diff --git a/src/services.rs b/src/services.rs
index 0005629..a0ad500 100644
--- a/src/services.rs
+++ b/src/services.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 pub mod config_service;
 pub mod path_service;
 pub mod registry_service;
+pub mod shell_service;
 
 use crate::error::AppError;
 use config_service::ConfigService;
 use path_service::PathService;
 use registry_service::RegistryService;
+use shell_service::ShellService;
 
 /// Owns all application services and is constructed once at startup.
 /// Pass as `&ServiceStore` into every CLI handler.
@@ -13,12 +15,12 @@ pub struct ServiceStore {
     pub config: ConfigService,
     pub registry: RegistryService,
     pub path: PathService,
+    pub shell: ShellService,
 }
 
 impl ServiceStore {
-    /// Boots all services: resolves paths, creates missing config files/dirs.
-    /// `PathService` is constructed after config is loaded so it can exclude
-    /// our own bin_dir from collision results.
+    /// Boots all services: resolves paths, creates missing config files/dirs,
+    /// and ensures bin_dir is on $PATH.
     pub fn init() -> Result<Self, AppError> {
         let config = ConfigService::new()?;
         let registry = RegistryService::new()?;
@@ -26,10 +28,13 @@ impl ServiceStore {
         config.ensure_initialized()?;
         registry.ensure_initialized()?;
 
-        // Load config to get bin_dir for PathService
         let loaded_config = config.load()?;
-        let path = PathService::new(loaded_config.bin_dir);
+        let path = PathService::new(loaded_config.bin_dir.clone());
+        let shell = ShellService::new(loaded_config.bin_dir.clone());
 
-        Ok(Self { config, registry, path })
+        // Check and patch $PATH on every startup — idempotent, safe to repeat
+        shell.ensure_bin_dir_on_path()?;
+
+        Ok(Self { config, registry, path, shell })
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/services/shell_service.rs b/src/services/shell_service.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..576091b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/services/shell_service.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+use std::io::Write;
+use std::{
+    env, fs,
+    path::{Path, PathBuf},
+};
+
+use cliclack::log;
+
+use crate::error::AppError;
+
+/// The line we append to the shell rc file, guarded by a marker comment so we
+/// never append it twice and can reliably detect our own prior writes.
+const PATH_MARKER: &str = "# scripts-organizer: bin_dir";
+const PATH_EXPORT: &str = "export PATH=\"$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH\"";
+
+/// Result of checking whether bin_dir is already on $PATH.
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum PathStatus {
+    /// bin_dir is already present in the current $PATH — nothing to do.
+    AlreadySet,
+    /// bin_dir was not found; we appended the export line to the rc file.
+    Added { rc_path: PathBuf },
+    /// bin_dir was not found and we could not determine a supported rc file.
+    NoRcFound,
+}
+
+pub struct ShellService {
+    bin_dir: PathBuf,
+}
+
+impl ShellService {
+    pub fn new(bin_dir: PathBuf) -> Self {
+        Self { bin_dir }
+    }
+
+    /// Checks whether `bin_dir` is on the current `$PATH`.
+    /// If it is not, attempts to append an export line to the user's shell rc.
+    /// Prints an informational message via cliclack for either outcome.
+    pub fn ensure_bin_dir_on_path(&self) -> Result<PathStatus, AppError> {
+        if self.is_on_path() {
+            return Ok(PathStatus::AlreadySet);
+        }
+
+        match detect_rc_file() {
+            Some(rc_path) => {
+                self.append_to_rc(&rc_path)?;
+                log::info(format!(
+                    "Added {} to PATH in {}\n  Restart your shell or run: source {}",
+                    self.bin_dir.display(),
+                    rc_path.display(),
+                    rc_path.display(),
+                ))?;
+                Ok(PathStatus::Added { rc_path })
+            }
+            None => {
+                log::warning(format!(
+                    "{} is not on your PATH and no supported rc file was found.\n  Add this line to your shell config manually:\n\n    {}",
+                    self.bin_dir.display(),
+                    PATH_EXPORT,
+                ))?;
+                Ok(PathStatus::NoRcFound)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Returns true if `bin_dir` appears in any entry of the current `$PATH`.
+    fn is_on_path(&self) -> bool {
+        let path_var = env::var("PATH").unwrap_or_default();
+        env::split_paths(&path_var).any(|p| p == self.bin_dir)
+    }
+
+    /// Appends the PATH export to `rc_path`, but only if our marker isn't already
+    /// present — making this safe to call repeatedly.
+    fn append_to_rc(&self, rc_path: &Path) -> Result<(), AppError> {
+        let existing = if rc_path.exists() {
+            fs::read_to_string(rc_path)?
+        } else {
+            String::new()
+        };
+
+        // Idempotency guard — never write twice
+        if existing.contains(PATH_MARKER) {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+
+        let addition = format!(
+            "\n{PATH_MARKER}\n{PATH_EXPORT}\n",
+        );
+
+        // Append rather than overwrite — never touch anything already in the file
+        fs::OpenOptions::new()
+            .create(true)
+            .append(true)
+            .open(rc_path)?
+            .write_all(addition.as_bytes())?;
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+/// Detects which rc file to write to based on what exists in $HOME.
+/// Preference order: ~/.bashrc → ~/.bash_profile → ~/.profile
+/// Returns `None` if none of these are found and none can be created.
+fn detect_rc_file() -> Option<PathBuf> {
+    let home = env::var("HOME").ok()?;
+    let home = PathBuf::from(home);
+
+    // Candidates in preference order for bash/Linux
+    let candidates = [".bashrc", ".bash_profile", ".profile"];
+
+    // Return the first one that already exists
+    for name in &candidates {
+        let path = home.join(name);
+        if path.exists() {
+            return Some(path);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Nothing exists yet — fall back to creating ~/.bashrc
+    Some(home.join(".bashrc"))
+}