diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index becea6d..d43d6c5 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 - `agentguard subscribe --cron` now requires a saved agent host when `--cron-target auto` is used; run `agentguard init --agent <agent>` first or pass an explicit cron target.
 - `agentguard status` now shows the saved agent host when one is configured.
 - Install and postinstall guidance now recommends `agentguard init --agent <agent>`, `agentguard connect`, and `agentguard checkup` as the focused next steps.
+- Postinstall now writes persistent next-step guidance to `~/.agentguard/next-steps.txt` and the package directory so agent installers can discover it even when npm hides lifecycle output.
 - System cron installation now writes and invokes a validated AgentGuard wrapper script instead of embedding config-derived paths directly in crontab.
 
 ## [1.1.9] - 2026-05-20
diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index b61bcee..1c0c6b8 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -65,10 +65,11 @@ async function main() {
       console.log(`AgentGuard initialized at ${paths.home}`);
       console.log(`Config: ${paths.configPath}`);
       if (options.agent) {
-        if (!['claude-code', 'codex', 'openclaw', 'hermes', 'qclaw'].includes(options.agent)) {
+        const normalizedAgent = String(options.agent).trim().toLowerCase();
+        if (!['claude-code', 'codex', 'openclaw', 'hermes', 'qclaw'].includes(normalizedAgent)) {
           throw new Error('Invalid agent. Use claude-code, codex, openclaw, hermes, or qclaw.');
         }
-        const agent = options.agent as AgentInstaller;
+        const agent = normalizedAgent as AgentInstaller;
         config.agentHost = agent;
         saveConfig(config);
         const result = installAgentTemplates(agent, { force: options.force });
diff --git a/src/postinstall.ts b/src/postinstall.ts
index 374dbcd..715aec4 100644
--- a/src/postinstall.ts
+++ b/src/postinstall.ts
@@ -1,20 +1,43 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node
 
+import { writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { resolve } from 'node:path';
 import { ensureConfig, getAgentGuardPaths } from './config.js';
 
+const NEXT_STEPS = [
+  'Next steps:',
+  '  agentguard init --agent <claude-code|codex|openclaw|hermes|qclaw>',
+  '  agentguard connect',
+  '  agentguard checkup',
+  '',
+].join('\n');
+
 function printNextSteps(): void {
-  console.log('Next steps:');
-  console.log('  agentguard init --agent <agent>');
-  console.log('  agentguard connect');
-  console.log('  agentguard checkup');
+  process.stdout.write(NEXT_STEPS);
+}
+
+function writeNextStepsFile(path: string, mode = 0o600): void {
+  try {
+    writeFileSync(path, NEXT_STEPS, { mode });
+  } catch {
+    // Installation guidance is best-effort and must never break npm install.
+  }
+}
+
+function writePackageNextStepsFile(): void {
+  if (process.env.AGENTGUARD_SKIP_PACKAGE_NEXT_STEPS === '1') return;
+  const packageDir = resolve(__dirname, '..');
+  writeNextStepsFile(resolve(packageDir, 'next-steps.txt'), 0o644);
 }
 
 try {
   ensureConfig();
   const paths = getAgentGuardPaths();
+  writeNextStepsFile(resolve(paths.home, 'next-steps.txt'));
   console.log(`AgentGuard local config ready: ${paths.configPath}`);
 } catch {
   // Postinstall must never break package installation.
 } finally {
+  writePackageNextStepsFile();
   printNextSteps();
 }
diff --git a/src/tests/cli-init.test.ts b/src/tests/cli-init.test.ts
index 589930a..c172817 100644
--- a/src/tests/cli-init.test.ts
+++ b/src/tests/cli-init.test.ts
@@ -38,4 +38,19 @@ describe('init CLI', () => {
       assert.equal(config.agentHost, agent);
     }
   });
+
+  it('normalizes --agent values to lowercase', async () => {
+    const home = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'agentguard-init-uppercase-home-'));
+    const cwd = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'agentguard-init-uppercase-cwd-'));
+    const cliPath = resolve('dist', 'cli.js');
+
+    const { stdout } = await execFileAsync(process.execPath, [cliPath, 'init', '--agent', 'Hermes', '--force'], {
+      cwd,
+      env: { ...process.env, AGENTGUARD_HOME: home },
+    });
+
+    const config = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(home, 'config.json'), 'utf8')) as { agentHost?: string };
+    assert.equal(config.agentHost, 'hermes');
+    assert.match(stdout, /Installed hermes template:/);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/tests/postinstall.test.ts b/src/tests/postinstall.test.ts
index 20a9642..3b9e3da 100644
--- a/src/tests/postinstall.test.ts
+++ b/src/tests/postinstall.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { describe, it } from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import { execFile } from 'node:child_process';
-import { mkdtempSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { mkdtempSync, readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { join, resolve } from 'node:path';
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
 import { promisify } from 'node:util';
@@ -14,12 +14,17 @@ describe('postinstall', () => {
     const postinstallPath = resolve('dist', 'postinstall.js');
 
     const { stdout } = await execFileAsync(process.execPath, [postinstallPath], {
-      env: { ...process.env, AGENTGUARD_HOME: home },
+      env: { ...process.env, AGENTGUARD_HOME: home, AGENTGUARD_SKIP_PACKAGE_NEXT_STEPS: '1' },
     });
 
     assert.match(stdout, /AgentGuard local config ready:/);
-    assert.match(stdout, /agentguard init --agent <agent>/);
+    assert.match(stdout, /agentguard init --agent <claude-code\|codex\|openclaw\|hermes\|qclaw>/);
     assert.match(stdout, /agentguard connect/);
     assert.match(stdout, /agentguard checkup/);
+
+    const nextSteps = readFileSync(join(home, 'next-steps.txt'), 'utf8');
+    assert.match(nextSteps, /agentguard init --agent <claude-code\|codex\|openclaw\|hermes\|qclaw>/);
+    assert.match(nextSteps, /agentguard connect/);
+    assert.match(nextSteps, /agentguard checkup/);
   });
 });