diff --git a/bin/omarchy-channel-set b/bin/omarchy-channel-set
index 3ee406a4..7e112388 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-channel-set
+++ b/bin/omarchy-channel-set
@@ -12,15 +12,12 @@ fail() { echo "Error: $*" >&2; exit 1; }
 confirm_dev() {
   cat <<'WARNING'
 
-Dev links Omarchy directly to a mutable source checkout.
-
-This disables package-based protections for the Omarchy code path, including
-normal package updates and package-backed snapshot restores. You'll be
-responsible for pulling, fixing, and restoring that checkout yourself.
+The dev channel links Omarchy directly to a checkout of the source in ~/omarchy.
+It's exclusively intended for developers working on Omarchy itself.
 
 WARNING
 
-  gum confirm --default=false "Enable Dev anyway?"
+  gum confirm --default=false "Switch to dev channel?"
 }
 
 validate_dev_checkout() {
@@ -39,7 +36,7 @@ link_dev_checkout() {
   local checkout="$1"
   [[ -d $checkout/.git ]] || git clone https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy.git "$checkout"
 
-  omarchy-dev-link "$checkout"
+  omarchy-dev-link "$checkout" --no-reboot
 }
 
 (( $# > 0 )) || { usage; exit 1; }
@@ -79,6 +76,13 @@ if [[ -z $dev_checkout && $OMARCHY_PATH != "/usr/share/omarchy" ]]; then
   leaving_dev=1
 fi
 
+if [[ -n $dev_checkout ]]; then
+  link_dev_checkout "$dev_checkout"
+  export OMARCHY_PATH="$dev_checkout"
+  export PATH="$OMARCHY_PATH/bin:$PATH"
+  omarchy-state set reboot-required
+fi
+
 omarchy-refresh-pacman "$pacman_channel"
 # --ask 4 accepts omarchy <-> omarchy-dev replacement prompts without file overwrites.
 sudo env OMARCHY_UPDATE_PACMAN=1 pacman -S --needed --noconfirm --ask 4 "${packages[@]}"
@@ -93,7 +97,3 @@ if [[ -z $dev_checkout ]]; then
 fi
 
 omarchy-update -y
-
-if [[ -n $dev_checkout ]]; then
-  link_dev_checkout "$dev_checkout"
-fi
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-dev-link b/bin/omarchy-dev-link
index d7fd6e52..00fba9d8 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-dev-link
+++ b/bin/omarchy-dev-link
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # omarchy:summary=Point Omarchy at a local checkout after reboot
 # omarchy:group=dev
-# omarchy:args=<path-to-checkout>
+# omarchy:args=<path-to-checkout> [--no-reboot]
 # omarchy:examples=omarchy dev link ~/omarchy
 
 set -euo pipefail
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ if (( EUID == 0 )); then
   exit 1
 fi
 
-if (( $# != 1 )) || [[ $1 == "-h" || $1 == "--help" ]]; then
+prompt_reboot=1
+
+if (( $# < 1 || $# > 2 )) || [[ $1 == "-h" || $1 == "--help" ]]; then
   cat <<USAGE
-Usage: omarchy dev link <path-to-checkout>
+Usage: omarchy dev link <path-to-checkout> [--no-reboot]
 
 Writes /etc/omarchy.conf so OMARCHY_PATH resolves to <path-to-checkout>
 after reboot. This intentionally does not rewrite the running Hyprland,
@@ -25,10 +27,21 @@ themes/, applications/, config/. Files installed at fixed system paths
 (/etc/, /usr/lib/systemd/, udev rule bodies, /etc/skel after user
 creation, /usr/share/plymouth) are NOT covered — for those, use
 omarchy-dev-pkg-test to build and install the package from the checkout.
+
+Use --no-reboot when another command will handle the reboot prompt.
 USAGE
   exit 0
 fi
 
+if (( $# == 2 )); then
+  if [[ $2 == "--no-reboot" ]]; then
+    prompt_reboot=0
+  else
+    echo "Usage: omarchy dev link <path-to-checkout> [--no-reboot]" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+fi
+
 omarchy_conf_quote() {
   local value="$1"
   value=${value//\\/\\\\}
@@ -58,6 +71,6 @@ done
 echo "Pointed Omarchy at $target"
 echo
 
-if gum confirm "Reboot now to activate?"; then
+if (( prompt_reboot )) && gum confirm "Reboot now to activate?"; then
   omarchy-system-reboot
 fi
diff --git a/test/shell.d/channel-test.sh b/test/shell.d/channel-test.sh
index 1c0d2faf..664e17c5 100644
--- a/test/shell.d/channel-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/channel-test.sh
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ printf "\n" >>"$OMARCHY_CHANNEL_TEST_LOG"
 write_stub omarchy-update '#!/bin/bash
 printf "update" >>"$OMARCHY_CHANNEL_TEST_LOG"
 for arg in "$@"; do printf "\t%s" "$arg" >>"$OMARCHY_CHANNEL_TEST_LOG"; done
+printf "\tOMARCHY_PATH=%s" "$OMARCHY_PATH" >>"$OMARCHY_CHANNEL_TEST_LOG"
 printf "\n" >>"$OMARCHY_CHANNEL_TEST_LOG"
 '
 
