diff --git a/.claude-plugin/hooks/mempal-stop-hook.sh b/.claude-plugin/hooks/mempal-stop-hook.sh
index cba3284..5c860b4 100644
--- a/.claude-plugin/hooks/mempal-stop-hook.sh
+++ b/.claude-plugin/hooks/mempal-stop-hook.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,24 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # MemPalace Stop Hook — thin wrapper calling Python CLI
 # All logic lives in mempalace.hooks_cli for cross-harness extensibility
-INPUT=$(cat)
-echo "$INPUT" | python3 -m mempalace hook run --hook stop --harness claude-code
+run_mempalace_hook() {
+  if command -v mempalace >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    mempalace hook run "$@"
+    return $?
+  fi
+
+  if command -v python3 >/dev/null 2>&1 && python3 -c "import mempalace" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    python3 -m mempalace hook run "$@"
+    return $?
+  fi
+
+  if command -v python >/dev/null 2>&1 && python -c "import mempalace" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    python -m mempalace hook run "$@"
+    return $?
+  fi
+
+  echo "MemPalace hook error: could not find a runnable mempalace command or module" >&2
+  return 1
+}
+
+run_mempalace_hook --hook stop --harness claude-code