diff --git a/run_onchange_after_install_main_deps.sh.tmpl b/run_onchange_after_install_main_deps.sh.tmpl
index ea4874f..39ea8bc 100644
--- a/run_onchange_after_install_main_deps.sh.tmpl
+++ b/run_onchange_after_install_main_deps.sh.tmpl
@@ -82,9 +82,10 @@ Yello='\033[0;33m'        # Blue
 Gray='\033[38;5;7m'       # Light Gray
 NC='\033[0m'              # No Color
 
-#short-term hack for kitty in early OSes
-if [ "$TERM" == "xterm-kitty" ];then
-export TERM="xterm-256color"
+# Fall back to xterm-256color if the terminal's terminfo isn't installed yet
+# (ghostty/kitty terminfo gets installed later in this script)
+if ! infocmp "$TERM" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  export TERM="xterm-256color"
 fi
 
 cd