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ run_channel stable
 assert_log_line $'refresh\tstable' "stable refreshes the stable pacman channel"
 assert_log_line $'sudo\tenv\tOMARCHY_UPDATE_PACMAN=1\tpacman\t-S\t--needed\t--noconfirm\t--ask\t4\tomarchy\tomarchy-settings' "stable installs stable Omarchy packages"
 assert_log_line $'unlink\t--no-reboot' "stable restores the package-backed Omarchy path without an early reboot prompt"
-assert_log_line $'update\t-y' "stable runs the normal update pipeline"
+assert_log_line $'update\t-y\tOMARCHY_PATH=/usr/share/omarchy' "stable runs the normal update pipeline from the package-backed path"
 if grep -q $'^state\tset\treboot-required$' "$log_file"; then
   fail "stable does not require reboot when already package-backed" "$(cat "$log_file")"
 fi
@@ -117,15 +118,15 @@ run_channel rc
 assert_log_line $'refresh\trc' "rc refreshes the rc pacman channel"
 assert_log_line $'sudo\tenv\tOMARCHY_UPDATE_PACMAN=1\tpacman\t-S\t--needed\t--noconfirm\t--ask\t4\tomarchy\tomarchy-settings' "rc installs rc Omarchy packages"
 assert_log_line $'unlink\t--no-reboot' "rc restores the package-backed Omarchy path without an early reboot prompt"
-assert_log_line $'update\t-y' "rc runs the normal update pipeline"
+assert_log_line $'update\t-y\tOMARCHY_PATH=/usr/share/omarchy' "rc runs the normal update pipeline from the package-backed path"
 
 OMARCHY_TEST_PATH="$ROOT" run_channel edge
 assert_log_line $'refresh\tedge' "edge refreshes the edge pacman channel"
 assert_log_line $'sudo\tenv\tOMARCHY_UPDATE_PACMAN=1\tpacman\t-S\t--needed\t--noconfirm\t--ask\t4\tomarchy-dev\tomarchy-settings-dev' "edge installs development Omarchy packages"
 assert_log_line $'unlink\t--no-reboot' "edge unlinks dev without an early reboot prompt"
 assert_log_line $'state\tset\treboot-required' "edge marks reboot required when leaving dev"
-assert_log_line $'update\t-y' "edge runs the normal update pipeline"
-[[ $(grep -E '^(unlink|state|update)' "$log_file") == $'unlink\t--no-reboot\nstate\tset\treboot-required\nupdate\t-y' ]] ||
+assert_log_line $'update\t-y\tOMARCHY_PATH=/usr/share/omarchy' "edge runs the normal update pipeline from the package-backed path"
+[[ $(grep -E '^(unlink|state|update)' "$log_file") == $'unlink\t--no-reboot\nstate\tset\treboot-required\nupdate\t-y\tOMARCHY_PATH=/usr/share/omarchy' ]] ||
   fail "edge defers the reboot prompt until the update restart stage" "$(cat "$log_file")"
 pass "edge defers the reboot prompt until the update restart stage"
 
@@ -143,11 +144,16 @@ pass "dev refuses occupied non-checkout paths before package changes"
 
 rmdir "$checkout"
 run_channel dev
-assert_log_line $'gum\tconfirm\t--default=false\tEnable Dev anyway?' "dev asks for confirmation"
+assert_log_line $'gum\tconfirm\t--default=false\tSwitch to dev channel?' "dev asks for confirmation"
 assert_log_line $'refresh\tedge' "dev refreshes the edge pacman channel"
 assert_log_line $'sudo\tenv\tOMARCHY_UPDATE_PACMAN=1\tpacman\t-S\t--needed\t--noconfirm\t--ask\t4\tomarchy-dev\tomarchy-settings-dev' "dev installs development Omarchy packages"
 assert_log_line $'git\tclone\thttps://github.com/basecamp/omarchy.git\t'"$checkout" "dev clones the source checkout to ~/omarchy"
-assert_log_line $'link\t'"$checkout" "dev links ~/omarchy"
+assert_log_line $'link\t'"$checkout"$'\t--no-reboot' "dev links ~/omarchy without an early reboot prompt"
+assert_log_line $'state\tset\treboot-required' "dev defers the reboot prompt to the update pipeline"
+assert_log_line $'update\t-y\tOMARCHY_PATH='"$checkout" "dev runs the normal update pipeline from the source checkout"
+[[ $(grep -E '^(git|link|state|refresh|sudo|update)' "$log_file") == $'git\tclone\thttps://github.com/basecamp/omarchy.git\t'"$checkout"$'\nlink\t'"$checkout"$'\t--no-reboot\nstate\tset\treboot-required\nrefresh\tedge\nsudo\tenv\tOMARCHY_UPDATE_PACMAN=1\tpacman\t-S\t--needed\t--noconfirm\t--ask\t4\tomarchy-dev\tomarchy-settings-dev\nupdate\t-y\tOMARCHY_PATH='"$checkout" ]] ||
+  fail "dev activates the checkout before changing or updating packages" "$(cat "$log_file")"
+pass "dev activates the checkout before changing or updating packages"
 
 OMARCHY_TEST_PATH="$checkout" run_channel stable
 assert_log_line $'unlink\t--no-reboot' "switching from dev to stable unlinks without an early reboot prompt"
@@ -157,7 +163,7 @@ run_channel dev
 if grep -q $'^git\tclone\t' "$log_file"; then
   fail "dev reuses an existing checkout" "$(cat "$log_file")"
 fi
-assert_log_line $'link\t'"$checkout" "switching back to dev links ~/omarchy"
+assert_log_line $'link\t'"$checkout"$'\t--no-reboot' "switching back to dev links ~/omarchy"
 pass "switching back to dev reuses the existing ~/omarchy checkout"
 
 current_channel() {