diff --git a/headroom/cli/wrap.py b/headroom/cli/wrap.py
index 8911c883f..094454206 100644
--- a/headroom/cli/wrap.py
+++ b/headroom/cli/wrap.py
@@ -1710,8 +1710,10 @@ def _index_serena_project(*, verbose: bool = False) -> None:
         result = run(
             [
                 "uvx",
+                # PyPI (prebuilt wheels), not the git source that fails to build
+                # under proot-based filesystems (#2871).
                 "--from",
-                "git+https://github.com/oraios/serena",
+                "serena-agent",
                 "serena",
                 "project",
                 "index",
diff --git a/headroom/mcp_registry/install.py b/headroom/mcp_registry/install.py
index d8a9f7f09..e550f6ded 100644
--- a/headroom/mcp_registry/install.py
+++ b/headroom/mcp_registry/install.py
@@ -59,8 +59,11 @@ def build_serena_spec(context: str) -> ServerSpec:
         name="serena",
         command="uvx",
         args=(
+            # The PyPI package (serena-agent) ships prebuilt wheels; the git
+            # source forced a from-source build that fails under proot-based
+            # filesystems where uv cannot hardlink into a build venv (#2871).
             "--from",
-            "git+https://github.com/oraios/serena",
+            "serena-agent",
             "serena",
             "start-mcp-server",
             "--project-from-cwd",
diff --git a/tests/test_cli/test_wrap_serena_boost.py b/tests/test_cli/test_wrap_serena_boost.py
index 8a29086b3..bb08cd628 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli/test_wrap_serena_boost.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli/test_wrap_serena_boost.py
@@ -122,7 +122,9 @@ def test_preindex_runs_serena_in_cwd(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyP
     cmd = args[0]
     assert cmd[0] == "uvx"
     assert cmd[-3:] == ["serena", "project", "index"]
-    assert "git+https://github.com/oraios/serena" in cmd
+    # PyPI package with prebuilt wheels, not the git source (#2871).
+    assert "serena-agent" in cmd
+    assert "git+https://github.com/oraios/serena" not in cmd
     assert kwargs["cwd"] == str(tmp_path)  # invoked in the project cwd
     assert "timeout" in kwargs  # timeout-guarded
 
diff --git a/tests/test_mcp_registry/test_install.py b/tests/test_mcp_registry/test_install.py
index 674199992..3e22e5b1e 100644
--- a/tests/test_mcp_registry/test_install.py
+++ b/tests/test_mcp_registry/test_install.py
@@ -89,8 +89,9 @@ def test_build_serena_spec_uses_agent_context() -> None:
     assert spec.name == "serena"
     assert spec.command == "uvx"
     assert spec.args == (
+        # PyPI package with prebuilt wheels, not the git source (#2871).
         "--from",
-        "git+https://github.com/oraios/serena",
+        "serena-agent",
         "serena",
         "start-mcp-server",
         "--project-from-cwd",
@@ -102,6 +103,15 @@ def test_build_serena_spec_uses_agent_context() -> None:
     assert spec.env == {}
 
 
+def test_build_serena_spec_uses_pypi_not_git_source() -> None:
+    """Serena is installed from the PyPI package (prebuilt wheels), not the git
+    source, which forces a from-source build that fails under proot-based
+    filesystems where uv cannot hardlink into a build venv (#2871)."""
+    spec = build_serena_spec("codex")
+    assert "serena-agent" in spec.args
+    assert not any("git+" in arg for arg in spec.args)
+
+
 def test_build_serena_spec_disables_dashboard_popup_by_default() -> None:
     # Headroom installs Serena by default; the dashboard browser tab must not
     # auto-open. The flag overrides the user's serena_config.yml at startup,