.0-linux-arm64.tar.xz)",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13"
+          "size": 30978868,
+          "sha256": "dbabf7a1cbf947e6059ffad2c27b80041db97dea1e553b62afdee7f13fca336e",
+          "sha256Source": "https://nodejs.org/dist/v24.22.1/SHASUMS256.txt (line: node-v24.22.1-linux-arm64.tar.xz)",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23"
         }
       }
     },
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@
           "size": 205073461,
           "sha256": "f9d6e191ab098c0d416e7d588a24420a8621cd2f4720dab2459b8b7b2d2d8b4e",
           "sha256Source": "Adoptium API /v3/assets/latest/21/hotspot (binary.package.checksum), cross-checked against the per-asset .zip.sha256.txt sidecar",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
           "metaApi": "https://api.adoptium.net/v3/assets/latest/21/hotspot?architecture=x64&image_type=jdk&os=windows&vendor=eclipse",
           "note": "Unpacked and exercised on this machine: bin/javac.exe and jmods are present, java --list-modules reports jdk.compiler, and REA's Ghidra provider accepted it as a 64-bit full JDK 21+."
         },
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@
           "size": 194316575,
           "sha256": "44db0f08196daf19a47f90d13388b0c943b67663cb537f998fe29e836fa842ce",
           "sha256Source": "Adoptium API (binary.package.checksum)",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
           "metaApi": "https://api.adoptium.net/v3/assets/latest/21/hotspot?architecture=x64&image_type=jdk&os=mac&vendor=eclipse"
         },
         "darwin-arm64": {
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@
           "size": 200073404,
           "sha256": "3623232f33a9c3baadf304480b2535f9a3cba8a58d42ecbb438ba267315d9998",
           "sha256Source": "Adoptium API (binary.package.checksum)",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
           "metaApi": "https://api.adoptium.net/v3/assets/latest/21/hotspot?architecture=aarch64&image_type=jdk&os=mac&vendor=eclipse"
         },
         "linux-x64": {
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
           "size": 207473347,
           "sha256": "ce79869e1307ed8ee1e2baa86a412b1eb5b75d10a01006d788a6f968bcfaee94",
           "sha256Source": "Adoptium API (binary.package.checksum)",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
           "metaApi": "https://api.adoptium.net/v3/assets/latest/21/hotspot?architecture=x64&image_type=jdk&os=linux&vendor=eclipse"
         },
         "linux-arm64": {
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@
           "size": 205641175,
           "sha256": "23e37e026f12f3e706f18938ff611db3032d075b09d0879a25d06718c773e223",
           "sha256Source": "Adoptium API (binary.package.checksum)",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
           "metaApi": "https://api.adoptium.net/v3/assets/latest/21/hotspot?architecture=aarch64&image_type=jdk&os=linux&vendor=eclipse"
         }
       }
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@
           "sha256": "ddac49f903da9d5bac833e5cc79395098b9c33cfd3279be5f31bd00387d2d4db",
           "sha256Source": "GitHub release body of the pinned tag: api.github.com/repos/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/releases/tags/Ghidra_12.1.4_build -> .body, line '* SHA-256: `ddac49f9...`'. No checksum asset exists (six candidate names 404). Always read the pinned tag, never releases/latest, because the body changes.",
           "releaseApi": "https://api.github.com/repos/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/releases/tags/Ghidra_12.1.4_build",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
           "note": "No platform split for the public release: one zip serves Windows/macOS/Linux. Unpacked and sniffed here (support/analyzeHeadless.bat and the win_x86_64 native decompiler are present, and REA reported provider version 12.1.4). Windows traps: a path containing '!' or '^' breaks Ghidra, and macOS native components are not shipped (they must be built with support/gradle/gradlew buildNatives). Ghidra requires JDK 21+; application.java.max is empty at this tag, so a newer JDK is permitted."
