diff --git a/src/cli/cli.c b/src/cli/cli.c
index d981af266..e90d8b885 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli.c
+++ b/src/cli/cli.c
@@ -9699,6 +9699,27 @@ static const char *cli_external_manager_name(const char *self_path) {
     if (strstr(self_path, "/.cargo/bin/")) {
         return "cargo";
     }
+#ifdef __FreeBSD__
+    /* FreeBSD ports/pkg install under ${LOCALBASE} (default /usr/local). pkg owns
+     * that file, so install must not drop a second copy in ~/.local/bin or edit a
+     * shell rc, and update must defer to pkg(8). Anchor at the start so a manual
+     * `install --dir=/opt/...` elsewhere is still treated as ours; --force-binary
+     * is the escape hatch for anyone who really does self-manage that prefix.
+     *
+     * LOCALBASE is configurable, so the port passes its real PREFIX via
+     * -DCBM_PKG_PREFIX; when it is absent we fall back to the documented default. */
+#ifdef CBM_PKG_PREFIX
+    if (strncmp(self_path, CBM_PKG_PREFIX "/bin/", sizeof(CBM_PKG_PREFIX "/bin/") - 1) == 0 ||
+        strncmp(self_path, CBM_PKG_PREFIX "/sbin/", sizeof(CBM_PKG_PREFIX "/sbin/") - 1) == 0) {
+        return "FreeBSD pkg";
+    }
+#else
+    if (strncmp(self_path, "/usr/local/bin/", 15) == 0 ||
+        strncmp(self_path, "/usr/local/sbin/", 16) == 0) {
+        return "FreeBSD pkg";
+    }
+#endif
+#endif
     return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -12227,6 +12248,8 @@ int cbm_cmd_update(int argc, char **argv) {
                 (void)fprintf(stderr, "  update it with: mise upgrade codebase-memory-mcp\n");
             } else if (manager && strcmp(manager, "Homebrew") == 0) {
                 (void)fprintf(stderr, "  update it with: brew upgrade codebase-memory-mcp\n");
+            } else if (manager && strcmp(manager, "FreeBSD pkg") == 0) {
+                (void)fprintf(stderr, "  update it with: pkg upgrade codebase-memory-mcp\n");
             } else {
                 (void)fprintf(stderr, "  update it through whichever tool installed it.\n");
             }
diff --git a/src/ui/http_server.c b/src/ui/http_server.c
index 18589d8d8..409267358 100644
--- a/src/ui/http_server.c
+++ b/src/ui/http_server.c
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@
 #ifdef __APPLE__
 #include <mach-o/dyld.h>
 #endif
+#ifdef __FreeBSD__
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/sysctl.h>
+#endif
 
 /* ── Constants ────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
 
@@ -1003,6 +1007,15 @@ static bool resolve_self_executable(char *out, size_t outsz) {
         return copy_path(out, outsz, buf);
     }
     return false;
+#elif defined(__FreeBSD__)
+    /* No /proc by default on FreeBSD; ask the kernel for our own path. */
+    char buf[1024];
+    int mib[4] = {CTL_KERN, KERN_PROC, KERN_PROC_PATHNAME, -1};
+    size_t cb = sizeof(buf);
+    if (sysctl(mib, 4, buf, &cb, NULL, 0) == 0 && cb > 0) {
+        return copy_path(out, outsz, buf);
+    }
+    return false;
 #else
     char buf[1024];
     ssize_t len = readlink("/proc/self/exe", buf, sizeof(buf) - 1);
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.c b/tests/test_cli.c
index 95fff9d76..f9f2ed99d 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.c
+++ b/tests/test_cli.c
@@ -12752,8 +12752,16 @@ TEST(cli_external_manager_detection_needs_positive_evidence_issue1566) {
     ASSERT_NULL(
         cbm_cli_external_manager_name_for_testing("/Users/x/.local/bin/codebase-memory-mcp"));
     ASSERT_NULL(cbm_cli_external_manager_name_for_testing("/opt/cbm/codebase-memory-mcp"));
-    ASSERT_NULL(cbm_cli_external_manager_name_for_testing("/usr/local/bin/codebase-memory-mcp"));
     ASSERT_NULL(cbm_cli_external_manager_name_for_testing("build/c/test-runner"));
+#ifdef __FreeBSD__
+    /* On FreeBSD the port/pkg owns ${LOCALBASE}/bin, so a binary there IS
+     * externally managed; elsewhere the same path is unremarkable. */
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(
+        cbm_cli_external_manager_name_for_testing("/usr/local/bin/codebase-memory-mcp"));
+    ASSERT_NULL(cbm_cli_external_manager_name_for_testing("/opt/local/bin/codebase-memory-mcp"));
+#else
+    ASSERT_NULL(cbm_cli_external_manager_name_for_testing("/usr/local/bin/codebase-memory-mcp"));
+#endif
     ASSERT_NULL(cbm_cli_external_manager_name_for_testing(""));
     ASSERT_NULL(cbm_cli_external_manager_name_for_testing(NULL));
     PASS();