diff --git a/backend/routers/packages.py b/backend/routers/packages.py
index 28654bd..d3eb91e 100644
--- a/backend/routers/packages.py
+++ b/backend/routers/packages.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-"""Package management — apt-get / dpkg wrapper for Debian-based systems."""
+"""Package management — apt / dpkg wrapper for Debian-based systems."""
 
 import asyncio
+import logging
 import os
 import re
 import shutil
@@ -11,18 +12,19 @@ from pydantic import BaseModel
 from backend.auth import get_current_user
 
 router = APIRouter(prefix="/api/packages", tags=["packages"])
+log = logging.getLogger("atlus.packages")
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Guard
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 def _find_apt():
-    """Find apt-cache binary, checking common paths if PATH is restricted."""
-    found = shutil.which("apt-cache")
-    if found:
-        return True
+    """Find apt binary, checking common paths if PATH is restricted."""
+    for name in ("apt-cache", "apt"):
+        if shutil.which(name):
+            return True
     # systemd services may have a minimal PATH — check directly
-    for p in ("/usr/bin/apt-cache", "/usr/sbin/apt-cache"):
+    for p in ("/usr/bin/apt-cache", "/usr/bin/apt"):
         if os.path.isfile(p) and os.access(p, os.X_OK):
             return True
     return False
@@ -55,52 +57,35 @@ def _safe_env():
     env = {**os.environ, "LC_ALL": "C", "DEBIAN_FRONTEND": "noninteractive"}
     # Ensure standard paths are included (systemd may use minimal PATH)
     path = env.get("PATH", "")
-    for p in ("/usr/bin", "/usr/sbin", "/bin", "/sbin"):
+    for p in ("/usr/bin", "/usr/sbin", "/bin", "/sbin", "/usr/local/bin"):
         if p not in path:
             path = p + ":" + path
     env["PATH"] = path
     return env
 
 
-async def _apt(*args: str, timeout: float = 30) -> str:
-    """Run an apt/dpkg command and return stdout."""
+async def _run_cmd(cmd: list[str], timeout: float = 30) -> tuple[int, str, str]:
+    """Run a command, return (returncode, stdout, stderr). Never raises."""
     _require_apt()
-    cmd = list(args)
-    proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
-        *cmd,
-        stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
-        stderr=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
-        env=_safe_env(),
-    )
+    try:
+        proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
+            *cmd,
+            stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
+            stderr=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
+            env=_safe_env(),
+        )
+    except FileNotFoundError as e:
+        log.error("Command not found: %s — %s", cmd[0], e)
+        return 127, "", f"Command not found: {cmd[0]}"
+
     try:
         stdout, stderr = await asyncio.wait_for(proc.communicate(), timeout=timeout)
     except asyncio.TimeoutError:
         proc.kill()
         await proc.wait()
-        raise HTTPException(504, "Package operation timed out")
-    if proc.returncode != 0:
-        msg = stderr.decode().strip() or stdout.decode().strip()
-        raise HTTPException(500, f"Package error: {msg}")
-    return stdout.decode()
+        return 1, "", "Operation timed out"
 
-
-async def _apt_nofail(*args: str, timeout: float = 30) -> tuple[int, str, str]:
-    """Run an apt/dpkg command, return (returncode, stdout, stderr) without raising."""
-    _require_apt()
-    cmd = list(args)
-    proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
-        *cmd,
-        stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
-        stderr=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
-        env=_safe_env(),
-    )
-    try:
-        stdout, stderr = await asyncio.wait_for(proc.communicate(), timeout=timeout)
-    except asyncio.TimeoutError:
-        proc.kill()
-        await proc.wait()
-        return 1, "", "Timed out"
-    return proc.returncode, stdout.decode(), stderr.decode()
+    return proc.returncode, stdout.decode(errors="replace"), stderr.decode(errors="replace")
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -121,14 +106,26 @@ async def search_packages(
     _user: str = Depends(get_current_user),
 ):
     """Search for packages matching a query."""
-    output = await _apt("apt-cache", "search", q)
+    rc, stdout, stderr = await _run_cmd(["apt-cache", "search", q])
+
+    # apt-cache search returns 0 even with no results — stderr warnings are normal
+    if rc != 0:
+        log.warning("apt-cache search failed (rc=%d): %s", rc, stderr.strip())
+        raise HTTPException(500, f"Package search failed: {stderr.strip()[:200]}")
+
+    if stderr.strip():
+        log.debug("apt-cache search stderr (non-fatal): %s", stderr.strip()[:200])
+
     results = []
-    for line in output.strip().splitlines():
+    for line in stdout.strip().splitlines():
         if not line.strip():
             continue
         parts = line.split(" - ", 1)
         if len(parts) == 2:
             results.append({"name": parts[0].strip(), "summary": parts[1].strip()})
+        elif parts[0].strip():
+            # Some lines may not have " - " separator
+            results.append({"name": parts[0].strip(), "summary": ""})
         if len(results) >= 100:
             break
     return results
@@ -143,13 +140,16 @@ async def package_info(
     name = _validate_name(name)
 
     # Get package info from apt-cache
-    output = await _apt("apt-cache", "show", name)
+    rc, stdout, stderr = await _run_cmd(["apt-cache", "show", name])
+    if rc != 0:
+        log.warning("apt-cache show %s failed (rc=%d): %s", name, rc, stderr.strip())
+        raise HTTPException(404, f"Package not found: {name}")
 