         }
       }
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@
             "size": 15478013,
             "sha256": "dbf930b076c6b9be08d57c449cacefc3bdd6b71ebd59b3066fc0e1f5b14f9423",
             "sha256Source": "Vendor-published in the 3.0.3 release post (apktool.org/blog/apktool-3.0.3/), md5 50d98c920b005d2fcdc18d3d52e3f23b. Independently reproduced here: this is the hash of the 15,478,013-byte apktool_3.0.3.jar.",
-            "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
+            "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
             "moveTo": "apktool",
             "saveAs": "apktool.jar"
           }
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@
             "size": 42619858,
             "sha256": "6e5eacf500b64292bfb73c49797c1958f6ee44646e43e868039ae7feb573ff75",
             "sha256Source": "Vendor-published sidecar asset releases/download/v0.7.1/jadx-headless-mcp.sha256 (98 bytes, one line); the value was independently reproduced here by hashing the downloaded 42,619,858-byte jar. 0.7.1 is the newest release and REA requires exactly this bridge build: the project's own build.gradle.kts documents that the fat jar must be shaded with duplicatesStrategy INCLUDE, otherwise only KotlinMetadataPlugin registers and every APK resolves to a single R class. Versions 0.6.0 and earlier predate that fix.",
-            "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
+            "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
             "moveTo": "jadx",
             "saveAs": "jadx-headless-mcp-0.7.1-all.jar"
           }
@@ -323,8 +323,8 @@
           "format": "zip",
           "size": 8044989,
           "sha256": "45f4d63113e895ebde0c90f194099a4676b6ac653bd28d54314a9e022bbc1a99",
-          "sha256Source": "Google publishes no checksum for this rolling asset; measured on 2026-10-13 and the archive verified readable (15 entries incl. adb.exe). The archive's own platform-tools/source.properties reports Pkg.Revision=37.0.1, so the real pin is 'platform-tools 37.0.1'. Google's repository2-3.xml carries size+checksum for versioned archives if a vendor hash is ever required.",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
+          "sha256Source": "Google publishes no checksum for this rolling asset; measured on 2026-10-23 and the archive verified readable (15 entries incl. adb.exe). The archive's own platform-tools/source.properties reports Pkg.Revision=37.0.1, so the real pin is 'platform-tools 37.0.1'. Google's repository2-3.xml carries size+checksum for versioned archives if a vendor hash is ever required.",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
           "note": "Rolling 'latest' URL pinned by observation; setup re-verifies against this value and reports drift. Android SDK components are not OSI-licensed and Google restricts redistribution, so this is fetched from Google at install time and never re-hosted. Also contains fastboot, sqlite3, mke2fs and the USB API DLLs."
         },
         "darwin-x64": {
@@ -333,8 +333,8 @@
           "format": "zip",
           "size": 16110554,
           "sha256": "ee39ad5967e95c2a07f04dbcbde96b1a0c916ba376096db5d2f498b7727a5d1d",
-          "sha256Source": "Google publishes no checksum for this rolling asset; measured on 2026-10-13 by downloading the archive and hashing it locally (16,110,554 bytes)",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
+          "sha256Source": "Google publishes no checksum for this rolling asset; measured on 2026-10-23 by downloading the archive and hashing it locally (16,110,554 bytes)",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
           "note": "Rolling 'latest' URL pinned by observation; setup re-verifies against this value and reports drift."
         },
         "darwin-arm64": {
@@ -343,8 +343,8 @@
           "format": "zip",
           "size": 16110554,
           "sha256": "ee39ad5967e95c2a07f04dbcbde96b1a0c916ba376096db5d2f498b7727a5d1d",
-          "sha256Source": "Same darwin archive as x64 (measured 2026-10-13); Google publishes one darwin zip for both architectures.",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
+          "sha256Source": "Same darwin archive as x64 (measured 2026-10-23); Google publishes one darwin zip for both architectures.",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
           "note": "The darwin archive contains x86_64 binaries. On Apple silicon they run only through Rosetta 2; without it adb cannot start and this optional component is reported unavailable."
