diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 405f6cb..5dd8dd1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -32,21 +32,6 @@ That is all. The installer:
 
 Re-running it is safe.
 
-> **While this repository is private**, neither `qbraid.com/code.sh` nor
-> `qbraid.com/code.ps1` is live yet. Use the GitHub CLI instead (`gh auth login`
-> first, and you must be in the `qBraid` org):
->
-> ```bash
-> # macOS and Linux
-> gh api -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.raw" \
->   /repos/qBraid/qbraid-code/contents/install.sh | bash
-> ```
->
-> ```powershell
-> # Windows
-> gh api -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.raw" /repos/qBraid/qbraid-code/contents/install.ps1 | Out-String | iex
-> ```
-
 ## Use
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/install.ps1 b/install.ps1
index 7cc33d1..e8d89d8 100644
--- a/install.ps1
+++ b/install.ps1
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ Ok "config written to $envPath"
 
 # When piped through `iex` there is no local checkout, so companion files are
 # fetched over HTTP. `gh` covers the window where the repository is still
-# private and raw.githubusercontent.com 404s.
+# unreachable; `gh` is a last resort.
 $SrcDir = $null
 if ($PSScriptRoot -and (Test-Path (Join-Path $PSScriptRoot 'qbraid-code.cmd'))) {
     $SrcDir = $PSScriptRoot
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ function Fetch-File {
     }
 
     if (-not (Get-Command gh -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
-        Die "could not download $Name. While this repository is private you need the GitHub CLI: https://cli.github.com"
+        Die "could not download $Name from qbraid.com or GitHub. Check your connection and re-run."
     }
     $text = (gh api -H 'Accept: application/vnd.github.raw' "$GhContents/$Name" | Out-String)
     if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0 -or -not $text) {
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 482f450..53f5a72 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ ok "config written to $HOME_DIR/env"
 
 # When piped from curl there is no local checkout, so companion files are
 # fetched: qbraid.com first (allowlisted on networks that block GitHub), then
-# raw.githubusercontent, then `gh` for the window where the repo is private.
+# raw.githubusercontent, then `gh` as a last resort if both are unreachable.
 SRC_DIR=""
 if [ -f "${BASH_SOURCE[0]:-}" ]; then
   CAND=$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ fetch_file() { # fetch_file <name> <dest>
   if curl -fsSL -m 30 -o "$dest" "$SITE_BASE/$name" 2>/dev/null && [ -s "$dest" ]; then return 0; fi
   if curl -fsSL -m 30 -o "$dest" "$RAW_BASE/$name" 2>/dev/null && [ -s "$dest" ]; then return 0; fi
   command -v gh >/dev/null 2>&1 \
-    || die "could not download $name. While this repository is private you need the GitHub CLI: https://cli.github.com"
+    || die "could not download $name from qbraid.com or GitHub. Check your connection and re-run."
   gh api -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.raw" "$GH_CONTENTS/$name" > "$dest" \
     || die "could not download $name — is \`gh auth login\` done, and are you in the qBraid org?"
   [ -s "$dest" ] || die "downloaded $name but it is empty."