@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
  * number only exists once Node has exited and the kernel has masked it to
  * `& 0xFF`. `test/migrate-exit-code.e2e.test.ts` is the precedent and states
  * this in the same words — the audience `--json` exists for reads the SHELL, so
- * that is what gets asserted. Spawned through `bin/run-dev.js` + tsx, so the
+ * that is what gets asserted. Spawned through `bin/run-dev.js` + `node`, so the
  * suite does not depend on `packages/cli/dist` having been built.
  *
  * ## Why this file is not beside its siblings in `packages/cli/test/`
@@ -143,7 +143,6 @@ function linkSpec(dir: string): void {
 
 const HERE = resolve(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url), '..');
 const CLI = resolve(HERE, '../../bin/run-dev.js');
-const TSX = resolve(HERE, '../../../../node_modules/.bin/tsx');
 
 /**
  * The test-only live conversion the child loads with `--import` (its header
@@ -230,7 +229,7 @@ interface Run {
 function runCli(args: string[], cwd: string): Promise<Run> {
   return new Promise((resolvePromise) => {
     execFile(
-      TSX,
+      process.execPath,
       [CLI, ...args],
       {
         cwd,
 
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
  *
  * Each kind's fixture carries both collisions against an authored `functions`
  * entry (a shared function; an equal name) under disjoint names, round-trips
- * through `objectstack build` (`bin/run-dev.js`, source via tsx) and then the
+ * through `objectstack build` (`bin/run-dev.js`, source under `node`) and then the
  * runtime's own `loadArtifactBundle`, and asserts that each authored name ships
  * under itself and answers its own code, and that each hook or action ref
  * answers its own code. Every callable names a module-scope constant, so no
@@ -66,9 +66,8 @@ import { locateCallables } from '../src/utils/build-runtime.js';
 
 const HERE = resolve(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url), '..');
 const CLI = resolve(HERE, '../bin/run-dev.js');
-const TSX = resolve(HERE, '../../../node_modules/.bin/tsx');
 const LOWER_CALLABLES = resolve(HERE, '../src/utils/lower-callables.ts');
-/** A cold `tsx` spawn of the CLI source entry runs well past vitest's 5 s default. */
+/** A cold spawn of the CLI source entry runs well past vitest's 5 s default. */
 const SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS = 120_000;
 
 // ── The census ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -258,7 +257,7 @@ interface Run {
 function runCli(args: string[], cwd: string): Promise<Run> {
   return new Promise((resolvePromise) => {
     execFile(
-      TSX,
+      process.execPath,
       [CLI, ...args],
       { cwd, maxBuffer: 16 * 1024 * 1024, env: childEnv({ NO_COLOR: '1' }) },
       (err, stdout, stderr) => {
 
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
  * are kept. The control for the refusal is the same stack with the file
  * present, which both commands accept.
  *
- * Runs the CLI from source (`bin/run-dev.js` through tsx), as the other build
+ * Runs the CLI from source (`bin/run-dev.js` under `node`), as the other build
  * suites do, so `compile.ts` and `validate.ts` are measured without a rebuild.
  */
 
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import { linkSpec } from './helpers/define-stack-fixture.js';
 
 const HERE = resolve(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url), '..');
 const CLI = resolve(HERE, '../bin/run-dev.js');
-const TSX = resolve(HERE, '../../../node_modules/.bin/tsx');
 
 const DOCUMENT = {
   openapi: '3.0.3',
@@ -72,7 +71,7 @@ afterAll(() => {
 function run(command: 'build' | 'validate', cwd: string): Promise<{ code: number; stdout: string; stderr: string }> {
   return new Promise((done) => {
     execFile(
-      TSX,
+      process.execPath,
       [CLI, command, '--json'],
       { cwd, maxBuffer: 16 * 1024 * 1024, env: childEnv({ NO_COLOR: '1' }) },
       (err, stdout, stderr) =>
 
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
  * `functions` entry runs, so a green here is "this one key was left out", not
  * "the build wrote nothing".
  *
- * Runs the CLI from source (`bin/run-dev.js` through tsx), as the other build
+ * Runs the CLI from source (`bin/run-dev.js` under `node`), as the other build
  * suites do, so `compile.ts` is measured without a rebuild.
  */
 