         },
         "linux-x64": {
@@ -353,8 +353,8 @@
           "format": "zip",
           "size": 9054187,
           "sha256": "d230f13842f60f782a8645f9c813f8f845bf36089ea7289f28c48f17979313f1",
-          "sha256Source": "Google publishes no checksum for this rolling asset; measured on 2026-10-13 by downloading the archive and hashing it locally (9,054,187 bytes)",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
+          "sha256Source": "Google publishes no checksum for this rolling asset; measured on 2026-10-23 by downloading the archive and hashing it locally (9,054,187 bytes)",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
           "note": "The linux archive contains x86_64 binaries. Google publishes no arm64 platform-tools and this bundle does not emulate one, so on linux-arm64 the entry below is offered but its probe is expected to fail — reported as an optional component being unavailable, never as a broken install."
         },
         "linux-arm64": {
@@ -363,8 +363,8 @@
           "format": "zip",
           "size": 9054187,
           "sha256": "d230f13842f60f782a8645f9c813f8f845bf36089ea7289f28c48f17979313f1",
-          "sha256Source": "Google publishes no arm64 platform-tools; this is the same x86_64 linux archive as x64 (measured 2026-10-13), recorded so the mismatch is explicit instead of implied.",
-          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-13",
+          "sha256Source": "Google publishes no arm64 platform-tools; this is the same x86_64 linux archive as x64 (measured 2026-10-23), recorded so the mismatch is explicit instead of implied.",
+          "sha256VerifiedOn": "2026-10-23",
           "note": "Kept so an arm64 host reports a precise failure instead of \"no source\". adb here is x86_64: it runs under qemu/binfmt where the host provides it, and otherwise the probe fails and the report names it."
         }
       }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3294c68..2849c09 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
     }
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "check-updates": "powershell -NoProfile -File ./check-updates.ps1",
+    "check-updates": "node ./scripts/check-updates.mjs",
     "bundle:setup": "node ./scripts/setup.mjs",
     "bundle:status": "node ./bin/rea-shim.mjs --shim-status",
     "bundle:dry-run": "node ./scripts/setup.mjs --reuse --dry-run",
diff --git a/scripts/check-updates.mjs b/scripts/check-updates.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b199582
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check-updates.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+/**
+ * `npm run check-updates` — a portable entry for a Windows-only script.
+ *
+ * `check-updates.ps1` is a Windows PowerShell tool on purpose: it reads
+ * `%APPDATA%\npm`, prefers a `rea.cmd` shim over `rea.ps1`, and walks the
+ * profile the way the desktop app lays it out. On macOS/Linux even a working
+ * `pwsh` would run those branches against paths that do not exist there, so
+ * "make the .ps1 cross-platform" is not the fix — the honest answer is to say
+ * so, and to name the two commands that DO work everywhere.
+ *
+ * This wrapper therefore:
+ *   - on Windows: runs `powershell` (the 5.1 the script is written for), and
+ *     falls back to `pwsh` when 5.1 is absent;
+ *   - elsewhere: prints why, plus the portable equivalents, and exits non-zero
+ *     so a CI step cannot mistake "not applicable" for "all green".
+ *
+ * Its pure parts are exported so a unit test can pin both branches without
+ * spawning anything.
+ */
+
+import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process'
+import { existsSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { join, resolve } from 'node:path'
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url'
+
+/** Repository root: this file lives in <root>/scripts/. */
+export const ROOT = fileURLToPath(new URL('..', import.meta.url))
+
+/**
+ * PowerShell executables to try, in order, for a platform.
+ *
+ * Empty on POSIX: the script's own probes are Windows-specific, so running it
+ * there would produce a confident wrong answer instead of a clear "not here".
+ */
+export function powerShellCandidates(platform = process.platform) {
+  return platform === 'win32' ? ['powershell', 'pwsh'] : []
+}
+
+/** The message used when this platform (or this machine) cannot run the script. */
+export function unsupportedMessage(platform = process.platform) {
+  const where = platform === 'win32'
+    ? 'No PowerShell (powershell or pwsh) was found on this machine.'
