diff --git a/.changeset/fix-fish-doctor-version-check.md b/.changeset/fix-fish-doctor-version-check.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8163c01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fix-fish-doctor-version-check.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+"@jmfederico/pi-web": patch
+---
+
+Fix `pi-web doctor` "can find npm/pi" checks on fish. The `--version` check
+wrapped the version command in a POSIX subshell `(cmd --version 2>&1 || true)`,
+which fish parses as a command substitution in command position and rejects
+(`command substitutions not allowed in command position`), producing a false
+negative. Emit fish's `begin; ...; end` grouping when the service shell is fish.
diff --git a/src/cli.test.ts b/src/cli.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb3849d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { commandWithVersionCheck } from "./cli.js";
+
+const originalShell = process.env["SHELL"];
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  if (originalShell === undefined) {
+    delete process.env["SHELL"];
+  } else {
+    process.env["SHELL"] = originalShell;
+  }
+});
+
+describe("commandWithVersionCheck", () => {
+  it("emits a POSIX subshell group for bash", () => {
+    process.env["SHELL"] = "/bin/bash";
+    expect(commandWithVersionCheck("npm")).toBe("command -v npm && (npm --version 2>&1 || true)");
+  });
+
+  it("emits a POSIX subshell group for zsh", () => {
+    process.env["SHELL"] = "/bin/zsh";
+    expect(commandWithVersionCheck("pi")).toBe("command -v pi && (pi --version 2>&1 || true)");
+  });
+
+  it("uses fish begin/end grouping instead of a POSIX subshell", () => {
+    process.env["SHELL"] = "/usr/local/bin/fish";
+    const command = commandWithVersionCheck("npm");
+    expect(command).toBe("command -v npm && begin; npm --version 2>&1 || true; end");
+    expect(command).not.toContain("(");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index 75d2c64..5e5f663 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -902,8 +902,12 @@ function commandCheck(command: string): string {
   return `command -v ${command}`;
 }
 
-function commandWithVersionCheck(command: string): string {
-  return `${commandCheck(command)} && (${command} --version 2>&1 || true)`;
+export function commandWithVersionCheck(command: string): string {
+  const found = commandCheck(command);
+  if (detectServiceShell().name === "fish") {
+    return `${found} && begin; ${command} --version 2>&1 || true; end`;
+  }
+  return `${found} && (${command} --version 2>&1 || true)`;
 }
 
 function nodeVersionCheck(): string {
@@ -1088,7 +1092,9 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
   else throw new Error(`Unknown command: ${command}`);
 }
 
-main().catch((error: unknown) => {
-  console.error(error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error));
-  process.exit(1);
-});
+if (process.argv[1] === fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)) {
+  main().catch((error: unknown) => {
+    console.error(error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error));
+    process.exit(1);
+  });
+}