diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
index b0b578f..7b73783 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ jobs:
           go-version-file: 'go.mod'
       - name: lint
         run: |
-          go install honnef.co/go/tools/cmd/staticcheck@latest
+          go install honnef.co/go/tools/cmd/staticcheck@v0.7.0
           staticcheck ./...
       - name: vet
         run: |
@@ -44,4 +44,3 @@ jobs:
        uses: docker/build-push-action@263435318d21b8e681c14492fe198d362a7d2c83 # v6.18.0
        with:
          push: false
-         tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
diff --git a/pkg/starter/scripts.go b/pkg/starter/scripts.go
index 0ca78fd..86db9af 100644
--- a/pkg/starter/scripts.go
+++ b/pkg/starter/scripts.go
@@ -353,7 +353,11 @@ fi
 # insert anything to setup env when running as a service
 
 # run the host process which keep the listener alive
-NODE_PATH="./externals/node20/bin/node"
+# Prefer Node 24, retaining support for older runner distributions.
+NODE_PATH="./externals/node24/bin/node"
+if [ ! -e "\${NODE_PATH}" ]; then
+  NODE_PATH="./externals/node20/bin/node"
+fi
 if [ ! -e "\${NODE_PATH}" ]; then
   NODE_PATH="./externals/node16/bin/node"
 fi
diff --git a/pkg/starter/scripts_test.go b/pkg/starter/scripts_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef6a585
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/starter/scripts_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+package starter
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"text/template"
+)
+
+func TestRunnerServiceNodeRuntime(t *testing.T) {
+	var rendered bytes.Buffer
+	tmpl, err := template.New("setup").Parse(templateCreateLatestRunnerOnce)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := tmpl.Execute(&rendered, templateCreateLatestRunnerOnceValue{}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Execute the actual heredoc so expansion happens at setup time, then run
+	// the generated service script against the runtimes bundled with a runner.
+	const start = "cat << EOF > ./bin/runsvc.sh\n"
+	_, patch, ok := strings.Cut(rendered.String(), start)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("service script heredoc not found")
+	}
+	body, _, ok := strings.Cut(patch, "\nEOF\n")
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("service script heredoc terminator not found")
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		name     string
+		runtimes []string
+		want     string
+	}{
+		{"prefer node24", []string{"node24", "node20", "node16"}, "node24"},
+		{"node24 only", []string{"node24"}, "node24"},
+		{"fallback to node20", []string{"node20", "node16"}, "node20"},
+		{"node20 only", []string{"node20"}, "node20"},
+		{"fallback to node16", []string{"node16"}, "node16"},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			dir := t.TempDir()
+			if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "bin"), 0755); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			for _, runtime := range tc.runtimes {
+				path := filepath.Join(dir, "externals", runtime, "bin", "node")
+				if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(path), 0755); err != nil {
+					t.Fatal(err)
+				}
+				stub := "#!/bin/bash\nprintf '%s\\n' '" + runtime + "' \"$@\"\n"
+				if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(stub), 0755); err != nil {
+					t.Fatal(err)
+				}
+			}
+			setup := exec.Command("bash", "-c", start+body+"\nEOF\n")
+			setup.Dir = dir
+			if output, err := setup.CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("generate service script: %v\n%s", err, output)
+			}
+			service := exec.Command("bash", "./bin/runsvc.sh", "--once")
+			service.Dir = dir
+			output, err := service.CombinedOutput()
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("run service script: %v\n%s", err, output)
+			}
+			want := tc.want + "\n./bin/RunnerService.js\n--once\n"
+			if string(output) != want {
+				t.Fatalf("service invocation = %q, want %q", output, want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}