+    : `check-updates.ps1 is a Windows PowerShell tool; this host is ${platform}.`
+  return [
+    where,
+    '',
+    'The same questions, answered with commands that work on every platform:',
+    '  node bin/rea-shim.mjs --shim-status     # provisioned bundle, launch choice, versions',
+    '  node scripts/setup.mjs --dry-run        # what a setup run would still fetch',
+    '',
+    'On Windows, `npm run check-updates` also compares the installed versions',
+    'against the upstream registries and the profile registration.',
+  ].join('\n')
+}
+
+function main(argv) {
+  const script = join(ROOT, 'check-updates.ps1')
+  if (!existsSync(script)) {
+    process.stderr.write(`check-updates: ${script} is missing from this package.\n`)
+    return 1
+  }
+
+  const candidates = powerShellCandidates()
+  if (candidates.length === 0) {
+    process.stderr.write(`${unsupportedMessage()}\n`)
+    return 1
+  }
+
+  const env = process.env
+  const attempts = []
+  for (const command of candidates) {
+    const result = spawnSync(command, ['-NoProfile', '-File', script, ...argv], {
+      stdio: 'inherit',
+      cwd: ROOT,
+      env,
+      windowsHide: true,
+    })
+    if (result.error && result.error.code === 'ENOENT') {
+      attempts.push(command)
+      continue
+    }
+    if (result.error) {
+      process.stderr.write(`check-updates: ${command} failed to start: ${result.error.message}\n`)
+      return 1
+    }
+    return typeof result.status === 'number' ? result.status : 1
+  }
+
+  process.stderr.write(
+    `check-updates: tried ${attempts.join(', ')} — none is on PATH.\n\n${unsupportedMessage()}\n`,
+  )
+  return 1
+}
+
+if (process.argv[1] && resolve(process.argv[1]) === resolve(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url))) {
+  process.exitCode = main(process.argv.slice(2))
+}
diff --git a/scripts/setup.mjs b/scripts/setup.mjs
index ee475b6..7cebb90 100644
--- a/scripts/setup.mjs
+++ b/scripts/setup.mjs
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ function parseArgs(argv) {
     json: false,
     only: null,
     offline: false,
+    skipSmoke: false,
     // Two different clocks, because one number cannot serve both: a route must
     // be declared dead quickly when the socket never opens, but a slow-but-alive
     // transfer must not be killed for taking long overall (measured here:
@@ -110,6 +111,7 @@ function parseArgs(argv) {
     else if (arg === "--dry-run") options.dryRun = true;
     else if (arg === "--json") options.json = true;
     else if (arg === "--offline") options.offline = true;
+    else if (arg === "--skip-smoke") options.skipSmoke = true;
     else if (arg === "--yes") continue;
     else if (arg === "--only") options.only = (argv[++i] ?? "").split(",").map((s) => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
     else if (arg === "--help" || arg === "-h") options.help = true;
@@ -889,7 +891,44 @@ function reusableNodeChecked(candidate) {
   if (typeof regex === "string" && regex !== "" && !new RegExp(regex, "u").test(stdout)) {
     return { ok: false, detail: `it reports "${firstLine}", which REA's engines reject` };
   }
-  return { ok: true };
+  // Report the version the candidate actually printed, not the interpreter that
+  // happens to be running setup. They differ whenever the adopted Node is not
+  // the one executing this script — `REA_BUNDLE_NODE`, or a PATH whose first hit
+  // is a different install — and recording the running interpreter silently
+  // wrote a bundle.json that disagreed with the runtime the row launches.
+  return { ok: true, version: firstLine.replace(/^v/, "").trim() || null };
+}
+
+/**
+ * The version a reused JDK or Ghidra reports about itself.
+ *
+ * Both reuse branches used to return only `{path, how}`, so `bundle.json` fell
+ * back to `merged.<name>?.version ?? null` and recorded `""` for a JDK or Ghidra
+ * the machine had adopted — a record that names a runtime but cannot say which
+ * one. `check-updates.ps1` compares against exactly that field, so the drift it
+ * exists to report became invisible for precisely the components a reuse run
+ * touches. Both files are the vendor's own declaration, not a guess:
+ * `release` carries `JAVA_VERSION="…"`, `Ghidra/application.properties` carries
+ * `application.version=…`.
