diff --git a/tests/tools/test_browser_use_cli.py b/tests/tools/test_browser_use_cli.py
index ba11969ad1..cf0b977ebf 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_browser_use_cli.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_browser_use_cli.py
@@ -706,7 +706,15 @@ class TestBrowserExec:
 
 
 class TestFindCliManagedBin:
-    """_find_cli probes $HERMES_HOME/bin after PATH (managed uv/uvx/browser-use)."""
+    """_find_cli probes ~/.local/bin and $HERMES_HOME/bin after PATH."""
+
+    @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+    def _hermetic_home(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        """Pin HOME so the ~/.local/bin probe can't leak the host's real
+        user-level installs into these real-PATH-probing tests."""
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HOME", str(tmp_path / "userhome"))
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path / "home"))
+        monkeypatch.setenv("PATH", str(tmp_path / "empty"))
 
     def test_managed_bin_browser_use_found(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
         bin_dir = tmp_path / "home" / "bin"
@@ -714,8 +722,6 @@ class TestFindCliManagedBin:
         bu = bin_dir / "browser-use"
         bu.write_text("#!/bin/sh\n")
         bu.chmod(bu.stat().st_mode | stat.S_IXUSR)
-        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path / "home"))
-        monkeypatch.setenv("PATH", str(tmp_path / "empty"))
         assert bu_cli._find_cli_unpatched() == [str(bu)]
 
     def test_managed_bin_uvx_fallback(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
@@ -724,15 +730,45 @@ class TestFindCliManagedBin:
         uvx = bin_dir / "uvx"
         uvx.write_text("#!/bin/sh\n")
         uvx.chmod(uvx.stat().st_mode | stat.S_IXUSR)
-        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path / "home"))
-        monkeypatch.setenv("PATH", str(tmp_path / "empty"))
         assert bu_cli._find_cli_unpatched() == [str(uvx), "browser-use"]
 
     def test_nothing_found(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
-        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path / "home"))
-        monkeypatch.setenv("PATH", str(tmp_path / "empty"))
         assert bu_cli._find_cli_unpatched() is None
 
+    def test_user_local_bin_browser_use_found(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        """#83788: Desktop/TUI workers spawn with a minimal PATH that omits
+        ~/.local/bin, where `uv tool install browser-use` links the binary
+        by default — _find_cli must probe it explicitly."""
+        cli_dir = tmp_path / "userhome" / ".local" / "bin"
+        cli_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+        cli = cli_dir / "browser-use"
+        cli.write_text("#!/bin/sh\n")
+        cli.chmod(cli.stat().st_mode | stat.S_IXUSR)
+        assert bu_cli._find_cli_unpatched() == [str(cli)]
+
+    def test_user_local_bin_precedes_managed_bin(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        """A user-level install wins over Hermes' managed copy — mirrors the
+        PATH-first preference (user intent beats bootstrap)."""
+        user_dir = tmp_path / "userhome" / ".local" / "bin"
+        user_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+        user_cli = user_dir / "browser-use"
+        user_cli.write_text("#!/bin/sh\n")
+        user_cli.chmod(user_cli.stat().st_mode | stat.S_IXUSR)
+        managed_dir = tmp_path / "home" / "bin"
+        managed_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+        managed_cli = managed_dir / "browser-use"
+        managed_cli.write_text("#!/bin/sh\n")
+        managed_cli.chmod(managed_cli.stat().st_mode | stat.S_IXUSR)
+        assert bu_cli._find_cli_unpatched() == [str(user_cli)]
+
+    def test_user_local_bin_uvx_fallback(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        cli_dir = tmp_path / "userhome" / ".local" / "bin"
+        cli_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+        uvx = cli_dir / "uvx"
+        uvx.write_text("#!/bin/sh\n")
+        uvx.chmod(uvx.stat().st_mode | stat.S_IXUSR)
+        assert bu_cli._find_cli_unpatched() == [str(uvx), "browser-use"]
+
 
 class TestInstallCli:
     def test_already_installed_on_path(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
diff --git a/tools/browser_use_cli.py b/tools/browser_use_cli.py
index b69ad11ced..dbd6198cbf 100644
--- a/tools/browser_use_cli.py
+++ b/tools/browser_use_cli.py
@@ -203,21 +203,40 @@ def _managed_bin_dir() -> Optional[str]:
         return None
 
 
+def _user_local_bin_dir() -> Optional[str]:
+    """The standard user-level tool dir (~/.local/bin on POSIX; uv's default
+    tool bin dir on Windows). Desktop/TUI workers may start with a minimal
+    PATH that omits it even when `uv tool install browser-use` put the
+    binary there."""
+    try:
+        if os.name == "nt":
+            base = os.environ.get("APPDATA")
+            if base:
+                return str(Path(base) / "uv" / "bin")
+            return None
+        return str(Path(os.path.expanduser("~")) / ".local" / "bin")
+    except Exception as e:  # pragma: no cover — defensive
+        logger.debug("Could not resolve user-local bin dir: %s", e)
+        return None
+
+
 def _find_cli() -> Optional[List[str]]:
     """Locate the browser-use CLI, or None when it can't be run.
 
-    Prefers an installed browser-use binary (PATH, then Hermes' managed
-    $HERMES_HOME/bin); falls back to running it through uvx (PATH, then
-    managed). The managed probes matter because Hermes bootstraps its own
-    uv into $HERMES_HOME/bin, which is not on the user's PATH.
+    Prefers an installed browser-use binary (PATH, then the user-level tool
+    dir, then Hermes' managed $HERMES_HOME/bin); falls back to running it
+    through uvx across the same probe set. The extra probes matter because
+    Hermes bootstraps its own uv into $HERMES_HOME/bin (not on the user's
+    PATH), and Desktop/TUI workers can spawn with a minimal PATH that omits
+    ~/.local/bin where `uv tool install` links binaries by default.
     """
-    bin_dir = _managed_bin_dir()
-    for probe_path in (None, bin_dir):
+    probe_paths = (None, _user_local_bin_dir(), _managed_bin_dir())
+    for probe_path in probe_paths:
         if probe_path is None or probe_path:
             direct = shutil.which("browser-use", path=probe_path)
             if direct:
                 return [direct]
-    for probe_path in (None, bin_dir):
+    for probe_path in probe_paths:
         if probe_path is None or probe_path:
             uvx = shutil.which("uvx", path=probe_path)
             if uvx: