diff --git a/bin/omarchy-dev-link b/bin/omarchy-dev-link
index 4048ba2a..1001ff43 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-dev-link
+++ b/bin/omarchy-dev-link
@@ -7,6 +7,14 @@
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
+if [[ $EUID -eq 0 ]]; then
+  echo "Error: run omarchy-dev-link as your user, not under sudo. The script" >&2
+  echo "       will prompt for sudo when it needs to write /etc/omarchy.conf." >&2
+  echo "       (Invoking under sudo wipes HYPRLAND_INSTANCE_SIGNATURE so the" >&2
+  echo "       live-session refresh can't reach hyprctl.)" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 if [[ $# -ne 1 || $1 == "-h" || $1 == "--help" ]]; then
   cat <<USAGE
 Usage: omarchy dev link <path-to-checkout>
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-dev-unlink b/bin/omarchy-dev-unlink
index dbdd0f52..afcd1891 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-dev-unlink
+++ b/bin/omarchy-dev-unlink
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
+if [[ $EUID -eq 0 ]]; then
+  echo "Error: run omarchy-dev-unlink as your user, not under sudo. The script" >&2
+  echo "       will prompt for sudo when it needs to remove /etc/omarchy.conf." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 if [[ ${1:-} == "-h" || ${1:-} == "--help" ]]; then
   cat <<USAGE
 Usage: omarchy dev unlink