diff --git a/scripts/compile-babel.js b/scripts/compile-babel.js
index 4f7403dd..6079bda7 100644
--- a/scripts/compile-babel.js
+++ b/scripts/compile-babel.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 // ========= Copyright 2025-2026 @ Eigent.ai All Rights Reserved. =========
 // Directly use venv's python.exe (not uv run) to avoid Windows .exe launcher
 // placeholder issues - same reason we use direct python for backend/uvicorn.
-/* global process */
+/* global process, console */
 
 import { execSync } from 'child_process';
 import fs from 'fs';
@@ -16,13 +16,31 @@ const prebuiltVenvDir = path.join(projectRoot, 'resources', 'prebuilt', 'venv');
 const isWindows = process.platform === 'win32';
 
 // Prebuild uses resources/prebuilt/venv; dev may use backend/.venv
-const venvDir = fs.existsSync(prebuiltVenvDir)
-  ? prebuiltVenvDir
-  : path.join(backendDir, '.venv');
+const devVenvDir = path.join(backendDir, '.venv');
+let venvDir;
+if (fs.existsSync(prebuiltVenvDir)) {
+  venvDir = prebuiltVenvDir;
+} else if (fs.existsSync(devVenvDir)) {
+  venvDir = devVenvDir;
+} else {
+  console.error(
+    'No Python venv found. Please run "uv sync" in the backend directory first.'
+  );
+  console.error(`   Looked for: ${prebuiltVenvDir}`);
+  console.error(`   And: ${devVenvDir}`);
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
 const pythonPath = isWindows
   ? path.join(venvDir, 'Scripts', 'python.exe')
   : path.join(venvDir, 'bin', 'python');
 
+if (!fs.existsSync(pythonPath)) {
+  console.error(`Python executable not found at: ${pythonPath}`);
+  console.error('   The venv may be corrupted. Please recreate it.');
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
 execSync(`"${pythonPath}" -m babel.messages.frontend compile -d lang`, {
   cwd: backendDir,
   stdio: 'inherit',
diff --git a/scripts/fix-symlinks.js b/scripts/fix-symlinks.js
index 8fe36960..6ce3a1ca 100644
--- a/scripts/fix-symlinks.js
+++ b/scripts/fix-symlinks.js
@@ -138,11 +138,18 @@ function fixVenvSymlinks(venvPath, venvName) {
       // Check if symlink exists
       let needsFix = false;
       let currentTarget = null;
+      let symlinkExists = false;
 
-      if (
-        fs.existsSync(symlinkPath) ||
-        fs.lstatSync(symlinkPath).isSymbolicLink()
-      ) {
+      // Use lstatSync to check if symlink exists (works for broken symlinks too)
+      try {
+        const stat = fs.lstatSync(symlinkPath);
+        symlinkExists = stat.isSymbolicLink();
+      } catch {
+        // File/symlink doesn't exist at all
+        symlinkExists = false;
+      }
+
+      if (symlinkExists) {
         try {
           currentTarget = fs.readlinkSync(symlinkPath);
 
@@ -162,7 +169,7 @@ function fixVenvSymlinks(venvPath, venvName) {
             continue;
           }
         } catch (err) {
-          // Broken symlink
+          // readlinkSync failed - symlink is broken
           needsFix = true;
           console.log(
             `   ❌ ${symlinkName}: broken symlink (target doesn't exist), ${err.message}`
@@ -174,19 +181,13 @@ function fixVenvSymlinks(venvPath, venvName) {
       }
 
       if (needsFix) {
-        // Remove existing symlink
+        // Remove existing symlink if it exists
         try {
-          if (
-            fs.existsSync(symlinkPath) ||
-            fs.lstatSync(symlinkPath).isSymbolicLink()
-          ) {
-            fs.unlinkSync(symlinkPath);
-          }
-        } catch (err) {
-          console.error(
-            `   ❌ Failed to remove ${symlinkName}: ${err.message}`
-          );
-          // Ignore
+          fs.lstatSync(symlinkPath);
+          // If lstatSync succeeds, the file/symlink exists
+          fs.unlinkSync(symlinkPath);
+        } catch {
+          // File doesn't exist, nothing to remove
         }
 
         // Calculate relative path from bin/ to the Python executable