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ import { linkSpec } from './helpers/define-stack-fixture.js';
 
 const HERE = resolve(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url), '..');
 const CLI = resolve(HERE, '../bin/run-dev.js');
-const TSX = resolve(HERE, '../../../node_modules/.bin/tsx');
 const RUNTIME_MODULE = /^objectstack-runtime\.[a-f0-9]+\.mjs$/;
 
 const STAFF_EMAIL = 'counsel1@legal.example';
@@ -79,7 +78,7 @@ afterAll(() => {
 function build(cwd: string): Promise<{ code: number; stdout: string; stderr: string }> {
   return new Promise((done) => {
     execFile(
-      TSX,
+      process.execPath,
       [CLI, 'build', '--json'],
       { cwd, maxBuffer: 16 * 1024 * 1024, env: childEnv({ NO_COLOR: '1' }) },
       (err, stdout, stderr) =>
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
  * and the `--json` face must stay one JSON document, so the machine face is
  * asserted to parse and to carry no step text at all.
  *
- * ALTITUDE: this spawns the CLI (`bin/run-dev.js` through tsx) rather than
+ * ALTITUDE: this spawns the CLI (`bin/run-dev.js` under `node`) rather than
  * calling a helper, because the defect is in the ORDER of two statements inside
  * the command body — there is no seam below the process that can observe it.
  * Same spawn shape and the same `childEnv()` as
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ import { linkSpec } from './helpers/define-stack-fixture.js';
 
 const HERE = resolve(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url), '..');
 const CLI = resolve(HERE, '../bin/run-dev.js');
-const TSX = resolve(HERE, '../../../node_modules/.bin/tsx');
 
 interface Run {
   code: number;
@@ -73,7 +72,7 @@ interface Run {
 function runCli(args: string[], cwd: string): Promise<Run> {
   return new Promise((resolvePromise) => {
     execFile(
-      TSX,
+      process.execPath,
       [CLI, ...args],
       { cwd, maxBuffer: 16 * 1024 * 1024, env: childEnv({ NO_COLOR: '1' }) },
       (err, stdout, stderr) => {
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
  * `functions` entry resolving to a callable that runs through the runtime's own
  * artifact loader (`loadArtifactBundle`, which merges the module's `functions`).
  *
- * The CLI runs through `bin/run-dev.js` (source, via tsx). Its dependencies,
+ * The CLI runs through `bin/run-dev.js` (source, under `node`). Its dependencies,
  * `@objectstack/runtime` included, resolve through `exports` to `dist/`.
  */
 
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ import { linkSpec } from './helpers/define-stack-fixture.js';
 
 const HERE = resolve(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url), '..');
 const CLI = resolve(HERE, '../bin/run-dev.js');
-const TSX = resolve(HERE, '../../../node_modules/.bin/tsx');
-/** A cold `tsx` spawn of the CLI source entry runs well past vitest's 5 s default. */
+/** A cold spawn of the CLI source entry runs well past vitest's 5 s default. */
 const SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS = 120_000;
 
 interface Run {
@@ -57,7 +56,7 @@ interface Run {
 function runCli(args: string[], cwd: string): Promise<Run> {
   return new Promise((resolvePromise) => {
     execFile(
-      TSX,
+      process.execPath,
       [CLI, ...args],
       { cwd, maxBuffer: 16 * 1024 * 1024, env: childEnv({ NO_COLOR: '1' }) },
       (err, stdout, stderr) => {
 
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
  * and SHA-256 under `files`, keyed by the path. The control for the refusal is
  * the same stack with the file present, which both commands accept.
  *
- * Runs the CLI from source (`bin/run-dev.js` through tsx), as the other build
+ * Runs the CLI from source (`bin/run-dev.js` under `node`), as the other build
  * suites do, so `compile.ts` and `validate.ts` are measured without a rebuild.
  */
 
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ import { linkSpec } from './helpers/define-stack-fixture.js';
 
 const HERE = resolve(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url), '..');
 const CLI = resolve(HERE, '../bin/run-dev.js');
-const TSX = resolve(HERE, '../../../node_modules/.bin/tsx');
 
 const PDF = '%PDF-1.7 a seeded contract';
 
@@ -76,7 +75,7 @@ afterAll(() => {
 function run(command: 'build' | 'validate', cwd: string): Promise<{ code: number; stdout: string; stderr: string }> {
   return new Promise((done) => {
     execFile(
-      TSX,
+      process.execPath,
       [CLI, command, '--json'],
       { cwd, maxBuffer: 16 * 1024 * 1024, env: childEnv({ NO_COLOR: '1' }) },
       (err, stdout, stderr) =>
 
