diff --git a/docs/INSTALL.md b/docs/INSTALL.md
index 475d955..a3b8df4 100644
--- a/docs/INSTALL.md
+++ b/docs/INSTALL.md
@@ -1,11 +1,19 @@
 # Installing Maestro
 
-The fastest way to get `maestrod` (per-host daemon) and `maestro` (CLI) onto a
-host is the install wizard:
+One command, used for both first install and subsequent updates:
 
 ```sh
-cargo install --git https://git.naps.pt/naps62/maestro maestro-installer
-maestro-install
+curl -sSf https://git.naps.pt/naps62/maestro/raw/branch/main/install.sh | sh
+```
+
+The bootstrap script builds `maestro-installer` into a temp directory, runs the
+wizard, and cleans up — only `maestrod` and `maestro` end up persisted in
+`~/.cargo/bin`. Re-run any time to update; `cargo install` overwrites in place.
+
+Pass flags through to the wizard via `sh -s --`:
+
+```sh
+curl -sSf https://git.naps.pt/naps62/maestro/raw/branch/main/install.sh | sh -s -- --yes --no-systemd
 ```
 
 The wizard:
@@ -60,7 +68,19 @@ systemctl --user status maestrod
 journalctl --user -u maestrod -f
 ```
 
-## Manual install (no wizard)
+## Running the wizard without the bootstrap script
+
+If you'd rather not pipe a script:
+
+```sh
+cargo install --git https://git.naps.pt/naps62/maestro maestro-installer
+maestro-install
+```
+
+This leaves `maestro-installer` permanently in `~/.cargo/bin` — the bootstrap
+script avoids that by installing to a scratch dir.
+
+## Fully manual install (no wizard)
 
 ```sh
 cargo install --git https://git.naps.pt/naps62/maestro --locked maestro-daemon
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..3b16d4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Bootstrap installer for maestro. Builds the `maestro-installer` crate into a
+# scratch dir, runs the wizard, and cleans up — leaving only the binaries the
+# wizard installs (`maestrod`, `maestro`) in `~/.cargo/bin`.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   curl -sSf https://git.naps.pt/naps62/maestro/raw/branch/main/install.sh | sh
+#
+# Pass flags through to the wizard with `sh -s --`:
+#   curl -sSf <...>/install.sh | sh -s -- --yes --no-systemd
+#
+# Re-run any time to update — `cargo install` overwrites the existing binaries.
+
+set -eu
+
+REPO_URL=${MAESTRO_REPO_URL:-https://git.naps.pt/naps62/maestro}
+REPO_BRANCH=${MAESTRO_REPO_BRANCH:-}
+
+if ! command -v cargo >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "maestro install: \`cargo\` not found on PATH." >&2
+  echo "Install Rust first: https://rustup.rs" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+tmpdir=$(mktemp -d 2>/dev/null || mktemp -d -t maestro-install)
+trap 'rm -rf "$tmpdir"' EXIT INT TERM
+
+echo "==> building maestro-installer in $tmpdir"
+if [ -n "$REPO_BRANCH" ]; then
+  cargo install --git "$REPO_URL" --branch "$REPO_BRANCH" \
+    --root "$tmpdir" --locked maestro-installer
+else
+  cargo install --git "$REPO_URL" \
+    --root "$tmpdir" --locked maestro-installer
+fi
+
+exec "$tmpdir/bin/maestro-install" "$@"