diff --git a/wrapper/start.sh b/wrapper/start.sh
index cc6ee89..7e17986 100644
--- a/wrapper/start.sh
+++ b/wrapper/start.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,35 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -euo pipefail
 
-# Ensure the external volumes are mounted and writable
-mkdir -p /cache/app /cache/tmp /cache/prev /data
+# Stable paths
+export DATA_FILE="${DATA_FILE:-/data/data.json}"
+export PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH="${PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH:-/cache/pw-browsers}"
+export WITH_PLAYWRIGHT="${WITH_PLAYWRIGHT:-1}"
 
+mkdir -p "$(dirname "$DATA_FILE")" /cache "$PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH"
+
+# Install browsers once if playwright is available in this image
+if [ "$WITH_PLAYWRIGHT" = "1" ]; then
+  python - <<'PY' || true
+import importlib, os, subprocess, sys, pathlib
+ok = importlib.util.find_spec("playwright") is not None
+if ok:
+    bpath = os.environ.get("PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH", "/cache/pw-browsers")
+    p = pathlib.Path(bpath)
+    need = True
+    if p.exists():
+        # crude presence check: any chromium* dir inside browsers path
+        for child in p.glob("*chromium*"):
+            need = False
+            break
+    if need:
+        try:
+            subprocess.check_call([sys.executable, "-m", "playwright", "install-deps", "chromium"])
+        except Exception:
+            pass  # not fatal on slim images
+        subprocess.check_call([sys.executable, "-m", "playwright", "install", "chromium"])
+PY
+fi
+
+# Hand off to the Python wrapper (nightly update + rollback)
 exec python -u /app/wrapper.py