diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index b344c68..5b9b73f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -26,10 +26,7 @@ jobs:
           go-version: '1.26.1'
 
       - name: Install dependencies
-        run: |
-            sudo apt-get update
-            sudo apt-get install -y protobuf-compiler
-            make -C agent setup proto
+        run: make -C agent install proto
 
       - name: Run Agent tests
         run: make -C agent test
@@ -54,10 +51,7 @@ jobs:
           go-version: '1.26.1'
 
       - name: Install dependencies
-        run: |
-            sudo apt-get update
-            sudo apt-get install -y protobuf-compiler
-            make -C agent setup proto
+        run: make -C agent install proto
 
       - name: Build Agent Local Image
         run: |
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0a04bcc..568decb 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-all: setup
+all: install
 	make -C agent
 	make -C sdks/python
 
@@ -18,10 +18,11 @@ docker-build: docker/Dockerfile
 	docker build -t $(DOCKER_TAG) --progress=plain -f $< .
 .PHONY: docker-build
 
-setup:
-	$(MAKE) -C agent setup
+install:
+	$(MAKE) -C agent install
+	$(MAKE) -C sdks/python install
 
-.PHONY: setup
+.PHONY: install
 
 test:
 	$(MAKE) -C agent test
diff --git a/agent/Makefile b/agent/Makefile
index 8caf507..ac957f7 100644
--- a/agent/Makefile
+++ b/agent/Makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ PYTHON_SDK_DIR = ../sdks/python/
 GENERATED_DIR = .generated/proto
 GENERATED_PATH=$(GENERATED_DIR)/github.com/cortexapps/axon
 
-all: setup proto build test
+all: install proto build test
 
 PROTO_FILES := $(wildcard proto/*.proto)
 GO_FILES := $(patsubst proto/%.proto,$(GENERATED_PATH)/%.pb.go,$(PROTO_FILES))
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ GO_FILES := $(patsubst proto/%.proto,$(GENERATED_PATH)/%.pb.go,$(PROTO_FILES))
 GOPATH ?= $(HOME)/go
 GOBIN ?= $(GOPATH)/bin
 
-proto: setup $(GO_FILES) version
+proto: install $(GO_FILES) version
 
 version: $(GO_SDK_DIR)/version/agentversion.txt $(PYTHON_SDK_DIR)/cortex_axon/agentversion.py
 
@@ -33,15 +33,18 @@ $(GENERATED_PATH)/%.pb.go: proto/%.proto
 	@mkdir -p $(GO_SDK_DIR)/.generated
 	@cp -R $(GENERATED_DIR) $(GO_SDK_DIR)/.generated
 
-setup:
+install:
 	@if ! command -v $(GOBIN)/protoc-gen-go >/dev/null; then echo "Installing protoc-gen-go..."; go install google.golang.org/protobuf/cmd/protoc-gen-go@v1.36.6; fi
 	@if ! command -v $(GOBIN)/protoc-gen-go-grpc >/dev/null; then echo "Installing protoc-gen-go-grpc..."; go install google.golang.org/grpc/cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc@v1.5.1; fi
-	@if ! which protoc >/dev/null; then \
-		if which brew >/dev/null; then \
-			brew install protobuf; \
-		else \
-			apt update && apt install -y protobuf-compiler; \
-		fi; \
+	@if which brew >/dev/null; then \
+		if ! which protoc >/dev/null; then brew install protobuf; fi; \
+	elif [ "$$(uname)" = "Linux" ]; then \
+		PKGS=""; \
+		if ! which protoc >/dev/null; then PKGS="protobuf-compiler"; fi; \
+		if ! test -f /usr/include/google/protobuf/timestamp.proto; then PKGS="$$PKGS libprotobuf-dev"; fi; \
+		if [ -n "$$PKGS" ]; then sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y $$PKGS; fi; \
+	else \
+		echo "WARNING: Unrecognized platform $$(uname) -- not installing protobuf dependencies"; \
 	fi
 
 build:
@@ -89,4 +92,4 @@ run: proto
 	go run main.go serve
 
 
-.PHONY: setup test build 
+.PHONY: install test build 
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index a3c561c..dda830d 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ ENV GOPROXY="https://proxy.golang.org,direct"
 ENV PATH="${GOROOT}/bin:${GOPATH}/bin:${PATH}:/agent"
 
 COPY agent/. /build/.
-RUN make -C /build setup proto
+RUN make -C /build install proto
 RUN cd /build && go build -o /agent/cortex-axon-agent
 RUN rm -rf /build
 
diff --git a/sdks/python/Makefile b/sdks/python/Makefile
index d36e72f..9120d1f 100644
--- a/sdks/python/Makefile
+++ b/sdks/python/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+# Unset VIRTUAL_ENV to prevent Poetry from using a stale/broken venv
+# (e.g. /lsiopy set by container init systems like s6-overlay)
+unexport VIRTUAL_ENV
+
 all: clean install proto
 
 install: .venv
@@ -5,6 +9,10 @@ install: .venv
 
 .venv: pyproject.toml
 	@echo "Installing python dependencies"
+	@if ! which python >/dev/null && which python3 >/dev/null; then \
+		echo "python not found, creating python -> python3 symlink..."; \
+		sudo ln -sf $$(which python3) /usr/local/bin/python; \
+	fi
 	@if ! which poetry >/dev/null; then \
 		curl -sSL https://install.python-poetry.org | python3 -; \
 	fi