diff --git a/scripts/setup.sh b/scripts/setup.sh
index ba730db..8241001 100644
--- a/scripts/setup.sh
+++ b/scripts/setup.sh
@@ -197,8 +197,10 @@ else
   echo "Pre-built frontend detected. Skipping frontend build."
 fi
 
-# 4.3 Setup Systemd
-cat <<EOF > /etc/systemd/system/mpvj-backend.service
+# 4.3 Setup system service (only if systemd is running)
+# Note: in containerized environments (no systemd PID 1), systemctl will fail.
+if [ "$(cat /proc/1/comm 2>/dev/null)" = "systemd" ] && command -v systemctl > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+  cat <<EOF > /etc/systemd/system/mpvj-backend.service
 [Unit]
 Description=MPVJ Backend
 After=network.target
@@ -211,8 +213,12 @@ Restart=on-failure
 [Install]
 WantedBy=multi-user.target
 EOF
-systemctl daemon-reload
-systemctl enable mpvj-backend.service
+  systemctl daemon-reload
+  systemctl enable mpvj-backend.service
+else
+  echo "WARNING: systemd not detected (PID 1 is not systemd). Skipping systemd service setup."
+  echo "You can run the backend manually: node $REAL_HOME/mpvj/backend/index.js"
+fi
 
 # 4.4 .env
 cat <<EOF > "$REAL_HOME/mpvj/backend/.env"
@@ -328,7 +334,15 @@ sudo -u "$REAL_USER" make clean
 
 echo "Starting compilation (Nuclear Stability Mode: -O0 + C++11 + VRP disabled)..."
 GLOBAL_FLAGS="-Wno-error -Wno-reorder -Wno-sign-compare -Wno-delete-non-virtual-dtor -std=c++11 -O0 -fno-tree-vrp"
-sudo -u "$REAL_USER" make -j1 \
+
+# Cross-compile support: if host is not aarch64 and cross toolchain is present, use it
+MAKE_ENV=""
+if [ "$(uname -m)" != "aarch64" ] && command -v aarch64-linux-gnu-g++ > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "Detected x86_64 host with aarch64 toolchain; building aarch64 binaries."
+  MAKE_ENV="CC=aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc CXX=aarch64-linux-gnu-g++ AR=aarch64-linux-gnu-ar LD=aarch64-linux-gnu-ld"
+fi
+
+sudo -u "$REAL_USER" env $MAKE_ENV make -j1 \
     PLATFORM_CFLAGS="$GLOBAL_FLAGS -I$REAL_HOME/openFrameworks/addons/ofxPiMapper/src" \
     USER_CFLAGS="$GLOBAL_FLAGS" \
     USER_CPPFLAGS="-std=c++11" \
@@ -342,5 +356,11 @@ echo "Cleaning up..."
 swapoff /swapfile_mpvj 2>/dev/null || true
 rm /swapfile_mpvj 2>/dev/null || true
 
-whiptail --title "Success" --msgbox "INSTALL COMPLETE!\n\nRebooting into AP Mode.\nSSID: $WIFI_SSID\nIP: 192.168.4.1" 12 45 < /dev/tty
-reboot
+if [ "$(cat /proc/1/comm 2>/dev/null)" = "systemd" ]; then
+  whiptail --title "Success" --msgbox "INSTALL COMPLETE!\n\nRebooting into AP Mode.\nSSID: $WIFI_SSID\nIP: 192.168.4.1" 12 45 < /dev/tty
+  reboot
+else
+  echo "INSTALL COMPLETE. Running inside a non-systemd environment (e.g., container)."
+  echo "Start the backend with: node $REAL_HOME/mpvj/backend/index.js"
+  echo "(No reboot performed.)"
+fi