diff --git a/backend/meta/scripts/check-install-scripts.sh b/backend/meta/scripts/check-install-scripts.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..1c7f9baa6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/meta/scripts/check-install-scripts.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Audit backend install-script sources before running a full npm install.
+# Exits non-zero if any package not on the whitelist has hasInstallScript: true.
+#
+# Usage (from repo root):
+#   backend/meta/scripts/check-install-scripts.sh
+#
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+BACKEND_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../.." && pwd)"
+LOCKFILE="${BACKEND_DIR}/package-lock.json"
+RUST_GBT_DIR="${BACKEND_DIR}/../rust/gbt"
+TMP_AUDIT_DIR=""
+
+BACKEND_ALLOWED=(
+  "mempool-backend"
+  "fsevents"
+  "unrs-resolver"
+)
+
+RUST_GBT_ALLOWED=()
+
+is_allowed() {
+  local pkg="$1"
+  shift
+  local allowed
+  for allowed in "$@"; do
+    if [[ "$pkg" == "$allowed" ]]; then
+      return 0
+    fi
+  done
+  return 1
+}
+
+cleanup() {
+  if [[ -n "${TMP_AUDIT_DIR}" && -d "${TMP_AUDIT_DIR}" ]]; then
+    rm -rf "${TMP_AUDIT_DIR}"
+  fi
+}
+
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+collect_has_install_script_packages() {
+  local lockfile="$1"
+  if [[ ! -f "$lockfile" ]]; then
+    echo "No package-lock.json found at ${lockfile}"
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  LOCKFILE_PATH="$lockfile" node - <<'NODE'
+const fs = require('fs');
+
+const lock = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(process.env.LOCKFILE_PATH, 'utf8'));
+const pkgs = lock.packages || {};
+
+for (const [path, meta] of Object.entries(pkgs)) {
+  if (meta && meta.hasInstallScript) {
+    const name = path === '' ? (lock.name || '(root)') : path.replace(/^.*node_modules\//, '');
+    console.log(name);
+  }
+}
+NODE
+}
+
+audit_lockfile() {
+  local lockfile="$1"
+  local label="$2"
+  shift 2
+  local allowed=("$@")
+  local found_violations=0
+  local pkg
+
+  while IFS= read -r pkg; do
+    [[ -z "$pkg" ]] && continue
+    if ! is_allowed "$pkg" "${allowed[@]}"; then
+      echo "VIOLATION: unauthorized install script in '${pkg}' (${label}: ${lockfile})"
+      found_violations=1
+    fi
+  done < <(collect_has_install_script_packages "$lockfile")
+
+  if [[ "$found_violations" -eq 1 ]]; then
+    echo ""
+    echo "FAILED: Found packages with install scripts not on the whitelist."
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  echo "OK: All ${label} install scripts are from whitelisted packages."
