diff --git a/containers/agent/entrypoint.sh b/containers/agent/entrypoint.sh
index ea68a68b..cfa307b0 100644
--- a/containers/agent/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/containers/agent/entrypoint.sh
@@ -706,6 +706,17 @@ AWFEOF
   echo 'fi' >> "/host${SCRIPT_FILE}"
   echo 'mkdir -p "$NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX/bin" 2>/dev/null' >> "/host${SCRIPT_FILE}"
   echo 'export PATH="$NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX/bin:$PATH"' >> "/host${SCRIPT_FILE}"
+  if [ "${AWF_REQUIRE_NODE:-}" = "1" ]; then
+    cat >> "/host${SCRIPT_FILE}" << 'AWFEOF'
+if ! command -v node >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] Copilot CLI requires Node.js, but 'node' is not available inside AWF chroot." >&2
+  echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] Ensure Node.js is installed on the runner and reachable from PATH inside the chroot." >&2
+  echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] If using setup-node or nvm, verify the install path is present and bind-mounted into /host." >&2
+  echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] Example locations include /opt/hostedtoolcache/... and $HOME/.nvm/..." >&2
+  exit 127
+fi
+AWFEOF
+  fi
   # Append the actual command arguments
   # Docker CMD passes commands as ['/bin/bash', '-c', 'command_string'].
   # Instead of writing the full [bash, -c, cmd] via printf '%q' (which creates
diff --git a/src/docker-manager.test.ts b/src/docker-manager.test.ts
index 7663f381..7801c05f 100644
--- a/src/docker-manager.test.ts
+++ b/src/docker-manager.test.ts
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ describe('docker-manager', () => {
       expect(volumes).toContain(`${workspaceDir}:/host${workspaceDir}:rw`);
     });
 
-    it('should mount Rust toolchain, npm cache, and CLI state directories', () => {
+    it('should mount Rust toolchain, Node/npm caches, and CLI state directories', () => {
       const result = generateDockerCompose(mockConfig, mockNetworkConfig);
       const agent = result.services.agent;
       const volumes = agent.volumes as string[];
@@ -868,6 +868,8 @@ describe('docker-manager', () => {
       expect(volumes).toContain(`${homeDir}/.rustup:/host${homeDir}/.rustup:rw`);
       // npm cache
       expect(volumes).toContain(`${homeDir}/.npm:/host${homeDir}/.npm:rw`);
+      // nvm-managed Node.js cache/installations
+      expect(volumes).toContain(`${homeDir}/.nvm:/host${homeDir}/.nvm:rw`);
       // CLI state directories
       expect(volumes).toContain(`${homeDir}/.claude:/host${homeDir}/.claude:rw`);
       expect(volumes).toContain(`${homeDir}/.anthropic:/host${homeDir}/.anthropic:rw`);
@@ -944,6 +946,39 @@ describe('docker-manager', () => {
       expect(environment.AWF_CHROOT_ENABLED).toBe('true');
     });
 
