diff --git a/lib/utils.sh b/lib/utils.sh
index d3d2f4e..d39fcc7 100755
--- a/lib/utils.sh
+++ b/lib/utils.sh
@@ -260,21 +260,6 @@ install_aur_package() {
   return $rc
 }
 
-_install_paru_bin() {
-  local build_dir="$1"
-  git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/paru-bin.git "$build_dir/paru-bin" 2>/dev/null || return 1
-  (cd "$build_dir/paru-bin" && makepkg -si --needed --noconfirm) 2>/dev/null || return 1
-  return 0
-}
-
-_install_paru_source() {
-  local build_dir="$1"
-  sudo_run pacman -S --needed --noconfirm go
-  git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/paru.git "$build_dir/paru" 2>/dev/null || return 1
-  (cd "$build_dir/paru" && makepkg -si --needed --noconfirm) 2>/dev/null || return 1
-  return 0
-}
-
 install_aur_helper() {
   if have paru || have yay; then
     return 0
@@ -282,9 +267,7 @@ install_aur_helper() {
 
   if is_root; then
     tui_warn "Running as root — makepkg refuses to run as root."
-    tui_info "Switch to a normal user with sudo access and re-run, or install paru manually:"
-    tui_info "  pacman -S --needed git && git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/paru-bin.git"
-    tui_info "  cd paru-bin && makepkg -si"
+    tui_info "Switch to a normal user with sudo access and re-run."
     return 1
   fi
 
@@ -294,39 +277,29 @@ install_aur_helper() {
   local build_dir
   build_dir="$(mktemp -d)"
 
-  tui_info "Installing paru-bin (binary AUR helper)..."
-  if _install_paru_bin "$build_dir" && paru --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  tui_info "Installing yay-bin (statically linked, works on any libalpm)..."
+  if git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay-bin.git "$build_dir/yay-bin" &&
+     (cd "$build_dir/yay-bin" && makepkg -si --needed --noconfirm); then
+    tui_success "yay installed"
+    rm -rf "$build_dir"
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  rm -rf "$build_dir"
+  mkdir -p "$build_dir"
+
+  tui_info "yay-bin failed. Trying paru-bin..."
+  if git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/paru-bin.git "$build_dir/paru-bin" &&
+     (cd "$build_dir/paru-bin" && makepkg -si --needed --noconfirm) &&
+     paru --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
     tui_success "paru works"
     rm -rf "$build_dir"
     return 0
   fi
 
-  tui_warn "paru-bin failed or has library mismatch. Building paru from source..."
-  rm -rf "$build_dir"/*
-  mkdir -p "$build_dir"
-
-  if _install_paru_source "$build_dir"; then
-    tui_success "paru built and installed from source"
-    rm -rf "$build_dir"
-    return 0
-  fi
-
-  tui_warn "paru source build failed. Trying yay as fallback..."
-  rm -rf "$build_dir"/*
-
-  if git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay-bin.git "$build_dir/yay-bin" 2>/dev/null; then
-    if (cd "$build_dir/yay-bin" && makepkg -si --needed --noconfirm) 2>/dev/null; then
-      tui_success "yay installed successfully"
-      rm -rf "$build_dir"
-      return 0
-    fi
-  fi
-
-  tui_warn "Could not install any AUR helper. Install manually:"
-  tui_info "  sudo pacman -S go && git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/paru.git"
-  tui_info "  cd paru && makepkg -si"
   rm -rf "$build_dir"
-  return 1
+  tui_warn "No working AUR helper. Using direct git clone + makepkg for AUR packages."
+  return 0
 }
 
 install_aur() {
@@ -339,7 +312,14 @@ install_aur() {
       continue
     fi
 
-    if have paru && paru --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    if have yay; then
+      tui_info "Installing $pkg from AUR (via yay)..."
+      if yay -S --needed --noconfirm "$pkg"; then
+        tui_success "$pkg installed"
+        continue
+      fi
+      tui_warn "yay failed for $pkg. Trying direct AUR install..."
+    elif have paru && paru --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
       tui_info "Installing $pkg from AUR (via paru)..."
       if paru -S --needed --noconfirm "$pkg"; then
         tui_success "$pkg installed"