diff --git a/scripts/install.sh b/scripts/install.sh
index 5044bee..1977fdc 100755
--- a/scripts/install.sh
+++ b/scripts/install.sh
@@ -332,35 +332,27 @@ else
         fi
 
         # Install Whisper if requested and not available
-        if [ "$SKIP_WHISPER" = false ] && ! command -v whisper &> /dev/null; then
+        if [ "$SKIP_WHISPER" = false ] && ! command -v whisper &> /dev/null && ! command -v whisper.cpp &> /dev/null; then
             echo ""
-            echo "Installing Whisper for automated subtitling..."
-
-            # Check if Python 3 and pip are available
-            if command -v python3 &> /dev/null && command -v pip3 &> /dev/null; then
-                # Install openai-whisper
-                if pip3 install --user openai-whisper 2>/dev/null; then
-                    echo -e "${GREEN}[OK]${NC} Whisper installed successfully"
-                    echo "To download models, run: whisper --model base dummy.mp3"
-                else
-                    echo -e "${YELLOW}WARNING:${NC} Failed to install Whisper via pip3"
-                    echo "You can install it manually with: pip3 install openai-whisper"
-                fi
-            else
-                echo -e "${YELLOW}WARNING:${NC} Python 3 and pip3 are required for Whisper"
-                echo "Please install Python 3 and pip3, then run: pip3 install openai-whisper"
-            fi
-
-            # Ensure ~/.local/bin is in PATH for user-installed packages
-            if [ -d "$HOME/.local/bin" ] && [[ ":$PATH:" != *":$HOME/.local/bin:"* ]]; then
-                echo ""
-                echo -e "${YELLOW}NOTE:${NC} Add ~/.local/bin to your PATH to use Whisper:"
-                echo "  echo 'export PATH=\"\$HOME/.local/bin:\$PATH\"' >> ~/.bashrc"
-                echo "  source ~/.bashrc"
-            fi
+            echo -e "${YELLOW}WARNING:${NC} Whisper backend not found."
+            echo "Install whisper.cpp manually and ensure its binary is on your PATH."
         fi
     fi
 
+    # Seed whisper.cpp model from bundled offline assets (base model)
+    whisper_model_src="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)/vendor/whisper/ggml-base.bin"
+    whisper_model_dir="$HOME/.local/share/whisper.cpp/models"
+    if [ -f "$whisper_model_src" ]; then
+        mkdir -p "$whisper_model_dir"
+        if [ ! -f "$whisper_model_dir/ggml-base.bin" ]; then
+            cp "$whisper_model_src" "$whisper_model_dir/ggml-base.bin"
+            echo -e "${GREEN}[OK]${NC} Whisper base model installed to $whisper_model_dir"
+        fi
+    else
+        echo -e "${YELLOW}NOTE:${NC} Offline Whisper model not found at vendor/whisper/ggml-base.bin"
+        echo "Place ggml-base.bin there to auto-configure subtitles."
+    fi
+
     if ! command -v ffmpeg &> /dev/null; then
         echo -e "${RED}[ERROR] Missing required dependencies after install attempt.${NC}"
         echo "Please install: ffmpeg"
diff --git a/subtitles_module.go b/subtitles_module.go
index f0c6d99..709ff0e 100644
--- a/subtitles_module.go
+++ b/subtitles_module.go
@@ -1009,6 +1009,12 @@ func detectWhisperModel() string {
 		filepath.Join("models", "ggml-small.bin"),
 		filepath.Join("models", "ggml-medium.bin"),
 		filepath.Join("models", "ggml-large.bin"),
+		filepath.Join("vendor", "whisper", "ggml-base.bin"),
+	}
+	if exe, err := os.Executable(); err == nil {
+		dir := filepath.Dir(exe)
+		preferred = append(preferred, filepath.Join(dir, "vendor", "whisper", "ggml-base.bin"))
+		preferred = append(preferred, filepath.Join(dir, "models", "ggml-base.bin"))
 	}
 	for _, candidate := range preferred {
 		if path, err := filepath.Abs(candidate); err == nil {