+ */
+function readJdkVersion(root) {
+  try {
+    const release = readFileSync(path.join(root, "release"), "utf8");
+    const match = /^JAVA_VERSION="?([^"\r\n]+)"?/m.exec(release);
+    return match ? match[1].trim() : null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function readGhidraVersion(root) {
+  try {
+    const properties = readFileSync(path.join(root, "Ghidra", "application.properties"), "utf8");
+    const match = /^application\.version=(.+)$/m.exec(properties);
+    return match ? match[1].trim() : null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
 }
 
 /** Adopt an existing installation instead of downloading a duplicate. */
@@ -912,7 +951,7 @@ function reuseExisting(name, root) {
       if (seen.has(key)) continue;
       seen.add(key);
       const checked = reusableNodeChecked(candidate.path);
-      if (checked.ok) return candidate;
+      if (checked.ok) return { ...candidate, version: checked.version ?? null };
       step("node", "plan", `not reusing ${candidate.how} node ${candidate.path}: ${checked.detail}`);
     }
     return null;
@@ -920,14 +959,16 @@ function reuseExisting(name, root) {
   if (name === "jdk") {
     for (const [variable, how] of [["JAVA_HOME", "JAVA_HOME"]]) {
       const home = process.env[variable];
-      if (home && existsSync(path.join(home, "bin", `javac${EXE}`))) return { path: home, how };
+      if (home && existsSync(path.join(home, "bin", `javac${EXE}`))) {
+        return { path: path.normalize(home), how, version: readJdkVersion(home) };
+      }
     }
     return null;
   }
   if (name === "ghidra") {
     const install = process.env.GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR;
     if (install && existsSync(path.join(install, "support", IS_WINDOWS ? "analyzeHeadless.bat" : "analyzeHeadless"))) {
-      return { path: install, how: "GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR" };
+      return { path: path.normalize(install), how: "GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR", version: readGhidraVersion(install) };
     }
     return null;
   }
@@ -1068,7 +1109,11 @@ async function provisionComponent(name, component, context) {
     }
     if (probe.ok) {
       step(name, "skip", `reusing existing ${name} from ${reused.how}: ${reused.path}`);
-      return { path: reused.path, reused: true };
+      // Carry the adopted installation's own version. Dropping it here made
+      // `bundle.json` record the manifest's pin instead of what was adopted — a
+      // record that names a path but describes a different build, which is the
+      // one thing `check-updates.ps1` exists to catch.
+      return { ...reused, reused: true };
     }
     step(name, "plan", `not reusing ${reused.how} ${name} at ${reused.path}: ${probe.detail}`);
   }
@@ -1550,8 +1595,18 @@ if (!options.dryRun) {
   // what matters is that the CLI runs, emits parseable JSON, and reports the
   // tool catalog. Unmet checks are reported, not treated as errors.
   const reaEntry = paths.reaEntry;
+  // The same two variables the mirrored shim exports. Without them REA falls
+  // back to probing the machine, so `doctor` here reported whichever Ghidra and
+  // JDK happened to be installed globally — on a machine with an older global
+  // Ghidra this run's own engine was never the thing being checked, and a broken
+  // vendor copy could still come back healthy.
+  const reaEnv = {
+    ...process.env,
+    ...(paths.ghidra ? { GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR: paths.ghidra } : {}),
+    ...(paths.jdk ? { JAVA_HOME: paths.jdk } : {}),
+  };
   if (existsSync(reaEntry)) {
-    const doctor = spawnSync(nodePath, [reaEntry, "doctor", "--json"], { encoding: "utf8", timeout: 300000 });
+    const doctor = spawnSync(nodePath, [reaEntry, "doctor", "--json"], { encoding: "utf8", timeout: 300000, env: reaEnv });
     const stdout = doctor.stdout ?? "";
     let parsed = null;
     try {
@@ -1575,6 +1630,59 @@ if (!options.dryRun) {
     step("probe", "FAIL", "vendored REA CLI is missing; the MCP row will report unprovisioned");
   }
 
+  // Ghidra smoke: prove the engine runs, not merely that its files exist.
