diff --git a/internal/bootstrap.cm b/internal/bootstrap.cm
index ac532e0a..75c61076 100644
--- a/internal/bootstrap.cm
+++ b/internal/bootstrap.cm
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-// Hidden vars (os, args, core_path, use_mcode) come from env
+// Hidden vars (os, args, shop_path, use_mcode) come from env
+var core_path = shop_path + '/packages/core'
 // args[0] = script name, args[1..] = user args
 var load_internal = os.load_internal
 function use_embed(name) {
diff --git a/internal/engine.cm b/internal/engine.cm
index d49c9589..bd4dbf76 100644
--- a/internal/engine.cm
+++ b/internal/engine.cm
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Hidden vars (os, actorsym, init, core_path) come from env
+// Hidden vars (os, actorsym, init, shop_path) come from env
 var ACTORDATA = actorsym
 var SYSYM = '__SYSTEM__'
 
@@ -52,21 +52,10 @@ function ends_with(str, suffix) {
 var js = use_embed('js')
 var fd = use_embed('fd')
 
-// Get the shop path from HOME environment
-var home = os.getenv('HOME') || os.getenv('USERPROFILE')
-if (!home) {
-  os.print('Could not determine home directory\n')
-  os.exit(1)
-}
-var shop_path = home + '/.cell'
+// shop_path comes from hidden env (set by cell.c)
 var packages_path = shop_path + '/packages'
 var core_path = packages_path + '/core'
 
-if (!fd.is_dir(core_path)) {
-  os.print('Cell shop not found at ' + shop_path + '. Run "cell install" to set up.\n')
-  os.exit(1)
-}
-
 var use_cache = {}
 use_cache['core/os'] = os
 
diff --git a/source/cell.c b/source/cell.c
index 4a421748..881b2d9a 100644
--- a/source/cell.c
+++ b/source/cell.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ int run_c_test_suite(JSContext *ctx);
 static int run_test_suite(size_t heap_size);
 
 cell_rt *root_cell = NULL;
+static char *shop_path = NULL;
 static char *core_path = NULL;
 static JSRuntime *g_runtime = NULL;
 
@@ -38,31 +39,52 @@ static const char* get_home_dir(void) {
   return home;
 }
 
-// Find and verify the cell shop at ~/.cell
-int find_cell_shop(void)
+// Find and verify the cell shop
+// Precedence: override (--shop flag) > CELL_SHOP env var > ~/.cell
+int find_cell_shop(const char *override_path)
 {
-  const char *home = get_home_dir();
-  if (!home) {
-    printf("ERROR: Could not determine home directory. Set HOME environment variable.\n");
-    return 0;
+  if (override_path) {
+    shop_path = strdup(override_path);
+  } else {
+    const char *env = getenv("CELL_SHOP");
+    if (env) {
+      shop_path = strdup(env);
+    } else {
+      const char *home = get_home_dir();
+      if (!home) {
+        printf("ERROR: Could not determine home directory. Set HOME environment variable.\n");
+        return 0;
+      }
+      size_t path_len = strlen(home) + strlen("/" CELL_SHOP_DIR) + 1;
+      shop_path = malloc(path_len);
+      if (!shop_path) {
+        printf("ERROR: Could not allocate memory for shop path\n");
+        return 0;
+      }
+      snprintf(shop_path, path_len, "%s/" CELL_SHOP_DIR, home);
+    }
   }
 
-  // Build path to ~/.cell/core
-  size_t path_len = strlen(home) + strlen("/" CELL_SHOP_DIR "/" CELL_CORE_DIR) + 1;
-  core_path = malloc(path_len);
+  // Derive core_path from shop_path
+  size_t core_len = strlen(shop_path) + strlen("/" CELL_CORE_DIR) + 1;
+  core_path = malloc(core_len);
   if (!core_path) {
     printf("ERROR: Could not allocate memory for core path\n");
+    free(shop_path);
+    shop_path = NULL;
     return 0;
   }
-  snprintf(core_path, path_len, "%s/" CELL_SHOP_DIR "/" CELL_CORE_DIR, home);
+  snprintf(core_path, core_len, "%s/" CELL_CORE_DIR, shop_path);
 
   // Check if the core directory exists
   struct stat st;
   if (stat(core_path, &st) != 0 || !S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
-    printf("ERROR: Cell shop not found at %s/" CELL_SHOP_DIR "\n", home);
+    printf("ERROR: Cell shop not found at %s\n", shop_path);
     printf("Run 'cell install' to set up the cell environment.\n");
     free(core_path);
+    free(shop_path);
     core_path = NULL;
+    shop_path = NULL;
     return 0;
   }
 
@@ -183,8 +205,8 @@ void script_startup(cell_rt *prt)
     JS_SetPropertyStr(js, hidden_env, "init", JS_NULL);
   }
 
-  if (core_path) {
-    JS_SetPropertyStr(js, hidden_env, "core_path", JS_NewString(js, core_path));
+  if (shop_path) {
+    JS_SetPropertyStr(js, hidden_env, "shop_path", JS_NewString(js, shop_path));
   }
 
   // Stone the environment
@@ -255,6 +277,7 @@ static void print_usage(const char *prog)
   printf("Usage: %s [options] <script> [args...]\n\n", prog);
   printf("Run a cell script (.ce actor or .cm module).\n\n");
   printf("Options:\n");
+  printf("  --shop <path>              Set shop path (overrides CELL_SHOP env var)\n");
   printf("  --mcode <script> [args]    Run through mcode compilation pipeline\n");
   printf("  --test [heap_size]         Run C test suite\n");
   printf("  -h, --help                 Show this help message\n");
@@ -286,12 +309,26 @@ int cell_init(int argc, char **argv)
   /* Default: run script through bootstrap pipeline */
   int use_mcode = 0;
   int arg_start = 1;
-  if (argc >= 3 && strcmp(argv[1], "--mcode") == 0) {
-    use_mcode = 1;
-    arg_start = 2;
+  const char *shop_override = NULL;
+
+  // Parse flags (order-independent)
+  while (arg_start < argc && argv[arg_start][0] == '-') {
+    if (strcmp(argv[arg_start], "--mcode") == 0) {
+      use_mcode = 1;
+      arg_start++;
+    } else if (strcmp(argv[arg_start], "--shop") == 0) {
+      if (arg_start + 1 >= argc) {
+        printf("ERROR: --shop requires a path argument\n");
+        return 1;
+      }
+      shop_override = argv[arg_start + 1];
+      arg_start += 2;
+    } else {
+      break;
+    }
   }
 
-  if (!find_cell_shop()) return 1;
+  if (!find_cell_shop(shop_override)) return 1;
 
   size_t boot_size;
   int boot_is_bin = 1;
@@ -322,7 +359,7 @@ int cell_init(int argc, char **argv)
 
   JSValue hidden_env = JS_NewObject(ctx);
   JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "os", js_os_use(ctx));
-  JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "core_path", JS_NewString(ctx, core_path));
+  JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "shop_path", JS_NewString(ctx, shop_path));
   JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "use_mcode", JS_NewBool(ctx, use_mcode));
   JSValue args_arr = JS_NewArray(ctx);
   for (int i = arg_start; i < argc; i++) {