diff --git a/bin/ocx.mjs b/bin/ocx.mjs
index 5357985bca9..08eb51262da 100755
--- a/bin/ocx.mjs
+++ b/bin/ocx.mjs
@@ -33,6 +33,15 @@ import {
 } from "../src/update/codex-cli-update-launch-policy.mjs";
 
 const PKG = "@bitkyc08/opencodex";
+try {
+  process.cwd();
+} catch {
+  try {
+    process.chdir(homedir());
+  } catch {
+    /* best-effort */
+  }
+}
 const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
 const here = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
 const cliPath = join(here, "..", "src", "cli", "index.ts");
diff --git a/src/cli/index.ts b/src/cli/index.ts
index 8259596f34b..06478ba3a3a 100755
--- a/src/cli/index.ts
+++ b/src/cli/index.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,18 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bun
 import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
+import { homedir } from "node:os";
+
+// Best-effort recovery for runtime execution and spawned children if launched
+// from an unlinked/deleted working directory (runs after hoisted ESM module imports).
+try {
+  process.cwd();
+} catch {
+  try {
+    process.chdir(homedir());
+  } catch {
+    /* best-effort */
+  }
+}
 import { currentExternalCodexModelProvider, restoreNativeCodex, restoreNativeCodexAsync, shouldInjectApiAuthHeader } from "../codex/inject";
 import { stripGrokConfig } from "../grok/inject";
 import { STOP_HISTORY_INCOMPLETE_EXIT_CODE } from "../update/stop-contract.mjs";
diff --git a/src/cli/star-prompt.ts b/src/cli/star-prompt.ts
index f4f16f022d1..b304c9a0105 100644
--- a/src/cli/star-prompt.ts
+++ b/src/cli/star-prompt.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { existsSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { join } from "node:path";
+import { isatty } from "node:tty";
 import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
 import { getConfigDir } from "../config";
 import { recordOwnedConfigPath } from "../lib/config-ownership";
@@ -167,7 +168,13 @@ function printAgentDeferral(): void {
  */
 export async function maybeShowStarPrompt(): Promise<void> {
   try {
-    if (process.env.OCX_SERVICE || !process.stdin.isTTY || !process.stdout.isTTY) return;
+    let isTty = false;
+    try {
+      isTty = isatty(0) && isatty(1);
+    } catch {
+      /* best-effort */
+    }
+    if (process.env.OCX_SERVICE || !isTty) return;
     const dir = getConfigDir();
     const marker = join(dir, MARKER);
     if (existsSync(marker)) return;
diff --git a/src/update/notify.ts b/src/update/notify.ts
index 28dbfcb634f..5764af3992c 100644
--- a/src/update/notify.ts
+++ b/src/update/notify.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
 import { existsSync, readFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { join } from "node:path";
+import { isatty } from "node:tty";
 import { createInterface } from "node:readline/promises";
 import { atomicWriteFile, getConfigDir } from "../config";
 import { hasStarPromptRun } from "../cli/star-prompt";
@@ -122,8 +123,13 @@ export function isSourceBuildVersion(v: string): boolean {
 }
 
 /** The interactive/TTY + install-method gate shared with the star prompt. */
-function interactiveGuardOk(): boolean {
-  return !(process.env.OCX_SERVICE || !process.stdin.isTTY || !process.stdout.isTTY);
+export function interactiveGuardOk(): boolean {
+  try {
+    return !(process.env.OCX_SERVICE || !isatty(0) || !isatty(1));
+  } catch {
+    /* best-effort */
+    return false;
+  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/tests/update-notify.test.ts b/tests/update-notify.test.ts
index e401dbc25a6..a004d4cff44 100644
--- a/tests/update-notify.test.ts
+++ b/tests/update-notify.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import {
   getUpgradeVersionForPopup,
+  interactiveGuardOk,
   isNewer,
   isSourceBuildVersion,
   readVersionCache,
@@ -135,6 +136,18 @@ describe("cli wiring", () => {
     expect(promptIndex).toBeLessThan(serverIndex);
   });
 
+  test("interactiveGuardOk safely evaluates without throwing when cwd is unlinked", () => {
+    const origCwd = process.cwd();
+    const tempDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ocx-unlinked-cwd-"));
+    process.chdir(tempDir);
+    removeTreeWithRetry(tempDir);
+    try {
+      expect(typeof interactiveGuardOk()).toBe("boolean");
+    } finally {
+      try { process.chdir(origCwd); } catch { /* best-effort */ }
+    }
+  });
+
   test("hidden __refresh-version subcommand is wired", async () => {
     const dispatch = await readText("src/cli/dispatch.ts");
     expect(dispatch).toContain("\"__refresh-version\": async");