+}
+
+get_rust_gbt_napi_cli_version() {
+  local rust_gbt_package_json="${RUST_GBT_DIR}/package.json"
+  if [[ ! -f "$rust_gbt_package_json" ]]; then
+    echo "No rust/gbt package.json found at ${rust_gbt_package_json}"
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  RUST_GBT_PACKAGE_JSON="$rust_gbt_package_json" node - <<'NODE'
+const fs = require('fs');
+
+const pkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(process.env.RUST_GBT_PACKAGE_JSON, 'utf8'));
+const buildScript = (pkg.scripts && pkg.scripts.build) || '';
+const match = buildScript.match(/npm install --no-save @napi-rs\/cli@([^\s]+)/);
+
+if (!match) {
+  console.error('Could not determine the @napi-rs/cli version from rust/gbt/package.json.');
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
+process.stdout.write(match[1]);
+NODE
+}
+
+generate_rust_gbt_audit_lockfile() {
+  local napi_cli_version="$1"
+
+  TMP_AUDIT_DIR="$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/backend-rust-gbt-audit.XXXXXX")"
+  cat > "${TMP_AUDIT_DIR}/package.json" <<EOF
+{
+  "name": "rust-gbt-install-audit",
+  "private": true,
+  "dependencies": {
+    "@napi-rs/cli": "${napi_cli_version}"
+  }
+}
+EOF
+
+  (
+    cd "${TMP_AUDIT_DIR}"
+    npm install --package-lock-only --ignore-scripts --no-audit --no-fund >/dev/null
+  )
+
+  printf '%s\n' "${TMP_AUDIT_DIR}/package-lock.json"
+}
+
+audit_rust_gbt_preinstall_chain() {
+  local napi_cli_version
+  local rust_gbt_lockfile
+
+  napi_cli_version="$(get_rust_gbt_napi_cli_version)"
+  rust_gbt_lockfile="$(generate_rust_gbt_audit_lockfile "${napi_cli_version}")"
+  if [[ "${#RUST_GBT_ALLOWED[@]}" -gt 0 ]]; then
+    audit_lockfile "${rust_gbt_lockfile}" "backend preinstall toolchain" "${RUST_GBT_ALLOWED[@]}"
+  else
+    audit_lockfile "${rust_gbt_lockfile}" "backend preinstall toolchain"
+  fi
+}
+
+audit_lockfile "${LOCKFILE}" "backend lockfile" "${BACKEND_ALLOWED[@]}"
+audit_rust_gbt_preinstall_chain
+
+echo "OK: Backend install-script audit passed."
diff --git a/backend/meta/scripts/safe-install.sh b/backend/meta/scripts/safe-install.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..ac5ed7d39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/meta/scripts/safe-install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Safely install backend npm dependencies by refreshing the lockfile without
+# running install scripts, auditing it, then doing the real install.
+#
+# Usage (from repo root):
+#   backend/meta/scripts/safe-install.sh
+#
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+BACKEND_DIR="$(cd "${SCRIPT_DIR}/../.." && pwd)"
+LOCKFILE="${BACKEND_DIR}/package-lock.json"
+RESTORE_LOCKFILE_DONE=0
+
+# Back up the lockfile so we can restore on failure
+if [[ -f "$LOCKFILE" ]]; then
+  cp "$LOCKFILE" "${LOCKFILE}.bak"
+fi
+
+restore_lockfile() {
+  trap - ERR INT TERM
+  if [[ "${RESTORE_LOCKFILE_DONE}" -eq 1 ]]; then
+    return
+  fi
+  RESTORE_LOCKFILE_DONE=1
+
+  if [[ -f "${LOCKFILE}.bak" ]]; then
+    mv "${LOCKFILE}.bak" "$LOCKFILE"
+    echo "Restored original package-lock.json."
+  elif [[ -f "$LOCKFILE" ]]; then
+    rm "$LOCKFILE"
+    echo "Removed generated package-lock.json."
+  fi
+}
+
+trap restore_lockfile ERR INT TERM
+
+echo "==> Refreshing backend lockfile (--ignore-scripts --package-lock-only)..."
+(cd "$BACKEND_DIR" && npm install --ignore-scripts --package-lock-only --no-audit --no-fund)
+
+echo ""
+echo "==> Auditing lockfile for install scripts..."
+bash "${SCRIPT_DIR}/check-install-scripts.sh"
+
+trap - ERR INT TERM
+rm -f "${LOCKFILE}.bak"
+
+echo ""
+echo "==> Installing backend (npm ci)..."
+(cd "$BACKEND_DIR" && npm ci)
+
+echo ""
+echo "Done."
diff --git a/frontend/meta/scripts/check-install-scripts.sh b/frontend/meta/scripts/check-install-scripts.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..89a79489a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/meta/scripts/check-install-scripts.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Audit frontend package-lock.json for unexpected hasInstallScript entries.
+# Exits non-zero if any package not on the whitelist has hasInstallScript: true.