+  //
+  // `doctor` validates paths, versions and which Java would be chosen; it never
+  // imports a binary. The first real import pays a one-time cost (measured here:
+  // ~35 s for a small PE, ~64 s for a 6 MB DLL) for the JVM start plus default
+  // auto-analysis. On a broken bridge or a mismatched native addon the operator
+  // met that only as an MCP tool timeout on the first real analysis — which reads
+  // exactly like "the runtime upgrade broke REA". Importing one small file here
+  // ends provisioning with a measured verdict instead of an inference, and makes
+  // the failure visible while the operator is still in the setup output.
+  //
+  // The input is the JDK's own launcher: it exists on every platform this bundle
+  // provisions, it is small enough to keep the step short, and it is never the
+  // user's file.
+  if (options.skipSmoke) {
+    step("smoke", "skip", "disabled by --skip-smoke");
+  } else if (!existsSync(reaEntry)) {
+    step("smoke", "skip", "no vendored REA CLI to drive");
+  } else if (!paths.ghidra || !paths.jdk) {
+    step("smoke", "skip", "this run resolved no ghidra + jdk pair");
+  } else {
+    const smokeInput = path.join(paths.jdk, "bin", `java${EXE}`);
+    if (!existsSync(smokeInput)) {
+      step("smoke", "skip", `no small input at ${smokeInput}`);
+    } else {
+      const startedAt = Date.now();
+      const smoke = spawnSync(nodePath, [reaEntry, "analyze", smokeInput, "--json"], {
+        encoding: "utf8",
+        timeout: 600000,
+        env: reaEnv,
+      });
+      const elapsed = Math.round((Date.now() - startedAt) / 1000);
+      let evidence = null;
+      try {
+        const text = String(smoke.stdout ?? "");
+        const open = text.indexOf("{");
+        const close = text.lastIndexOf("}");
+        evidence = open >= 0 && close > open ? JSON.parse(text.slice(open, close + 1)) : null;
+      } catch {
+        evidence = null;
+      }
+      if (smoke.status === 0 && evidence && typeof evidence.evidence_id === "string") {
+        step("smoke", "ok", `imported ${path.basename(smokeInput)} in ${elapsed}s via ghidra`);
+      } else {
+        step(
+          "smoke",
+          "FAIL",
+          `ghidra import failed (exit ${smoke.status}, ${elapsed}s): ${`${smoke.stdout ?? ""}${smoke.stderr ?? ""}`.trim().slice(0, 300)}`,
+        );
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   // The real end-to-end check: launch the exact shim the MCP row will use
   // (the mirrored copy, not the source tree) and confirm it relays the CLI.
   const mirroredShim = path.join(options.root, "bin", "rea-shim.mjs");
diff --git a/scripts/setup.test.mjs b/scripts/setup.test.mjs
index 8b427bc..7492d08 100644
--- a/scripts/setup.test.mjs
+++ b/scripts/setup.test.mjs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import test from "node:test";
 import { fileURLToPath, pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
 import { HOST_RELEASES, OUTSIDE_HOSTS, checkHostCoverage, declaredHostRange, compareVersions, satisfiesDeclaredRange } from "./host-compat.mjs";
 import { computeGuideState, reaPinMatches } from "../bin/rea-guide.mjs";
+import { powerShellCandidates, unsupportedMessage } from "./check-updates.mjs";
 
 /* ------------------------------------------------- probe token substitution */
 
@@ -434,6 +435,81 @@ test("an unavailable optional component is reported, not fatal", () => {
   }
 });
 
+/* ------------------------------ the Ghidra smoke is measured, and it can be off */
+
+// `doctor` validates paths, versions and which Java would be chosen; it never
+// imports a binary. The first real import pays a one-time ~35 s for the JVM start
+// plus default auto-analysis, and when the bridge or the native addon is broken
+// the operator met that only as an MCP tool timeout on the first real analysis —
+// which reads exactly like "the runtime upgrade broke REA". The smoke step turns
+// provisioning into a measured verdict. These tests keep it bounded in both
+// directions: it must not run when this run resolved no engine, --skip-smoke must
+// win, and an "ok" that only checked that files exist is the bug it replaced.
