diff --git a/scripts/Invoke-CdevCli.ps1 b/scripts/Invoke-CdevCli.ps1
index 5026107..017075f 100644
--- a/scripts/Invoke-CdevCli.ps1
+++ b/scripts/Invoke-CdevCli.ps1
@@ -83,8 +83,16 @@ function Show-CdevHelp {
 
 Assert-CdevCommand -Name 'pwsh'
 $cliRepoRoot = Get-CdevRepoRoot -ScriptPath $PSCommandPath
-$resolvedSurfaceRoot = Resolve-CdevSurfaceRoot -SurfaceRoot $SurfaceRoot
-$argsMap = Convert-CdevArgsToMap -Args $CommandArgs
+$argsMap = Convert-CdevArgsToMap -InputArgs $CommandArgs
+$script:resolvedSurfaceRoot = $null
+
+function Get-CdevResolvedSurfaceRoot {
+    if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace([string]$script:resolvedSurfaceRoot)) {
+        $script:resolvedSurfaceRoot = Resolve-CdevSurfaceRoot -SurfaceRoot $SurfaceRoot
+    }
+
+    return [string]$script:resolvedSurfaceRoot
+}
 
 $group = if ($CommandArgs.Count -ge 1) { [string]$CommandArgs[0].ToLowerInvariant() } else { 'help' }
 $command = if ($CommandArgs.Count -ge 2) { [string]$CommandArgs[1].ToLowerInvariant() } else { '' }
@@ -104,11 +112,11 @@ try {
             switch ($command) {
                 'list' {
                     $manifestPath = if ($argsMap.ContainsKey('manifest-path')) { [string]$argsMap['manifest-path'] } else { '' }
-                    $result = Invoke-CdevReposList -SurfaceRoot $resolvedSurfaceRoot -ManifestPath $manifestPath
+                    $result = Invoke-CdevReposList -SurfaceRoot (Get-CdevResolvedSurfaceRoot) -ManifestPath $manifestPath
                 }
                 'doctor' {
                     $workspaceRoot = if ($argsMap.ContainsKey('workspace-root')) { [string]$argsMap['workspace-root'] } else { 'C:\dev' }
-                    $result = Invoke-CdevReposDoctor -SurfaceRoot $resolvedSurfaceRoot -WorkspaceRoot $workspaceRoot
+                    $result = Invoke-CdevReposDoctor -SurfaceRoot (Get-CdevResolvedSurfaceRoot) -WorkspaceRoot $workspaceRoot
                 }
                 default {
                     throw "Unsupported repos command '$command'. Use 'repos list' or 'repos doctor'."
@@ -119,7 +127,7 @@ try {
             switch ($command) {
                 'sync' {
                     $ref = if ($argsMap.ContainsKey('ref')) { [string]$argsMap['ref'] } else { 'origin/main' }
-                    $result = Invoke-CdevSurfaceSync -SurfaceRoot $resolvedSurfaceRoot -Ref $ref
+                    $result = Invoke-CdevSurfaceSync -SurfaceRoot (Get-CdevResolvedSurfaceRoot) -Ref $ref
                 }
                 default {
                     throw "Unsupported surface command '$command'. Use 'surface sync'."
@@ -130,10 +138,10 @@ try {
             switch ($command) {
                 'build' {
                     $outputRoot = if ($argsMap.ContainsKey('output-root')) { [string]$argsMap['output-root'] } else { '' }
-                    $result = Invoke-CdevInstallerBuild -SurfaceRoot $resolvedSurfaceRoot -OutputRoot $outputRoot
+                    $result = Invoke-CdevInstallerBuild -SurfaceRoot (Get-CdevResolvedSurfaceRoot) -OutputRoot $outputRoot
                 }
                 'exercise' {
-                    $result = Invoke-CdevInstallerExercise -SurfaceRoot $resolvedSurfaceRoot -PassThroughArgs $passThroughArgs
+                    $result = Invoke-CdevInstallerExercise -SurfaceRoot (Get-CdevResolvedSurfaceRoot) -PassThroughArgs $passThroughArgs
                 }
                 'install' {
                     if (-not $argsMap.ContainsKey('installer-path')) {
@@ -161,7 +169,7 @@ try {
         'linux' {
             switch ($command) {
                 'install' {
-                    $result = Invoke-CdevLinuxInstall -CliRepoRoot $cliRepoRoot -SurfaceRoot $resolvedSurfaceRoot -PassThroughArgs $passThroughArgs
+                    $result = Invoke-CdevLinuxInstall -CliRepoRoot $cliRepoRoot -SurfaceRoot (Get-CdevResolvedSurfaceRoot) -PassThroughArgs $passThroughArgs
                 }
                 'deploy-ni' {
                     $result = Invoke-CdevLinuxDeployNi -CliRepoRoot $cliRepoRoot -PassThroughArgs $passThroughArgs
diff --git a/scripts/lib/Common.ps1 b/scripts/lib/Common.ps1
index 244db36..828bba5 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/Common.ps1
+++ b/scripts/lib/Common.ps1
@@ -39,16 +39,16 @@ function Assert-CdevCommand {
 }
 
 function Convert-CdevArgsToMap {
-    param([string[]]$Args)
+    param([string[]]$InputArgs)
 
     $map = @{}
-    if ($null -eq $Args) {
+    if ($null -eq $InputArgs) {
         return $map
     }
 
     $i = 0
-    while ($i -lt $Args.Count) {
-        $token = [string]$Args[$i]
+    while ($i -lt $InputArgs.Count) {
+        $token = [string]$InputArgs[$i]
         if (-not $token.StartsWith('--')) {
             $i++
             continue
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ function Convert-CdevArgsToMap {
 
