diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7a70cd3e..a8a69e70 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -198,7 +198,12 @@ or `--url file:PATH` over literal credential URLs.
 
 KTX installs its Python runtime only when a Python-backed command needs it.
 The runtime lives outside the npm cache, is versioned by the installed CLI
-version, and is managed by `ktx runtime` commands:
+version, and is managed by `ktx runtime` commands.
+
+KTX requires `uv` on `PATH` to create the managed runtime. Install `uv` with
+your system package manager or the official installer before running Python-
+backed KTX commands. KTX doesn't download `uv` automatically; run
+`ktx runtime doctor` if runtime installation fails:
 
 ```bash
 npx ktx runtime install --yes
diff --git a/examples/package-artifacts/README.md b/examples/package-artifacts/README.md
index bd5704db..089bcbbe 100644
--- a/examples/package-artifacts/README.md
+++ b/examples/package-artifacts/README.md
@@ -11,12 +11,12 @@ The npm smoke project installs the generated public `@kaelio/ktx` tarball,
 imports the package entry point, and runs installed `ktx` commands against a
 generated local project.
 
-The managed Python runtime smoke isolates `KTX_RUNTIME_ROOT`, verifies
-`ktx runtime status`, runs `ktx sl query --yes` to install the core runtime from
-the bundled wheel, checks `ktx runtime doctor`, starts and reuses the managed
-daemon, stops it, previews a stale runtime with `ktx runtime prune --dry-run`,
-verifies confirmation is required, and removes the stale runtime with
-`ktx runtime prune --yes`.
+The managed Python runtime smoke requires `uv` on `PATH`, isolates
+`KTX_RUNTIME_ROOT`, verifies `ktx runtime status`, runs `ktx sl query --yes` to
+install the core runtime from the bundled wheel, checks `ktx runtime doctor`,
+starts and reuses the managed daemon, stops it, previews a stale runtime with
+`ktx runtime prune --dry-run`, verifies confirmation is required, and removes
+the stale runtime with `ktx runtime prune --yes`.
 
 The Python smoke project still installs the Python artifacts directly because
 it verifies the standalone Python distributions that feed the bundled runtime
diff --git a/scripts/examples-docs.test.mjs b/scripts/examples-docs.test.mjs
index 671ec89a..213b6b25 100644
--- a/scripts/examples-docs.test.mjs
+++ b/scripts/examples-docs.test.mjs
@@ -148,6 +148,8 @@ describe('standalone example docs', () => {
     assert.match(rootReadme, /ktx runtime stop/);
     assert.match(rootReadme, /ktx runtime prune --dry-run/);
     assert.match(rootReadme, /ktx runtime prune --yes/);
+    assert.match(rootReadme, /KTX requires `uv` on `PATH`/);
+    assert.match(rootReadme, /KTX doesn't download `uv` automatically/);
     assert.match(rootReadme, /ktx serve --mcp stdio/);
     assert.doesNotMatch(rootReadme, /uv run ktx-daemon serve-http/);
     assert.doesNotMatch(rootReadme, /--semantic-compute-url http:\/\/127\.0\.0\.1:8765/);
@@ -158,6 +160,7 @@ describe('standalone example docs', () => {
 
     assert.match(readme, publicPackagePattern('{package}'));
     assert.match(readme, /managed Python runtime/);
+    assert.match(readme, /requires `uv` on `PATH`/);
     assert.match(readme, /ktx runtime status/);
     assert.match(readme, /ktx runtime doctor/);
     assert.match(readme, /ktx runtime prune --dry-run/);