diff --git a/src/system_dns.rs b/src/system_dns.rs
index 564dca4..da04cc7 100644
--- a/src/system_dns.rs
+++ b/src/system_dns.rs
@@ -186,8 +186,9 @@ pub fn uninstall_system_dns() -> Result<(), String> {
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
 fn numa_data_dir() -> std::path::PathBuf {
     let home = std::env::var("HOME")
+        .or_else(|_| std::env::var("SUDO_USER").map(|u| format!("/Users/{}", u)))
         .map(std::path::PathBuf::from)
-        .unwrap_or_else(|_| std::path::PathBuf::from("/tmp"));
+        .unwrap_or_else(|_| std::path::PathBuf::from("/var/root"));
     home.join(".numa")
 }
 
@@ -407,15 +408,23 @@ fn install_service_macos() -> Result<(), String> {
 
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
 fn uninstall_service_macos() -> Result<(), String> {
+    // Remove plist first so service won't restart on boot even if unload fails
+    if let Err(e) = std::fs::remove_file(PLIST_DEST) {
+        if e.kind() != std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound {
+            return Err(format!("failed to remove {}: {}", PLIST_DEST, e));
+        }
+    }
+
     // Unload the service
-    let _ = std::process::Command::new("launchctl")
+    let status = std::process::Command::new("launchctl")
         .args(["unload", "-w", PLIST_DEST])
         .status();
-
-    // Remove plist
-    if std::path::Path::new(PLIST_DEST).exists() {
-        std::fs::remove_file(PLIST_DEST)
-            .map_err(|e| format!("failed to remove {}: {}", PLIST_DEST, e))?;
+    if let Ok(s) = status {
+        if !s.success() {
+            eprintln!(
+                "  warning: launchctl unload returned non-zero (service may still be running)"
+            );
+        }
     }
 
     eprintln!("  Service uninstalled. Numa will no longer auto-start.\n");
@@ -449,24 +458,63 @@ fn backup_path_linux() -> std::path::PathBuf {
     let home = std::env::var("HOME")
         .map(std::path::PathBuf::from)
         .unwrap_or_else(|_| std::path::PathBuf::from("/root"));
-    let dir = home.join(".numa");
-    let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all(&dir);
-    dir.join("original-resolv.conf")
+    home.join(".numa").join("original-resolv.conf")
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn is_systemd_resolved_active() -> bool {
+    std::process::Command::new("systemctl")
+        .args(["is-active", "--quiet", "systemd-resolved"])
+        .status()
+        .map(|s| s.success())
+        .unwrap_or(false)
 }
 
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 fn install_linux() -> Result<(), String> {
-    let backup = backup_path_linux();
-    let resolv = std::path::Path::new("/etc/resolv.conf");
+    // Detect systemd-resolved — direct resolv.conf manipulation won't persist
+    if is_systemd_resolved_active() {
+        let resolved_dir = std::path::Path::new("/etc/systemd/resolved.conf.d");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(resolved_dir)
+            .map_err(|e| format!("failed to create {}: {}", resolved_dir.display(), e))?;
 
-    // Save current resolv.conf
-    if resolv.exists() {
-        std::fs::copy(resolv, &backup)
-            .map_err(|e| format!("failed to backup /etc/resolv.conf: {}", e))?;
-        eprintln!("  Saved /etc/resolv.conf to {}", backup.display());
+        let drop_in = resolved_dir.join("numa.conf");
+        std::fs::write(&drop_in, "[Resolve]\nDNS=127.0.0.1\nDomains=~.\n")
+            .map_err(|e| format!("failed to write {}: {}", drop_in.display(), e))?;
+
+        let _ = run_systemctl(&["restart", "systemd-resolved"]);
+        eprintln!("  systemd-resolved detected.");
+        eprintln!("  Installed drop-in: {}", drop_in.display());
+        eprintln!("  Run 'sudo numa uninstall' to remove.\n");
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
+    // Fallback: direct resolv.conf manipulation
+    let resolv = std::path::Path::new("/etc/resolv.conf");
+    let backup = backup_path_linux();
+
+    // Ensure backup directory exists
+    if let Some(parent) = backup.parent() {
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(parent)
+            .map_err(|e| format!("failed to create {}: {}", parent.display(), e))?;
+    }
+
+    // Back up current resolv.conf (ignore NotFound)
+    match std::fs::copy(resolv, &backup) {
+        Ok(_) => eprintln!("  Saved /etc/resolv.conf to {}", backup.display()),
+        Err(e) if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => {}
+        Err(e) => return Err(format!("failed to backup /etc/resolv.conf: {}", e)),
+    }
+
+    if resolv
+        .symlink_metadata()
+        .map(|m| m.file_type().is_symlink())
+        .unwrap_or(false)
+    {
+        eprintln!("  warning: /etc/resolv.conf is a symlink — changes may not persist.");
+        eprintln!("  Consider using systemd-resolved or NetworkManager instead.\n");
     }
 
