diff --git a/misc/core.func b/misc/core.func
index 5d46742d..af668c42 100644
--- a/misc/core.func
+++ b/misc/core.func
@@ -551,13 +551,17 @@ silent() {
 # - Uses color_spinner() colors for output
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 spinner() {
+  # Reset bash's command hash table — package upgrades (dnf/pacman) may have
+  # moved /usr/bin <-> /usr/sbin during /usr-merge, leaving the parent shell
+  # with stale cached paths that get inherited by this background subshell.
+  hash -r 2>/dev/null || true
   local chars=(⠋ ⠙ ⠹ ⠸ ⠼ ⠴ ⠦ ⠧ ⠇ ⠏)
   local msg="${SPINNER_MSG:-Processing...}"
   local i=0
   while true; do
     local index=$((i++ % ${#chars[@]}))
     printf "\r\033[2K%s %b" "${CS_YWB}${chars[$index]}${CS_CL}" "${CS_YWB}${msg}${CS_CL}"
-    sleep 0.1
+    sleep 0.1 2>/dev/null || command sleep 0.1 2>/dev/null || break
   done
 }
 
diff --git a/misc/install.func b/misc/install.func
index 954fa2fa..d087af57 100644
--- a/misc/install.func
+++ b/misc/install.func
@@ -175,16 +175,32 @@ _bootstrap() {
     elif command -v pacman &>/dev/null; then
       pacman -Sy --noconfirm curl &>/dev/null
     elif command -v emerge &>/dev/null; then
-      emerge --quiet net-misc/curl &>/dev/null
+      # Gentoo stage3 has no curl and no portage tree on first boot.
+      # Sync portage (webrsync = fast snapshot) then prefer binary package.
+      emerge-webrsync --quiet &>/dev/null || emerge --sync --quiet &>/dev/null
+      emerge --quiet --getbinpkg --usepkg net-misc/curl &>/dev/null \
+        || emerge --quiet net-misc/curl &>/dev/null
     fi
   fi
 
+  # Last resort: if curl still missing but wget is available (Gentoo stage3),
+  # use wget for the bootstrap source fetch so we don't fail immediately.
+  local _fetch
+  if command -v curl &>/dev/null; then
+    _fetch="curl -fsSL"
+  elif command -v wget &>/dev/null; then
+    _fetch="wget -qO-"
+  else
+    echo "ERROR: neither curl nor wget available — cannot bootstrap" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
   # Configurable base URL for development — override with COMMUNITY_SCRIPTS_URL
   COMMUNITY_SCRIPTS_URL="${COMMUNITY_SCRIPTS_URL:-https://raw.githubusercontent.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVED/main}"
 
   # Source core functions
-  source <(curl -fsSL "$COMMUNITY_SCRIPTS_URL/misc/core.func")
-  source <(curl -fsSL "$COMMUNITY_SCRIPTS_URL/misc/error_handler.func")
+  source <($_fetch "$COMMUNITY_SCRIPTS_URL/misc/core.func")
+  source <($_fetch "$COMMUNITY_SCRIPTS_URL/misc/error_handler.func")
   load_functions
   catch_errors