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
  * This file pins the door: the header's number, and the `--json` list, on the
  * real command.
  *
- * The CLI runs through `bin/run-dev.js` (source, via tsx). Its dependencies
+ * The CLI runs through `bin/run-dev.js` (source, under `node`). Its dependencies
  * resolve through `exports` to `dist/`.
  */
 
@@ -36,8 +36,7 @@ import { defineStackSourceFromLiteral, linkSpec } from './helpers/define-stack-f
 
 const HERE = resolve(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url), '..');
 const CLI = resolve(HERE, '../bin/run-dev.js');
-const TSX = resolve(HERE, '../../../node_modules/.bin/tsx');
-/** A cold `tsx` spawn of the CLI source entry runs well past vitest's 5 s default. */
+/** A cold spawn of the CLI source entry runs well past vitest's 5 s default. */
 const SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS = 120_000;
 
 interface Run {
@@ -49,7 +48,7 @@ interface Run {
 function runCli(args: string[], cwd: string): Promise<Run> {
   return new Promise((resolvePromise) => {
     execFile(
-      TSX,
+      process.execPath,
       [CLI, ...args],
       { cwd, maxBuffer: 16 * 1024 * 1024, env: childEnv({ NO_COLOR: '1' }) },
       (err, stdout, stderr) => {
 
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
  * actually throws for the same payload, driven through `ObjectQL.registerApp`,
  * rather than a literal copy of the words.
  *
- * The CLI runs through `bin/run-dev.js` (source, via tsx); its dependencies —
+ * The CLI runs through `bin/run-dev.js` (source, under `node`); its dependencies —
  * `@objectstack/objectql` among them — resolve through `exports` to `dist/`.
  */
 
@@ -42,8 +42,7 @@ import { defineStackSource, linkSpec } from './helpers/define-stack-fixture.js';
 
 const HERE = resolve(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url), '..');
 const CLI = resolve(HERE, '../bin/run-dev.js');
-const TSX = resolve(HERE, '../../../node_modules/.bin/tsx');
-/** A cold `tsx` spawn of the CLI source entry runs well past vitest's 5 s default. */
+/** A cold spawn of the CLI source entry runs well past vitest's 5 s default. */
 const SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS = 120_000;
 /** `os build`'s default `--output`, relative to the working directory. */
 const ARTIFACT = join('dist', 'objectstack.json');
@@ -57,7 +56,7 @@ interface Run {
 function runCli(args: string[], cwd: string): Promise<Run> {
   return new Promise((resolvePromise) => {
     execFile(
-      TSX,
+      process.execPath,
       [CLI, ...args],
       { cwd, maxBuffer: 16 * 1024 * 1024, env: childEnv({ NO_COLOR: '1' }) },
       (err, stdout, stderr) => {
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
  * length rule into the shared validator would break `init` for a name npm
  * accepts; this test is what says so.
  *
- * Spawned through `bin/run-dev.js` + tsx, so the suite does not depend on
+ * Spawned through `bin/run-dev.js` + `node`, so the suite does not depend on
  * `packages/cli/dist` having been built — `@objectstack/cli#test` depends on
  * `^build` only (the reason `invocation-loudness.e2e.test.ts` spawns that way).
  */
@@ -67,9 +67,8 @@ import { NPM_PACKAGE_NAME_MAX_LENGTH, validateProjectName } from '../src/command
 
 const HERE = resolve(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url), '..');
 const CLI = resolve(HERE, '../bin/run-dev.js');
-const TSX = resolve(HERE, '../../../node_modules/.bin/tsx');
 
-/** oclif + tsx cold start with every command module loaded; ~2-10 s when healthy. */
+/** oclif cold start with every command module loaded; ~2-10 s when healthy. */
 const RUN_TIMEOUT_MS = 180_000;
 
 /** The card's input: a capital and a space, both npm-invalid. */
@@ -93,7 +92,7 @@ interface Run {
 function runCli(args: string[], cwd: string): Promise<Run> {
   return new Promise((resolvePromise) => {
     execFile(
-      TSX,
+      process.execPath,
       [CLI, ...args],
       { cwd, maxBuffer: 8 * 1024 * 1024, env: childEnv({ NO_COLOR: '1' }) },
       (err, stdout, stderr) => {