-    // Write new resolv.conf pointing to Numa
     let content =
         "# Generated by Numa — run 'sudo numa uninstall' to restore\nnameserver 127.0.0.1\n";
     std::fs::write(resolv, content)
@@ -479,26 +527,45 @@ fn install_linux() -> Result<(), String> {
 
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 fn uninstall_linux() -> Result<(), String> {
+    // Check for systemd-resolved drop-in first
+    let drop_in = std::path::Path::new("/etc/systemd/resolved.conf.d/numa.conf");
+    if drop_in.exists() {
+        std::fs::remove_file(drop_in)
+            .map_err(|e| format!("failed to remove {}: {}", drop_in.display(), e))?;
+        let _ = run_systemctl(&["restart", "systemd-resolved"]);
+        eprintln!("  Removed systemd-resolved drop-in. DNS restored.\n");
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
+    // Fallback: restore resolv.conf from backup
     let backup = backup_path_linux();
     let resolv = std::path::Path::new("/etc/resolv.conf");
 
-    if backup.exists() {
-        std::fs::copy(&backup, resolv)
-            .map_err(|e| format!("failed to restore /etc/resolv.conf: {}", e))?;
-        std::fs::remove_file(&backup).ok();
-        eprintln!("  Restored /etc/resolv.conf from backup. Backup removed.\n");
-    } else {
-        eprintln!("  No backup found at {}.", backup.display());
-        eprintln!("  Manually edit /etc/resolv.conf to restore your DNS.\n");
+    match std::fs::copy(&backup, resolv) {
+        Ok(_) => {
+            std::fs::remove_file(&backup).ok();
+            eprintln!("  Restored /etc/resolv.conf from backup. Backup removed.\n");
+        }
+        Err(e) if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => {
+            eprintln!("  No backup found at {}.", backup.display());
+            eprintln!("  Manually edit /etc/resolv.conf to restore your DNS.\n");
+        }
+        Err(e) => return Err(format!("failed to restore /etc/resolv.conf: {}", e)),
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn ensure_binary_installed() -> Result<(), String> {
+    if !std::path::Path::new("/usr/local/bin/numa").exists() {
+        return Err("numa binary not found at /usr/local/bin/numa. Run: sudo cp target/release/numa /usr/local/bin/numa".to_string());
     }
     Ok(())
 }
 
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 fn install_service_linux() -> Result<(), String> {
-    if !std::path::Path::new("/usr/local/bin/numa").exists() {
-        return Err("numa binary not found at /usr/local/bin/numa. Run: sudo cp target/release/numa /usr/local/bin/numa".to_string());
-    }
+    ensure_binary_installed()?;
 
     let unit = include_str!("../numa.service");
     std::fs::write(SYSTEMD_UNIT, unit)
@@ -517,12 +584,17 @@ fn install_service_linux() -> Result<(), String> {
 
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 fn uninstall_service_linux() -> Result<(), String> {
-    let _ = run_systemctl(&["stop", "numa"]);
-    let _ = run_systemctl(&["disable", "numa"]);
+    if let Err(e) = run_systemctl(&["stop", "numa"]) {
+        eprintln!("  warning: {}", e);
+    }
+    if let Err(e) = run_systemctl(&["disable", "numa"]) {
+        eprintln!("  warning: {}", e);
+    }
 
-    if std::path::Path::new(SYSTEMD_UNIT).exists() {
-        std::fs::remove_file(SYSTEMD_UNIT)
-            .map_err(|e| format!("failed to remove {}: {}", SYSTEMD_UNIT, e))?;
+    if let Err(e) = std::fs::remove_file(SYSTEMD_UNIT) {
+        if e.kind() != std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound {
+            return Err(format!("failed to remove {}: {}", SYSTEMD_UNIT, e));
+        }
     }
     let _ = run_systemctl(&["daemon-reload"]);