+function runSmokeSetup(root, extra = []) {
+  const stub = path.join(root, "vendor", "node_modules", "rea-agents", "scripts");
+  mkdirSync(stub, { recursive: true });
+  writeFileSync(
+    path.join(stub, "rea.mjs"),
+    'if (process.argv.includes("--version")) { console.log("6.5.0"); } else { console.log(JSON.stringify({ checks: [], identity: {} })); }\n',
+  );
+  return spawnSync(process.execPath, [SETUP_SOURCE, "--reuse", "--only", "node", "--root", root, ...extra], {
+    encoding: "utf8",
+    timeout: 180000,
+    env: { ...process.env, REA_BUNDLE_NODE: process.execPath },
+  });
+}
+
+test("the smoke step is skipped when this run resolved no engine", () => {
+  const root = mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpdir(), "rea-smoke-skip-"));
+  try {
+    const run = runSmokeSetup(root);
+    assert.match(run.stdout, /\[skip\] smoke — this run resolved no ghidra \+ jdk pair/);
+  } finally {
+    rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
+test("--skip-smoke turns the smoke step off outright", () => {
+  const root = mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpdir(), "rea-smoke-off-"));
+  try {
+    const run = runSmokeSetup(root, ["--skip-smoke"]);
+    assert.match(run.stdout, /\[skip\] smoke — disabled by --skip-smoke/);
+  } finally {
+    rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
+test("the smoke step drives a real import and fails the run when it fails", () => {
+  // Contract assertions rather than a live Ghidra run: CI has no 570 MB engine.
+  // What must not regress is (a) the step really invokes REA's analyze on a file
+  // this run owns, and (b) a non-zero verdict is a FAIL, not a silent skip.
+  const source = readFileSync(SETUP_SOURCE, "utf8");
+  assert.match(source, /\[reaEntry, "analyze", smokeInput, "--json"\]/);
+  assert.match(source, /step\(\s*"smoke",\s*"FAIL",/);
+  assert.match(source, /path\.join\(paths\.jdk, "bin", `java\$\{EXE\}`\)/);
+  // The two variables the mirrored shim exports must reach the probe and the
+  // smoke alike; without them both fell back to probing the machine.
+  assert.match(source, /GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR: paths\.ghidra/);
+  assert.match(source, /JAVA_HOME: paths\.jdk/);
+});
+
+test("a reused component carries its own version into the record", () => {
+  // Both reuse branches returned only `{path, how}`, so bundle.json recorded the
+  // interpreter running setup for Node and the manifest's pin for a JDK/Ghidra —
+  // a record that names a runtime but describes a different build, which is the
+  // one thing `check-updates.ps1` exists to catch. A live fixture cannot cover
+  // this: adoption runs the component's own probe, so a stub tree would have to
+  // be a working compiler or analysis engine. Contract assertions instead.
+  const source = readFileSync(SETUP_SOURCE, "utf8");
+  // The adopted record is spread, not rebuilt from its path alone.
+  assert.match(source, /return \{ \.\.\.reused, reused: true \};/);
+  // ...and each installation is asked what it is, from its own declaration.
+  assert.match(source, /version: readJdkVersion\(home\)/);
+  assert.match(source, /version: readGhidraVersion\(install\)/);
+  assert.match(source, /function readJdkVersion\(root\)/);
+  assert.match(source, /function readGhidraVersion\(root\)/);
+});
+
 /* =========================== this round's regressions =========================
  *
  * Each test below pins a defect that was verified in the code before it was
@@ -2049,3 +2125,28 @@ test("the guide asks for setup when the record cannot be parsed or names no REA"
     rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
   }
 });
+
+/* ------------------------------------------------- npm run check-updates */
+
+test("check-updates runs PowerShell on Windows, 5.1 first", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(powerShellCandidates("win32"), ["powershell", "pwsh"]);
+});
+
+test("check-updates refuses to fake a POSIX run", () => {
+  // The .ps1 probes %APPDATA% and prefers rea.cmd; a pwsh on Linux would run
+  // those branches against paths that do not exist and print a confident wrong
+  // answer. No candidates is the point, not an oversight.
