diff --git a/scripts/cutcrossentropy_install.py b/scripts/cutcrossentropy_install.py
index a47a33aae..e67c3b182 100755
--- a/scripts/cutcrossentropy_install.py
+++ b/scripts/cutcrossentropy_install.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-"""Script to output the correct installation command for cut-cross-entropy."""
+"""Emit the install command for the Axolotl cut-cross-entropy fork."""
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import importlib.util
+import shutil
 import sys
 
 try:
@@ -12,30 +12,29 @@ except ImportError as exc:  # pragma: no cover - defensive
 
 from packaging.version import Version as V
 
-USE_UV = "--uv" in sys.argv[1:]
+USE_UV_FLAG = "--uv" in sys.argv[1:]
+USE_PIP_FLAG = "--pip" in sys.argv[1:]
 
-v = V(torch.__version__)
+if USE_UV_FLAG and USE_PIP_FLAG:
+    raise SystemExit("Specify only one of --uv or --pip")
 
-# no cut-cross-entropy support for torch < 2.4.0
-if v < V("2.4.0"):
+if USE_PIP_FLAG:
+    use_uv = False
+elif USE_UV_FLAG:
+    use_uv = True
+else:
+    use_uv = shutil.which("uv") is not None
+
+if V(torch.__version__) < V("2.4.0"):
     print("")
     sys.exit(0)
 
-cce_spec = importlib.util.find_spec("cut_cross_entropy")
-
-UNINSTALL_PREFIX = ""
-if cce_spec:
-    if not importlib.util.find_spec("cut_cross_entropy.transformers"):
-        if USE_UV:
-            UNINSTALL_PREFIX = "uv pip uninstall --yes cut-cross-entropy && "
-        else:
-            UNINSTALL_PREFIX = "pip uninstall -y cut-cross-entropy && "
-
-installer = "uv pip install --system" if USE_UV else "pip install"
+# No need to uninstall in CI runs; the environment is fresh. Just emit the install command.
+installer = "uv pip install --system" if use_uv else "pip install"
 command = (
     f"{installer} "
     '"cut-cross-entropy[transformers] '
     '@ git+https://github.com/axolotl-ai-cloud/ml-cross-entropy.git@147ea28"'
 )
 
-print(f"{UNINSTALL_PREFIX}{command}")
+print(command)