diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 28a8ee4..238c64c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ Access the app at http://localhost:8000.
 
 Source checkouts expect a normal frontend build in `frontend/dist`.
 
+On Linux, if you want this installed as a persistent `systemd` service that starts on boot and restarts automatically on failure, run `bash scripts/install_service.sh` from the repo root.
+
 ## Path 1.5: Use The Prebuilt Release Zip
 
 Release zips can be found as an asset within the [releases listed here](https://github.com/jkingsman/Remote-Terminal-for-MeshCore/releases). This can be beneficial on resource constrained systems that cannot cope with the RAM-hungry frontend build process.
diff --git a/README_ADVANCED.md b/README_ADVANCED.md
index 129a263..2b0684c 100644
--- a/README_ADVANCED.md
+++ b/README_ADVANCED.md
@@ -50,13 +50,13 @@ Two paths are available depending on your comfort level with Linux system admini
 
 ### Simple install (recommended for most users)
 
-Run the installer script from the repo root. It runs as your current user, installs from wherever you cloned the repo, and prints a quick-reference cheatsheet when done — no separate service account or path juggling required.
+On Linux systems, this is the recommended installation method if you want RemoteTerm set up as a persistent systemd service that starts automatically on boot and restarts automatically if it crashes. Run the installer script from the repo root. It runs as your current user, installs from wherever you cloned the repo, and prints a quick-reference cheatsheet when done — no separate service account or path juggling required.
 
 ```bash
 bash scripts/install_service.sh
 ```
 
-The script interactively asks which transport to use (serial auto-detect, serial with explicit port, TCP, or BLE), whether to enable the bot system, and whether to set up HTTP Basic Auth. It handles dependency installation (`uv sync`), fetches a prebuilt frontend, adds your user to the `dialout` group if needed, writes the systemd unit file, and enables the service. After installation, normal operations work without any `sudo -u` gymnastics:
+The script interactively asks which transport to use (serial auto-detect, serial with explicit port, TCP, or BLE), whether to build the frontend locally or download a prebuilt copy, whether to enable the bot system, and whether to set up HTTP Basic Auth. It handles dependency installation (`uv sync`), validates `node`/`npm` for local builds, adds your user to the `dialout` group if needed, writes the systemd unit file, and enables the service. After installation, normal operations work without any `sudo -u` gymnastics:
 
 You can also rerun the script later to change transport, bot, or auth settings. If the service is already running, the installer stops it, rewrites the unit file, reloads systemd, and starts it again with the new configuration.
 
diff --git a/scripts/install_service.sh b/scripts/install_service.sh
index da905ea..31340a2 100755
--- a/scripts/install_service.sh
+++ b/scripts/install_service.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ SERVICE_NAME="remoteterm"
 REPO_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)"
 CURRENT_USER="$(id -un)"
 SERVICE_FILE="/etc/systemd/system/${SERVICE_NAME}.service"
+FRONTEND_MODE="prebuilt"
 
 echo -e "${BOLD}=== RemoteTerm for MeshCore — Service Installer ===${NC}"
 echo
@@ -58,6 +59,24 @@ echo -e "  Service name       : ${CYAN}${SERVICE_NAME}${NC}"
 echo -e "  uv                 : ${CYAN}${UV_BIN}${NC}"
 echo
 
+version_major() {
+    local version="$1"
+    version="${version#v}"
+    printf '%s' "${version%%.*}"
+}
+
+require_minimum_version() {
+    local tool_name="$1"
+    local detected_version="$2"
+    local minimum_major="$3"
+    local major
+    major="$(version_major "$detected_version")"
+    if ! [[ "$major" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || [ "$major" -lt "$minimum_major" ]; then
+        echo -e "${RED}Error: ${tool_name} ${minimum_major}+ is required for a local frontend build, but found ${detected_version}.${NC}"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
 # ── transport selection ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 echo -e "${BOLD}─── Transport ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────${NC}"
@@ -122,6 +141,33 @@ case "$TRANSPORT_CHOICE" in
 esac
 echo
 