+#
+# Usage (from repo root):
+#   frontend/meta/scripts/check-install-scripts.sh
+#
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+FRONTEND_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../.." && pwd)"
+LOCKFILE="${FRONTEND_DIR}/package-lock.json"
+
+ALLOWED=(
+  "mempool-frontend"
+  "@parcel/watcher"
+  "cypress"
+  "esbuild"
+  "fsevents"
+  "lmdb"
+  "msgpackr-extract"
+)
+
+is_allowed() {
+  local pkg="$1"
+  for allowed in "${ALLOWED[@]}"; do
+    if [[ "$pkg" == "$allowed" ]]; then
+      return 0
+    fi
+  done
+  return 1
+}
+
+if [[ ! -f "$LOCKFILE" ]]; then
+  echo "No package-lock.json found at ${LOCKFILE}"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+found_violations=0
+
+violations=$(
+  LOCKFILE_PATH="$LOCKFILE" node - <<'NODE'
+const fs = require('fs');
+
+const lock = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(process.env.LOCKFILE_PATH, 'utf8'));
+const pkgs = lock.packages || {};
+
+for (const [path, meta] of Object.entries(pkgs)) {
+  if (meta && meta.hasInstallScript) {
+    const name = path === '' ? (lock.name || '(root)') : path.replace(/^.*node_modules\//, '');
+    console.log(name);
+  }
+}
+NODE
+)
+
+while IFS= read -r pkg; do
+  [[ -z "$pkg" ]] && continue
+  if ! is_allowed "$pkg"; then
+    echo "VIOLATION: unauthorized install script in '${pkg}' (${LOCKFILE})"
+    found_violations=1
+  fi
+done <<< "$violations"
+
+if [[ "$found_violations" -eq 1 ]]; then
+  echo ""
+  echo "FAILED: Found packages with install scripts not on the whitelist."
+  echo "If this is a legitimate new dependency, add it to frontend/meta/scripts/check-install-scripts.sh"
+  exit 1
+else
+  echo "OK: All frontend install scripts are from whitelisted packages."
+fi
diff --git a/frontend/meta/scripts/safe-install.sh b/frontend/meta/scripts/safe-install.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..bdd8b72c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/meta/scripts/safe-install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Safely install frontend npm dependencies by refreshing the lockfile without
+# running install scripts, auditing it, then doing the real install.
+#
+# Usage (from repo root):
+#   frontend/meta/scripts/safe-install.sh
+#
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+FRONTEND_DIR="$(cd "${SCRIPT_DIR}/../.." && pwd)"
+LOCKFILE="${FRONTEND_DIR}/package-lock.json"
+RESTORE_LOCKFILE_DONE=0
+
+# Back up the lockfile so we can restore on failure
+if [[ -f "$LOCKFILE" ]]; then
+  cp "$LOCKFILE" "${LOCKFILE}.bak"
+fi
+
+restore_lockfile() {
+  trap - ERR INT TERM
+  if [[ "${RESTORE_LOCKFILE_DONE}" -eq 1 ]]; then
+    return
+  fi
+  RESTORE_LOCKFILE_DONE=1
+
+  if [[ -f "${LOCKFILE}.bak" ]]; then
+    mv "${LOCKFILE}.bak" "$LOCKFILE"
+    echo "Restored original package-lock.json."
+  elif [[ -f "$LOCKFILE" ]]; then
+    rm "$LOCKFILE"
+    echo "Removed generated package-lock.json."
+  fi
+}
+
+trap restore_lockfile ERR INT TERM
+
+echo "==> Refreshing frontend lockfile (--ignore-scripts --package-lock-only)..."
+(cd "$FRONTEND_DIR" && npm install --ignore-scripts --package-lock-only --no-audit --no-fund)
+
+echo ""
+echo "==> Auditing lockfile for install scripts..."
+bash "${SCRIPT_DIR}/check-install-scripts.sh"
+
+trap - ERR INT TERM
+rm -f "${LOCKFILE}.bak"
+
+echo ""
+echo "==> Installing frontend (npm ci)..."
+(cd "$FRONTEND_DIR" && npm ci)
+
+echo ""
+echo "Done."