diff --git a/bin/miaou-bash b/bin/miaou-bash
index 6291471..ef2b99a 100755
--- a/bin/miaou-bash
+++ b/bin/miaou-bash
@@ -641,6 +641,7 @@ function parse_options {
       builtin exit
       ;;
     --initiate)
+      #TODO: remove, self_upgrade does it anyway
       initiate
       builtin exit
       ;;
@@ -694,7 +695,7 @@ else
     [[ -t 2 ]] && MAIN_FD_STDERR=false || MAIN_FD_STDERR=true
     exec 4>/dev/tty
   fi
-  exec 3>/dev/stderr 2>"$MIAOU_BASH_ERROR"
+  exec 3>&2 2>"$MIAOU_BASH_ERROR"
   miaou_debug "<main file=$BASH_ARGV0 pid=${BASHPID}/>"
 fi
 
diff --git a/etc/bash.bashrc b/etc/bash.bashrc
index 29e8490..7d9fbb2 100644
--- a/etc/bash.bashrc
+++ b/etc/bash.bashrc
@@ -152,8 +152,8 @@ function __vte_urlencode {
 ### MAIN
 ###------
 
-MIAOU_BASH_DIR=/opt/miaou-bash
-export MIAOU_BASH_DIR
+# If not running interactively, don't do anything
+[[ $- != *i* ]] && return
 
 ## Add path for TOOLBOX if any
 [[ -d "/TOOLBOX" ]] && PATH=$PATH:/TOOLBOX || true
@@ -161,9 +161,6 @@ export MIAOU_BASH_DIR
 # Add path to any tools folder in /opt/miaou-*
 for i in {/opt,$HOME}/miaou-*/tools; do [[ -d "$i" ]] && PATH=$PATH:$i; done || true
 
-# If not running interactively, don't do anything
-[[ $- != *i* ]] && return
-
 HOSTNAME=$(hostname -f)
 
 # don't put duplicate lines or lines starting with space in the history.
diff --git a/etc/profile.d/20-miaou-bash.sh b/etc/profile.d/20-miaou-bash.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..011ca10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etc/profile.d/20-miaou-bash.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+MIAOU_BASH_DIR=/opt/miaou-bash
+export MIAOU_BASH_DIR
+
+PATH=$PATH:$MIAOU_BASH_DIR/bin
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 3f8a536..4c6995d 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 ## CONSTANTS
 
-MIAOU_BASH_DIR=/opt/miaou-bash
 MAIN_TAR_GZ_URL="https://git.artcode.re/miaou/miaou-bash/archive/main.tar.gz"
 
 ## FUNCTIONS
@@ -27,7 +26,11 @@ deployment_type_adjective="${1:-installed}"
 [[ "$UID" -ne 0 ]] && echo 'root privilege required' && exit 1
 ! assert_supported_distro && echo 'unsupported distro: debian-like OR arch-like expected' && exit 2
 
-export MIAOU_BASH_DIR
+if [[ ! -v MIAOU_BASH_DIR ]]; then
+  MIAOU_BASH_DIR=/opt/miaou-bash
+  export MIAOU_BASH_DIR
+fi
+
 if [[ -d "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR" && -L /etc/inputrc && "$(readlink /etc/inputrc)" == "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR"/etc/inputrc ]]; then
   . "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR"/bin/miaou-bash "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR/lib/self-upgrade.bash"
 else
diff --git a/lib/initiate.bash b/lib/initiate.bash
index a7251b3..5cf3c9f 100644
--- a/lib/initiate.bash
+++ b/lib/initiate.bash
@@ -68,8 +68,16 @@ EOF
   fi
 }
 
+function is_arch_like {
+  [[ "$DISTRO_LIKE" == 'arch' ]]
+}
+
+function is_debian_like {
+  [[ "$DISTRO_LIKE" == 'debian' ]]
+}
+
 function link_config_files {
-  [[ "$DISTRO_LIKE" == 'arch' ]] && arch_vimrc
+  is_arch_like && arch_vimrc
 
   link_etc vimrc.core vim
   link_etc vimrc.miaou vim
@@ -81,6 +89,7 @@ function link_config_files {
   else
     link_etc vimrc.local vim
   fi
+  link_etc 20-miaou-bash.sh profile.d
   link_etc bash.bashrc
   link_etc inputrc # last command required to detect successful installation
 }
@@ -157,7 +166,7 @@ function ghostty_global_config {
 
 source "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR/lib/functions.bash"
 assert_root
-usr_bin_miaou_bash
+
 DISTRO_LIKE=$(fetch_distro_like)
 install_required_packages
 rm_bashrc_skeleton
diff --git a/lib/self-upgrade.bash b/lib/self-upgrade.bash
index 10943c2..a9db066 100644
--- a/lib/self-upgrade.bash
+++ b/lib/self-upgrade.bash
@@ -2,21 +2,19 @@
 
