diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 1058f0af0..5f36b62b7 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ use anyhow::{bail, Context, Result};
 use clap::{CommandFactory, Parser, Subcommand, ValueEnum};
 use dialoguer::{Input, Password};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
-use std::io::Write;
+use std::io::{IsTerminal, Write};
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use tracing::{info, warn};
 use tracing_subscriber::{fmt, EnvFilter};
@@ -166,10 +166,6 @@ enum Commands {
         #[arg(long)]
         reinit: bool,
 
-        /// Run the full interactive setup wizard
-        #[arg(long)]
-        interactive: bool,
-
         /// Reconfigure channels only (fast repair flow)
         #[arg(long)]
         channels_only: bool,
@@ -723,14 +719,14 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
 
     tracing::subscriber::set_global_default(subscriber).expect("setting default subscriber failed");
 
-    // Onboard runs quick setup by default, or the interactive wizard with --interactive.
-    // The onboard wizard uses reqwest::blocking internally, which creates its own
-    // Tokio runtime. To avoid "Cannot drop a runtime in a context where blocking is
-    // not allowed", we run the wizard on a blocking thread via spawn_blocking.
+    // Onboard auto-detects the environment: if stdin/stdout are a TTY and no
+    // provider flags were given, it runs the full interactive wizard; otherwise
+    // it runs the quick (scriptable) setup.  This means `curl … | bash` and
+    // `zeroclaw onboard --api-key …` both take the fast path, while a bare
+    // `zeroclaw onboard` in a terminal launches the wizard.
     if let Commands::Onboard {
         force,
         reinit,
-        interactive,
         channels_only,
         api_key,
         provider,
@@ -740,7 +736,6 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
     {
         let force = *force;
         let reinit = *reinit;
-        let interactive = *interactive;
         let channels_only = *channels_only;
         let api_key = api_key.clone();
         let provider = provider.clone();
@@ -750,14 +745,6 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         if reinit && channels_only {
             bail!("--reinit and --channels-only cannot be used together");
         }
-        if interactive && channels_only {
-            bail!("--interactive and --channels-only cannot be used together");
-        }
-        if interactive
-            && (api_key.is_some() || provider.is_some() || model.is_some() || memory.is_some())
-        {
-            bail!("--interactive does not accept --api-key, --provider, --model, or --memory");
-        }
         if channels_only
             && (api_key.is_some() || provider.is_some() || model.is_some() || memory.is_some())
         {
@@ -808,9 +795,15 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
             }
         }
 
+        // Auto-detect: run the interactive wizard when in a TTY with no
+        // provider flags, quick setup otherwise (scriptable path).
+        let has_provider_flags =
+            api_key.is_some() || provider.is_some() || model.is_some() || memory.is_some();
+        let is_tty = std::io::stdin().is_terminal() && std::io::stdout().is_terminal();
+
         let config = if channels_only {
             Box::pin(onboard::run_channels_repair_wizard()).await
-        } else if interactive {
+        } else if is_tty && !has_provider_flags {
             Box::pin(onboard::run_wizard(force)).await
         } else {
             onboard::run_quick_setup(
@@ -2224,12 +2217,17 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn onboard_cli_accepts_interactive_flag() {
-        let cli = Cli::try_parse_from(["zeroclaw", "onboard", "--interactive"])
-            .expect("onboard --interactive should parse");
+    fn onboard_cli_rejects_removed_interactive_flag() {
+        // --interactive was removed; onboard auto-detects TTY instead.
+        assert!(Cli::try_parse_from(["zeroclaw", "onboard", "--interactive"]).is_err());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn onboard_cli_bare_parses() {
+        let cli = Cli::try_parse_from(["zeroclaw", "onboard"]).expect("bare onboard should parse");
 
         match cli.command {
-            Commands::Onboard { interactive, .. } => assert!(interactive),
+            Commands::Onboard { .. } => {}
             other => panic!("expected onboard command, got {other:?}"),
         }
     }