diff --git a/packages/cli/src/browser/ffmpeg.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/browser/ffmpeg.test.ts
index 79cc35745..ada3f422c 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/browser/ffmpeg.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/browser/ffmpeg.test.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ afterEach(() => {
   Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { value: originalPlatform, configurable: true });
   vi.clearAllMocks();
   delete process.env.HYPERFRAMES_FFMPEG_PATH;
+  delete process.env.HYPERFRAMES_FFPROBE_PATH;
 });
 
 describe("findFFmpeg", () => {
@@ -53,6 +54,19 @@ describe("findFFmpeg", () => {
     const { findFFmpeg } = await import("./ffmpeg.js");
     expect(findFFmpeg()).toBeUndefined();
   });
+
+  it("finds project-local FFmpeg binaries when they are not on PATH", async () => {
+    mockExec.mockImplementation(() => {
+      throw new Error("not found");
+    });
+    const localFFmpeg = resolve(".hyperframes", "bin", "ffmpeg");
+    const localFFprobe = resolve(".hyperframes", "bin", "ffprobe");
+    mockExists.mockImplementation((path) => path === localFFmpeg || path === localFFprobe);
+
+    const { findFFmpeg, findFFprobe } = await import("./ffmpeg.js");
+    expect(findFFmpeg()).toBe(localFFmpeg);
+    expect(findFFprobe()).toBe(localFFprobe);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("resolveH264EncoderMode", () => {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/browser/ffmpeg.ts b/packages/cli/src/browser/ffmpeg.ts
index 130c37e21..48842220f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/browser/ffmpeg.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/browser/ffmpeg.ts
@@ -87,13 +87,21 @@ function findInCommonDirs(name: "ffmpeg" | "ffprobe"): string | undefined {
   return undefined;
 }
 
+function findInProjectLocalBin(name: "ffmpeg" | "ffprobe"): string | undefined {
+  const extension = process.platform === "win32" ? ".exe" : "";
+  const candidate = resolve(".hyperframes", "bin", `${name}${extension}`);
+  return existsSync(candidate) ? candidate : undefined;
+}
+
 function findConfiguredBinary(
   envName: string,
   binaryName: "ffmpeg" | "ffprobe",
 ): string | undefined {
   const configured = process.env[envName]?.trim();
   if (configured) return existsSync(configured) ? resolve(configured) : undefined;
-  return findOnPath(binaryName) ?? findInCommonDirs(binaryName);
+  return (
+    findOnPath(binaryName) ?? findInProjectLocalBin(binaryName) ?? findInCommonDirs(binaryName)
+  );
 }
 
 export function findFFmpeg(): string | undefined {