 # CONSTANTS
 
-[[ ! -v MAIN_TAR_GZ_URL ]] &&
-  readonly MAIN_TAR_GZ_URL="https://git.artcode.re/miaou/miaou-bash/archive/main.tar.gz"
-
 # FUNCTIONS
 
 function self_upgrade {
-  mv "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR" "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR".before_upgrade
-  if "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR".before_upgrade/install.sh upgraded; then
-    rm -rf "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR".before_upgrade
+  local backup="$MIAOU_BASH_DIR".before_upgrade
+  mv "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR" "$backup"
+  if "$backup"/install.sh upgraded; then
+    rm -rf "$backup"
     echo -n "version: "
     . "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR"/bin/miaou-bash --version
   else
     echo "ERROR: trouble during self-upgrade: revert back"
     rm -rf "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR"
-    mv "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR".before_upgrade "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR"
+    mv "$backup" "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR"
   fi
 }
 
@@ -29,6 +27,7 @@ assert_root
 current=$(miaou-bash --version)
 latest=$("$MIAOU_BASH_DIR/tools/wget_semver" artcode miaou/miaou-bash)
 if [[ "$current" == "$latest" ]]; then
+  . "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR"/bin/miaou-bash --initiate
   echo "up-to-date version: $current"
 else
   self_upgrade
diff --git a/test/miaou-bash.test.bash b/test/miaou-bash.test.bash
index 0c19fcf..095dee6 100755
--- a/test/miaou-bash.test.bash
+++ b/test/miaou-bash.test.bash
@@ -10,6 +10,17 @@ readonly TMP_DIRECTORY TMP_OUT TMP_ERR TMP_MIAOU
 
 # functions
 
+function assert_stderr {
+  ((test_count++))
+  if [[ -w /dev/stderr ]]; then
+    echo -n .
+    return
+  fi
+  echo -n F
+  failures+=("test -w /dev/stderr")
+  return 1
+}
+
 function assert {
   ((test_count++))
   cmd="$MIAOU_BASH_DIR/test/stub/scenario.bash $1"
@@ -113,7 +124,6 @@ function fail_miaou_count {
   local regex count="$2"
 
   cmd="$MIAOU_BASH_DIR/test/stub/scenario.bash $1"
-  # mapfile -t stderr <<<"$(miaou-bash ./test/stub/scenario.bash "$1" 2>&1 >/dev/null 3>/dev/null)"
   if ! $cmd >/dev/null 2>/dev/null 3>"$TMP_MIAOU"; then
     mapfile -t miaou <"$TMP_MIAOU"
     if [[ "${#miaou[@]}" == "$count" ]]; then
@@ -138,6 +148,8 @@ mkdir -p "$TMP_DIRECTORY"
 TIMEFORMAT=$'\nelapsed: %Rs'
 
 time {
+  assert_stderr
+
   assert success
   assert exit_0
   assert return_conditional
diff --git a/test/stub/ansi_error.bash b/test/stub/ansi_error.bash
index 3344ded..0671791 100755
--- a/test/stub/ansi_error.bash
+++ b/test/stub/ansi_error.bash
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ function show_error {
   >&2 printf '\r'
   >&2 ansi_block_error "$failure_type" "$failure_payload" "$code"
   >&2 ansi_traces stack_sources stack_lines stack_functions
-  # [[ -p /dev/stdout ]] && kill -TERM $$
 }
 
 function echo_return {
diff --git a/tools/pkg_add b/tools/pkg_add
index b88885d..8f4a7bf 100755
--- a/tools/pkg_add
+++ b/tools/pkg_add
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@
 
 # CONSTANTS
 
-[[ ! -v MIAOU_BASH_DIR ]] && readonly MIAOU_BASH_DIR=/opt/miaou-bash && export MIAOU_BASH_DIR
-
 # functions
 
 function usage {