+    it('should set AWF_REQUIRE_NODE when running Copilot CLI command', () => {
+      const result = generateDockerCompose(
+        { ...mockConfig, agentCommand: 'copilot --version' },
+        mockNetworkConfig,
+      );
+      const environment = result.services.agent.environment as Record<string, string>;
+
+      expect(environment.AWF_REQUIRE_NODE).toBe('1');
+    });
+
+    it.each([
+      { copilotGithubToken: 'ghu_test_token' },
+      { copilotApiKey: 'cpat_test_key' },
+    ])('should set AWF_REQUIRE_NODE when Copilot auth config is present: %o', (copilotConfig) => {
+      const result = generateDockerCompose(
+        { ...mockConfig, agentCommand: 'echo test', ...copilotConfig },
+        mockNetworkConfig,
+      );
+      const environment = result.services.agent.environment as Record<string, string>;
+
+      expect(environment.AWF_REQUIRE_NODE).toBe('1');
+    });
+
+    it('should not set AWF_REQUIRE_NODE for non-Copilot commands', () => {
+      const result = generateDockerCompose(
+        { ...mockConfig, agentCommand: 'echo test' },
+        mockNetworkConfig,
+      );
+      const environment = result.services.agent.environment as Record<string, string>;
+
+      expect(environment.AWF_REQUIRE_NODE).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+
     it('should pass GOROOT, CARGO_HOME, RUSTUP_HOME, JAVA_HOME, DOTNET_ROOT, BUN_INSTALL to container when env vars are set', () => {
       const originalGoroot = process.env.GOROOT;
       const originalCargoHome = process.env.CARGO_HOME;
@@ -3641,7 +3676,7 @@ describe('docker-manager', () => {
       // Verify chroot home subdirectories were created
       const expectedDirs = [
         '.copilot', '.cache', '.config', '.local',
-        '.anthropic', '.claude', '.gemini', '.cargo', '.rustup', '.npm',
+        '.anthropic', '.claude', '.gemini', '.cargo', '.rustup', '.npm', '.nvm',
       ];
       for (const dir of expectedDirs) {
         expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(fakeHome, dir))).toBe(true);
diff --git a/src/docker-manager.ts b/src/docker-manager.ts
index e60deb22..812c9187 100644
--- a/src/docker-manager.ts
+++ b/src/docker-manager.ts
@@ -815,6 +815,15 @@ export function generateDockerCompose(
     AWF_ONE_SHOT_TOKENS: 'COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN,GITHUB_TOKEN,GH_TOKEN,GITHUB_API_TOKEN,GITHUB_PAT,GH_ACCESS_TOKEN,OPENAI_API_KEY,OPENAI_KEY,ANTHROPIC_API_KEY,CLAUDE_API_KEY,CODEX_API_KEY,COPILOT_API_KEY,COPILOT_PROVIDER_API_KEY',
   };
 
+  // Copilot CLI requires Node.js. Ask the agent entrypoint to fail fast with a
+  // clear diagnostic if node is not reachable inside the chroot before startup.
+  const commandExecutable = config.agentCommand.trim().split(/\s+/, 1)[0] || '';
+  const commandExecutableBase = path.posix.basename(commandExecutable.replace(/\\/g, '/'));
+  const isCopilotCommand = commandExecutableBase.toLowerCase() === 'copilot';
+  if (config.copilotGithubToken || config.copilotApiKey || isCopilotCommand) {
+    environment.AWF_REQUIRE_NODE = '1';
+  }
+
   // When api-proxy is enabled with Copilot, set placeholder tokens early
   // so --env-all won't override them with real values from host environment
   if (config.enableApiProxy && config.copilotGithubToken) {
@@ -1222,6 +1231,9 @@ export function generateDockerCompose(
     // npm requires write access to ~/.npm for caching packages and writing logs
     agentVolumes.push(`${effectiveHome}/.npm:/host${effectiveHome}/.npm:rw`);
 
+    // Mount ~/.nvm for Node.js installations managed by nvm on self-hosted runners
+    agentVolumes.push(`${effectiveHome}/.nvm:/host${effectiveHome}/.nvm:rw`);
+
     // Minimal /etc - only what's needed for runtime
     // Note: /etc/shadow is NOT mounted (contains password hashes)
     agentVolumes.push(
@@ -2202,7 +2214,7 @@ export async function writeConfigs(config: WrapperConfig): Promise<void> {
     // Ensure source directories for subdirectory mounts exist with correct ownership
     const chrootHomeDirs = [
       '.copilot', '.cache', '.config', '.local',
-      '.anthropic', '.claude', '.gemini', '.cargo', '.rustup', '.npm',
+      '.anthropic', '.claude', '.gemini', '.cargo', '.rustup', '.npm', '.nvm',
     ];
     for (const dir of chrootHomeDirs) {
       const dirPath = path.join(effectiveHome, dir);