+  assert.deepEqual(powerShellCandidates("linux"), []);
+  assert.deepEqual(powerShellCandidates("darwin"), []);
+});
+
+test("check-updates names the portable commands it falls back to", () => {
+  const posix = unsupportedMessage("linux");
+  assert.match(posix, /Windows PowerShell tool/);
+  assert.match(posix, /this host is linux/);
+  assert.match(posix, /--shim-status/);
+  assert.match(posix, /setup\.mjs --dry-run/);
+
+  const win = unsupportedMessage("win32");
+  assert.match(win, /No PowerShell/);
+});
diff --git a/scripts/verify-branch.ps1 b/scripts/verify-branch.ps1
index 285eeba..a8edab0 100644
--- a/scripts/verify-branch.ps1
+++ b/scripts/verify-branch.ps1
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ function Check($name, [bool]$ok, $detail) {
 }
 
 Write-Host "`n=== 1. JS syntax ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
-foreach ($f in @('index.mjs','bin\rea-shim.mjs','bin\rea-guide.mjs','client.js','scripts\setup.mjs','scripts\audit-manifest.mjs','scripts\setup.test.mjs','scripts\host-compat.mjs')) {
+foreach ($f in @('index.mjs','bin\rea-shim.mjs','bin\rea-guide.mjs','client.js','scripts\setup.mjs','scripts\audit-manifest.mjs','scripts\setup.test.mjs','scripts\host-compat.mjs','scripts\check-updates.mjs')) {
   $out = & node --check $f 2>&1
   Check $f ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) ($out -join ' ')
 }
@@ -229,6 +229,21 @@ try { $guideParsed = ($guideRaw -join "`n") | ConvertFrom-Json } catch { $guideP
 Check 'bin/rea-guide.mjs answers with JSON' ($null -ne $guideParsed -and $null -ne $guideParsed.needsSetup) (($guideRaw | Select-Object -Last 2) -join ' ')
 Check 'the guide command points at this package scripts' ($null -ne $guideParsed -and [string]$guideParsed.setupCommand -match 'scripts[\\/]setup\.mjs') ''
 
+Write-Host "`n=== 10. npm run check-updates is portable ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
+# check-updates.ps1 is Windows-only on purpose (it reads %APPDATA% and prefers a
+# rea.cmd shim over the rea.ps1 one). The npm script used to BE the bare
+# `powershell -File` command, so on macOS/Linux `npm run check-updates` was an
+# exec error, and a pwsh there would have answered from paths that do not exist.
+# The wrapper is the contract: Windows forwards, everything else explains and
+# exits non-zero.
+$wrapper = Join-Path $root 'scripts\check-updates.mjs'
+Check 'scripts/check-updates.mjs exists' (Test-Path $wrapper) ''
+$checkScript = [string]$pkg.scripts.'check-updates'
+Check 'scripts.check-updates goes through the wrapper' ($checkScript -match 'check-updates\.mjs') $checkScript
+$wrapperText = if (Test-Path $wrapper) { Get-Content $wrapper -Raw -Encoding UTF8 } else { '' }
+Check 'the wrapper runs PowerShell on Windows only' ($wrapperText.Contains("platform === 'win32' ? ['powershell', 'pwsh'] : []")) ''
+Check 'the wrapper names both portable fallbacks' ($wrapperText.Contains('--shim-status') -and $wrapperText.Contains('--dry-run')) ''
+
 Write-Host ''
 if ($fail -eq 0) { Write-Host 'ALL CHECKS PASSED' -ForegroundColor Green }
 else { Write-Host "$fail CHECK(S) FAILED" -ForegroundColor Red }