diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3a1362e..8811e27 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## Unreleased
+
+- `install.sh` installs into `~/.vcx` with a fresh manifest instead of
+  `bun install --global`. Bun 1.4.0 fails with `refusing to install dependency
+  with unsafe name` on some machines when the global manifest carries entries
+  from earlier installs, and the new path does not depend on that state.
+
 ## 0.3.0 - 2026-09-02
 
 - Link Vercel's global config directory to the active profile, so a plain
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7f79c62..011a925 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -24,8 +24,12 @@ One line. It installs Bun if you do not have it, then Vercel CLI and vcx.
 curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/akrupa-appto/vcx/main/install.sh | sh
 ```
 
-Set `VCX_REF` to pick a tag, branch, or commit instead of the latest release.
-You still need Node.js 20 or newer, because Vercel CLI runs on Node.
+The script keeps vcx and its dependencies in `~/.vcx` with their own lockfile
+and links `vcx` into Bun's bin directory. It does not touch Bun's global
+package list, so a broken global manifest cannot block it. Run it again to
+upgrade. Set `VCX_REF` to pick a tag, branch, or commit instead of the latest
+release, and `VCX_INSTALL_DIR` to move the directory. You still need Node.js
+20 or newer, because Vercel CLI runs on Node.
 
 Already have Bun? Install directly:
 
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 52f800f..12381db 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -2,13 +2,19 @@
 # Installs vcx with Bun. Usage:
 #   curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/akrupa-appto/vcx/main/install.sh | sh
 #
+# vcx lives in its own directory (default ~/.vcx) with its own lockfile, so a
+# broken Bun global manifest cannot block the install. Bin links go into
+# Bun's bin directory, which is already on PATH for Bun users.
+#
 # Environment:
-#   VCX_REF   Git ref to install (tag, branch, or commit). Default: latest release.
-#   BUN_INSTALL  Where Bun lives or gets installed. Default: ~/.bun
+#   VCX_REF          Git ref to install (tag, branch, or commit). Default: latest release.
+#   VCX_INSTALL_DIR  Where vcx and its dependencies live. Default: ~/.vcx
+#   BUN_INSTALL      Where Bun lives or gets installed. Default: ~/.bun
 set -eu
 
 REPO="akrupa-appto/vcx"
 BUN_INSTALL="${BUN_INSTALL:-$HOME/.bun}"
+VCX_INSTALL_DIR="${VCX_INSTALL_DIR:-$HOME/.vcx}"
 
 say() { printf '%s\n' "$*"; }
 fail() { say "vcx install: $*" >&2; exit 1; }
@@ -32,26 +38,46 @@ else
   [ -x "$BUN" ] || fail "Bun install did not produce $BUN."
 fi
 say "Using Bun $("$BUN" --version) at $BUN"
+# Bun's global bin directory, the one Bun users already have on PATH.
+BIN_DIR="$(HOME="$HOME" "$BUN" pm bin --global 2>/dev/null || true)"
+[ -n "$BIN_DIR" ] || BIN_DIR="$BUN_INSTALL/bin"
 
-# 2. Vercel CLI, which vcx wraps
-if ! command -v vercel >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-  say "Installing Vercel CLI ..."
-  "$BUN" install --global vercel >/dev/null
-fi
-
-# 3. vcx itself. The github: form avoids Bun 1.4.0's false "unsafe name" error on tarballs.
+# 2. Resolve the vcx ref. The github: form avoids Bun 1.4.0's false
+#    "unsafe name" error on remote tarballs.
 REF="${VCX_REF:-}"
 if [ -z "$REF" ]; then
   REF="$(curl -fsSL "https://api.github.com/repos/$REPO/releases/latest" 2>/dev/null \
     | sed -n 's/.*"tag_name": *"\([^"]*\)".*/\1/p' | head -n 1)"
   [ -n "$REF" ] || REF="main"
 fi
-say "Installing vcx ($REF) ..."
-"$BUN" install --global "github:$REPO#$REF" >/dev/null
 
-# 4. Verify
-BIN_DIR="$("$BUN" pm bin --global 2>/dev/null || printf '%s' "$BUN_INSTALL/bin")"
-[ -x "$BIN_DIR/vcx" ] || fail "expected $BIN_DIR/vcx after install."
+# 3. Install vcx and Vercel CLI into a private directory with a fresh manifest.
+say "Installing vcx ($REF) into $VCX_INSTALL_DIR ..."
+mkdir -p "$VCX_INSTALL_DIR"
+cat > "$VCX_INSTALL_DIR/package.json" <<JSON
+{
+  "name": "vcx-install",
+  "private": true,
+  "dependencies": {
+    "vcx-cli": "github:$REPO#$REF",
+    "vercel": "latest"
+  }
+}
+JSON
+rm -f "$VCX_INSTALL_DIR/bun.lock" "$VCX_INSTALL_DIR/bun.lockb"
+(cd "$VCX_INSTALL_DIR" && "$BUN" install --no-summary >/dev/null)
+
+VCX_BIN="$VCX_INSTALL_DIR/node_modules/vcx-cli/dist/cli.js"
+[ -f "$VCX_BIN" ] || fail "expected $VCX_BIN after install."
+chmod 755 "$VCX_BIN"
+
+# 4. Bin links. vcx always. vercel only when nothing on PATH provides it.
+mkdir -p "$BIN_DIR"
+ln -sf "$VCX_BIN" "$BIN_DIR/vcx"
+if ! command -v vercel >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  ln -sf "$VCX_INSTALL_DIR/node_modules/vercel/dist/vc.js" "$BIN_DIR/vercel"
+fi
+
 say "Installed vcx $("$BIN_DIR/vcx" --version)"
 
 if ! command -v vcx >/dev/null 2>&1; then