diff --git a/setup b/setup
index 6f0577b..569c675 100755
--- a/setup
+++ b/setup
@@ -74,6 +74,25 @@ ask() {
 
 print_logo
 
+# Install to a stable location so symlinks don't break when the original clone
+# is moved or deleted. On re-runs (e.g. after git pull), this updates in-place.
+INSTALL_DIR="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/brain.md"
+
+if [ "$SCRIPT_DIR" != "$INSTALL_DIR" ]; then
+  echo "setup: installing project to $INSTALL_DIR ..."
+  mkdir -p "$INSTALL_DIR"
+  for f in "$SCRIPT_DIR"/* "$SCRIPT_DIR"/.[!.]*; do
+    case "$f" in
+      */.) continue ;;
+      */..) continue ;;
+      */.git) continue ;;
+    esac
+    cp -R "$f" "$INSTALL_DIR/"
+  done
+  echo "setup: re-running from stable location ..."
+  exec "$INSTALL_DIR/setup" "$@"
+fi
+
 # Candidate agent runtimes: "<label>:<parent-config-dir>:<skills-dir>". A runtime
 # counts as detected only when its parent config dir exists.
 CANDIDATES="Claude:$HOME/.claude:$HOME/.claude/skills Codex:$HOME/.codex:$HOME/.codex/skills OpenCode:$HOME/.config/opencode:$HOME/.config/opencode/skills"
diff --git a/uninstall b/uninstall
index 9af2fe9..ecb0669 100755
--- a/uninstall
+++ b/uninstall
@@ -93,4 +93,23 @@ else
   echo "uninstall: removed manifest."
 fi
 
+# Optionally remove the stable install directory.
+INSTALL_DIR="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/brain.md"
+if [ -d "$INSTALL_DIR" ]; then
+  if [ -f "$INSTALL_DIR/setup" ] && [ -f "$INSTALL_DIR/uninstall" ] && [ -d "$INSTALL_DIR/skills" ]; then
+    if ask "Remove the stable install at $INSTALL_DIR?"; then
+      rm -rf "$INSTALL_DIR"
+      echo "uninstall: removed $INSTALL_DIR"
+    else
+      echo "uninstall: kept $INSTALL_DIR (re-run setup later without re-cloning)"
+    fi
+  else
+    echo "uninstall: $INSTALL_DIR does not look like a brain.md install; refusing to remove it" >&2
+  fi
+fi
+  else
+    echo "uninstall: kept $INSTALL_DIR (re-run setup later without re-cloning)"
+  fi
+fi
+
 echo "uninstall: done ($removed link(s) removed). Project brain/ data was not touched."