     # Parse key-value fields
     info = {}
     current_key = None
     current_val = ""
-    for line in output.splitlines():
+    for line in stdout.splitlines():
         if line.startswith(" "):
             # Continuation of previous field
             current_val += "\n" + line.strip()
@@ -166,17 +166,17 @@ async def package_info(
     if current_key:
         info[current_key] = current_val
 
-    # Check installed status
-    rc, dpkg_out, _ = await _apt_nofail(
-        "dpkg-query", "-W", "-f=${Status}\t${Version}\n", name
+    # Check installed status via dpkg-query
+    rc2, dpkg_out, _ = await _run_cmd(
+        ["dpkg-query", "-W", "-f=${Status}\t${Version}\n", name]
     )
     installed_version = None
     is_installed = False
-    if rc == 0 and dpkg_out.strip():
+    if rc2 == 0 and dpkg_out.strip():
         parts = dpkg_out.strip().split("\t")
         if len(parts) >= 2 and "install ok installed" in parts[0]:
             is_installed = True
-            installed_version = parts[1]
+            installed_version = parts[1].strip()
 
     return {
         "name": info.get("Package", name),
@@ -201,8 +201,12 @@ async def install_package(
 ):
     """Install a package via apt-get."""
     name = _validate_name(req.name)
-    output = await _apt("apt-get", "install", "-y", name, timeout=300)
-    return {"success": True, "package": name, "output": output[-500:]}
+    rc, stdout, stderr = await _run_cmd(["apt-get", "install", "-y", name], timeout=300)
+    if rc != 0:
+        msg = stderr.strip() or stdout.strip()
+        log.warning("apt-get install %s failed (rc=%d): %s", name, rc, msg[:200])
+        raise HTTPException(500, f"Install failed: {msg[:300]}")
+    return {"success": True, "package": name, "output": stdout[-500:]}
 
 
 @router.post("/remove")
@@ -212,12 +216,55 @@ async def remove_package(
 ):
     """Remove a package via apt-get."""
     name = _validate_name(req.name)
-    output = await _apt("apt-get", "remove", "-y", name, timeout=120)
-    return {"success": True, "package": name, "output": output[-500:]}
+    rc, stdout, stderr = await _run_cmd(["apt-get", "remove", "-y", name], timeout=120)
+    if rc != 0:
+        msg = stderr.strip() or stdout.strip()
+        log.warning("apt-get remove %s failed (rc=%d): %s", name, rc, msg[:200])
+        raise HTTPException(500, f"Remove failed: {msg[:300]}")
+    return {"success": True, "package": name, "output": stdout[-500:]}
 
 
 @router.post("/update-cache")
 async def update_cache(_user: str = Depends(get_current_user)):
     """Run apt-get update to refresh package lists."""
-    output = await _apt("apt-get", "update", timeout=120)
-    return {"success": True, "output": output[-500:]}
+    rc, stdout, stderr = await _run_cmd(["apt-get", "update"], timeout=120)
+    if rc != 0:
+        msg = stderr.strip() or stdout.strip()
+        log.warning("apt-get update failed (rc=%d): %s", rc, msg[:200])
+        raise HTTPException(500, f"Cache update failed: {msg[:300]}")
+    return {"success": True, "output": stdout[-500:]}
+
+
+@router.get("/debug")
+async def debug_apt(_user: str = Depends(get_current_user)):
+    """Debug endpoint — test apt-cache availability."""
+    results = {
+        "has_apt": _HAS_APT,
+        "which_apt_cache": shutil.which("apt-cache"),
+        "which_apt": shutil.which("apt"),
+        "which_dpkg": shutil.which("dpkg-query"),
+        "path": os.environ.get("PATH", ""),
+        "safe_path": _safe_env().get("PATH", ""),
+    }
+
+    # Try running apt-cache directly
+    for cmd_path in ["/usr/bin/apt-cache", "apt-cache"]:
+        try:
+            proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
+                cmd_path, "search", "bash",
+                stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
+                stderr=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
+                env=_safe_env(),
+            )
+            stdout, stderr = await asyncio.wait_for(proc.communicate(), timeout=10)
+            lines = stdout.decode(errors="replace").strip().splitlines()
+            results[f"test_{cmd_path}"] = {
+                "rc": proc.returncode,
+                "stdout_lines": len(lines),
+                "first_line": lines[0] if lines else "",
+                "stderr": stderr.decode(errors="replace").strip()[:200],
+            }
+        except Exception as e:
+            results[f"test_{cmd_path}"] = {"error": str(e)}
+
+    return results
diff --git a/frontend/js/apps/packages.js b/frontend/js/apps/packages.js
index d5b8fd6..7fbf25f 100644
--- a/frontend/js/apps/packages.js
+++ b/frontend/js/apps/packages.js
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@
                 listEl.innerHTML = '<div class="pkg-empty">Package manager not available on this system</div>';
                 return;
             }
-            if (!res.ok) throw new Error('Search failed');
+            if (!res.ok) {
+                const err = await res.json().catch(() => ({ detail: `HTTP ${res.status}` }));
+                throw new Error(err.detail || `Search failed (${res.status})`);
+            }
             const results = await res.json();
 
             if (results.length === 0) {