         $key = $token.Substring(2)
         $value = $true
-        if (($i + 1) -lt $Args.Count -and -not [string]$Args[$i + 1] -like '--*') {
-            $value = [string]$Args[$i + 1]
+        if (($i + 1) -lt $InputArgs.Count -and -not ([string]$InputArgs[$i + 1]).StartsWith('--')) {
+            $value = [string]$InputArgs[$i + 1]
             $i += 2
         } else {
             $i += 1
diff --git a/scripts/lib/Release.Commands.ps1 b/scripts/lib/Release.Commands.ps1
index ef13410..1112d98 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/Release.Commands.ps1
+++ b/scripts/lib/Release.Commands.ps1
@@ -50,7 +50,21 @@ function Invoke-CdevReleasePackage {
 
     $zipPath = Join-Path $resolvedOutput 'cdev-cli-win-x64.zip'
     if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $zipPath -PathType Leaf) { Remove-Item -LiteralPath $zipPath -Force }
-    Compress-Archive -Path (Join-Path $stagingRoot 'win-x64\*') -DestinationPath $zipPath -CompressionLevel Optimal
+
+    Add-Type -AssemblyName System.IO.Compression.FileSystem -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+    $winArchiveSource = Join-Path $stagingRoot 'win-x64'
+    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $winArchiveSource -PathType Container)) {
+        throw "Windows staging path not found: $winArchiveSource"
+    }
+    [System.IO.Compression.ZipFile]::CreateFromDirectory(
+        $winArchiveSource,
+        $zipPath,
+        [System.IO.Compression.CompressionLevel]::Optimal,
+        $false
+    )
+    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $zipPath -PathType Leaf)) {
+        throw "Failed to create zip package at $zipPath"
+    }
 
     $tarPath = Join-Path $resolvedOutput 'cdev-cli-linux-x64.tar.gz'
     if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $tarPath -PathType Leaf) { Remove-Item -LiteralPath $tarPath -Force }
@@ -58,6 +72,9 @@ function Invoke-CdevReleasePackage {
     if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
         throw "Failed to create tar.gz package at $tarPath"
     }
+    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $tarPath -PathType Leaf)) {
+        throw "Failed to create tar.gz package at $tarPath"
+    }
 
     $zipShaFile = "$zipPath.sha256"
     $tarShaFile = "$tarPath.sha256"
diff --git a/tests/CdevCliContract.Tests.ps1 b/tests/CdevCliContract.Tests.ps1
index 8210d00..cd24671 100644
--- a/tests/CdevCliContract.Tests.ps1
+++ b/tests/CdevCliContract.Tests.ps1
@@ -49,6 +49,47 @@ Describe 'cdev CLI command contract' {
         $script:readme | Should -Match ([regex]::Escape('linux deploy-ni'))
     }
 
+    It 'runs help command without requiring a surface root path' {
+        $tempRoot = if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($env:TEMP)) { [System.IO.Path]::GetTempPath() } else { $env:TEMP }
+        $reportPath = Join-Path $tempRoot ("cdev-cli-help-" + [Guid]::NewGuid().ToString('N') + '.json')
+        $previousSurfaceRoot = $env:CDEV_SURFACE_ROOT
+
+        try {
+            Remove-Item Env:CDEV_SURFACE_ROOT -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+            & pwsh -NoProfile -File $script:entrypoint -ReportPath $reportPath help
+            $LASTEXITCODE | Should -Be 0
+            (Test-Path -LiteralPath $reportPath -PathType Leaf) | Should -BeTrue
+        } finally {
+            if ($null -eq $previousSurfaceRoot) {
+                Remove-Item Env:CDEV_SURFACE_ROOT -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+            } else {
+                $env:CDEV_SURFACE_ROOT = $previousSurfaceRoot
+            }
+            Remove-Item -LiteralPath $reportPath -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+        }
+    }
+
+    It 'honors --output-root for release package command' {
+        $tempRoot = if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($env:TEMP)) { [System.IO.Path]::GetTempPath() } else { $env:TEMP }
+        $outputRoot = Join-Path $tempRoot ("cdev-cli-release-" + [Guid]::NewGuid().ToString('N'))
+        $reportPath = Join-Path $tempRoot ("cdev-cli-release-report-" + [Guid]::NewGuid().ToString('N') + '.json')
+        $resolvedOutputRoot = [System.IO.Path]::GetFullPath($outputRoot)
+
+        try {
+            & pwsh -NoProfile -File $script:entrypoint -ReportPath $reportPath release package --output-root $outputRoot
+            $LASTEXITCODE | Should -Be 0
+
+            $report = Get-Content -LiteralPath $reportPath -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json -ErrorAction Stop
+            [string]$report.status | Should -Be 'succeeded'
+            [string]$report.data.output_root | Should -Be $resolvedOutputRoot
+            (Test-Path -LiteralPath (Join-Path $resolvedOutputRoot 'cdev-cli-win-x64.zip') -PathType Leaf) | Should -BeTrue
+            (Test-Path -LiteralPath (Join-Path $resolvedOutputRoot 'cdev-cli-linux-x64.tar.gz') -PathType Leaf) | Should -BeTrue
+        } finally {
+            Remove-Item -LiteralPath $outputRoot -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+            Remove-Item -LiteralPath $reportPath -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+        }
+    }
+
     It 'has parse-safe PowerShell syntax' {
         $tokens = $null
         $errors = $null