+# ── frontend install mode ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+echo -e "${BOLD}─── Frontend Assets ─────────────────────────────────────────────────${NC}"
+echo "How should the frontend be installed?"
+echo "  1) Download prebuilt frontend (default, fastest)"
+echo "  2) Build locally with npm (latest code, requires node/npm)"
+echo
+read -rp "Select frontend mode [1-2] (default: 1): " FRONTEND_CHOICE
+FRONTEND_CHOICE="${FRONTEND_CHOICE:-1}"
+echo
+
+case "$FRONTEND_CHOICE" in
+    1)
+        FRONTEND_MODE="prebuilt"
+        echo -e "${GREEN}Using prebuilt frontend download.${NC}"
+        ;;
+    2)
+        FRONTEND_MODE="build"
+        echo -e "${GREEN}Using local frontend build.${NC}"
+        ;;
+    *)
+        FRONTEND_MODE="prebuilt"
+        echo -e "${YELLOW}Invalid selection — defaulting to prebuilt frontend download.${NC}"
+        ;;
+esac
+echo
+
 # ── bots ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 echo -e "${BOLD}─── Bot System ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────${NC}"
@@ -179,10 +225,35 @@ uv sync
 echo -e "${GREEN}Dependencies ready.${NC}"
 echo
 
-# ── prebuilt frontend ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# ── frontend assets ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-echo -e "${YELLOW}Fetching prebuilt frontend...${NC}"
-python3 "$REPO_DIR/scripts/fetch_prebuilt_frontend.py"
+if [ "$FRONTEND_MODE" = "build" ]; then
+    if ! command -v node &>/dev/null; then
+        echo -e "${RED}Error: node is required for a local frontend build but was not found.${NC}"
+        echo -e "${YELLOW}Tip:${NC} Re-run the installer and choose the prebuilt frontend option, or install Node.js 18+ and npm 9+."
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    if ! command -v npm &>/dev/null; then
+        echo -e "${RED}Error: npm is required for a local frontend build but was not found.${NC}"
+        echo -e "${YELLOW}Tip:${NC} Re-run the installer and choose the prebuilt frontend option, or install Node.js 18+ and npm 9+."
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    NODE_VERSION="$(node -v)"
+    NPM_VERSION="$(npm -v)"
+    require_minimum_version "Node.js" "$NODE_VERSION" 18
+    require_minimum_version "npm" "$NPM_VERSION" 9
+
+    echo -e "${YELLOW}Building frontend locally with Node ${NODE_VERSION} and npm ${NPM_VERSION}...${NC}"
+    (
+        cd "$REPO_DIR/frontend"
+        npm install
+        npm run build
+    )
+else
+    echo -e "${YELLOW}Fetching prebuilt frontend...${NC}"
+    python3 "$REPO_DIR/scripts/fetch_prebuilt_frontend.py"
+fi
 echo
 
 # ── data directory ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -294,6 +365,11 @@ case "$TRANSPORT_CHOICE" in
     3) echo -e "  Transport : ${CYAN}TCP (${TCP_HOST}:${TCP_PORT})${NC}" ;;
     4) echo -e "  Transport : ${CYAN}BLE (${BLE_ADDRESS})${NC}" ;;
 esac
+if [ "$FRONTEND_MODE" = "build" ]; then
+    echo -e "  Frontend  : ${GREEN}Built locally${NC}"
+else
+    echo -e "  Frontend  : ${YELLOW}Prebuilt download${NC}"
+fi
 
 if [[ "$ENABLE_BOTS" =~ ^[Yy] ]]; then
     echo -e "  Bots      : ${YELLOW}Enabled${NC}"
@@ -307,12 +383,14 @@ else
 fi
 echo
 
-echo -e "${YELLOW}Note:${NC} A prebuilt frontend has been fetched and installed. It may lag"
-echo    "behind the latest code. To build the frontend from source for the most"
-echo    "up-to-date features, run:"
-echo
-echo -e "  ${CYAN}cd ${REPO_DIR}/frontend && npm install && npm run build${NC}"
-echo
+if [ "$FRONTEND_MODE" = "prebuilt" ]; then
+    echo -e "${YELLOW}Note:${NC} A prebuilt frontend has been fetched and installed. It may lag"
+    echo    "behind the latest code. To build the frontend from source for the most"
+    echo    "up-to-date features later, run:"
+    echo
+    echo -e "  ${CYAN}cd ${REPO_DIR}/frontend && npm install && npm run build${NC}"
+    echo
+fi
 
 echo -e "${BOLD}─── Quick Reference ─────────────────────────────────────────────────${NC}"
 echo