diff --git a/scripts/handle_macos.sh b/scripts/handle_macos.sh
index c9e43f20..9474ae55 100644
--- a/scripts/handle_macos.sh
+++ b/scripts/handle_macos.sh
@@ -10,14 +10,11 @@ handle_macos() {
   export LAUNCH_AGENTS_DIR="$HOME/Library/LaunchAgents"
   mkdir -p "$LAUNCH_AGENTS_DIR"
 
-  # Install Homebrew if needed
+  # Install Homebrew if needed (skipped if not found, we don't force it)
   if ! command -v brew &> /dev/null; then
-    log "${PRIMARY_COLOR}Installing Homebrew...${RESET_COLOR}"
-    /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)" || {
-      log_error "Failed to install Homebrew" 1
-    }
+    log "${PRIMARY_COLOR}Homebrew not found. Proceeding without it...${RESET_COLOR}"
   fi
-
+  
   # Install LND
   log "${PRIMARY_COLOR}Installing${RESET_COLOR} ${SECONDARY_COLOR}LND${RESET_COLOR}..."
   lnd_output=$(install_lnd)
diff --git a/scripts/install.sh b/scripts/install.sh
index 8f54170f..882df457 100755
--- a/scripts/install.sh
+++ b/scripts/install.sh
@@ -28,6 +28,19 @@ log_error() {
     exit $2
 }
 
+# Helper to download files using wget or curl
+download() {
+  local url="$1"
+  local dest="$2"
+  if command -v wget &> /dev/null; then
+    wget -q "$url" -O "$dest"
+  elif command -v curl &> /dev/null; then
+    curl -sL "$url" -o "$dest"
+  else
+    log_error "Neither wget nor curl found. Please install one." 1
+  fi
+}
+
 
 modules=(
   "utils"
@@ -66,7 +79,7 @@ SCRIPTS_URL="${BASE_URL}/scripts/"
 TMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
 
 for module in "${modules[@]}"; do
-  wget -q "${SCRIPTS_URL}${module}.sh" -O "${TMP_DIR}/${module}.sh" || log_error "Failed to download ${module}.sh" 1
+  download "${SCRIPTS_URL}${module}.sh" "${TMP_DIR}/${module}.sh" || log_error "Failed to download ${module}.sh" 1
   source "${TMP_DIR}/${module}.sh" || log_error "Failed to source ${module}.sh" 1
 done
 
diff --git a/scripts/install_lightning_pub.sh b/scripts/install_lightning_pub.sh
index a5cb442c..36a959e7 100755
--- a/scripts/install_lightning_pub.sh
+++ b/scripts/install_lightning_pub.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ install_lightning_pub() {
   USER_HOME=$HOME
   USER_NAME=$(whoami)
   
-  wget -q $REPO_URL -O $USER_HOME/lightning_pub.tar.gz > /dev/null 2>&1 || {
+  download "$REPO_URL" "$USER_HOME/lightning_pub.tar.gz" > /dev/null 2>&1 || {
     log "${PRIMARY_COLOR}Failed to download Lightning.Pub.${RESET_COLOR}"
     return 1
   }
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ install_lightning_pub() {
     log "Existing installation found. Checking for updates..."
     
     # Check if update is needed by comparing commit hashes
-    API_RESPONSE=$(wget -qO- "https://api.github.com/repos/${REPO}/commits/${BRANCH}" 2>&1 | tee /tmp/api_response.log)
+    API_RESPONSE=$(download_stdout "https://api.github.com/repos/${REPO}/commits/${BRANCH}" 2>&1 | tee /tmp/api_response.log)
     if grep -q '"message"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*"API rate limit exceeded"' <<< "$API_RESPONSE"; then
       log_error "GitHub API rate limit exceeded. Please wait a while before trying again." 1
     fi
diff --git a/scripts/install_lnd.sh b/scripts/install_lnd.sh
index 7c09c725..c525572b 100755
--- a/scripts/install_lnd.sh
+++ b/scripts/install_lnd.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ install_lnd() {
   USER_NAME=$(whoami)
 
   log "Checking latest LND version..."
-  local api_response=$(wget -qO- https://api.github.com/repos/lightningnetwork/lnd/releases/latest)
+  local api_response=$(download_stdout "https://api.github.com/repos/lightningnetwork/lnd/releases/latest")
   LND_VERSION=$(json_value "tag_name" "$api_response")
   log "Latest LND version: $LND_VERSION"
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ install_lnd() {
     log "${PRIMARY_COLOR}Downloading${RESET_COLOR} ${SECONDARY_COLOR}LND${RESET_COLOR}..."
 
     # Start the download
-    wget -q $LND_URL -O $USER_HOME/lnd.tar.gz || {
+    download "$LND_URL" "$USER_HOME/lnd.tar.gz" || {
       log "${PRIMARY_COLOR}Failed to download LND.${RESET_COLOR}"
       exit 1
     }
diff --git a/scripts/install_nodejs.sh b/scripts/install_nodejs.sh
index 786315aa..53824e3c 100755
--- a/scripts/install_nodejs.sh
+++ b/scripts/install_nodejs.sh
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ install_nodejs() {
   [ -s "${NVM_DIR}/nvm.sh" ] && \. "${NVM_DIR}/nvm.sh"
 
   if ! command -v nvm &> /dev/null; then
-    local nvm_api=$(wget -qO- https://api.github.com/repos/nvm-sh/nvm/releases/latest)
+    local nvm_api=$(download_stdout "https://api.github.com/repos/nvm-sh/nvm/releases/latest")
     NVM_VERSION=$(json_value "tag_name" "$nvm_api")
-    wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/${NVM_VERSION}/install.sh | bash > /dev/null 2>&1
+    download_stdout "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/${NVM_VERSION}/install.sh" | bash > /dev/null 2>&1
     export NVM_DIR="${NVM_DIR}"
     [ -s "${NVM_DIR}/nvm.sh" ] && \. "${NVM_DIR}/nvm.sh"
   fi
diff --git a/scripts/utils.sh b/scripts/utils.sh
index 0d7d9c39..7f5c8ccb 100755
--- a/scripts/utils.sh
+++ b/scripts/utils.sh
@@ -29,12 +29,19 @@ detect_os_arch() {
 }
 
 check_deps() {
-  for cmd in wget grep stat tar; do
+  for cmd in grep stat tar; do
     if ! command -v $cmd &> /dev/null; then
       log "Missing system dependency: $cmd. Install $cmd via your package manager and retry."
       exit 1
     fi
   done
+
+  # Check for wget or curl (one is required)
+  if ! command -v wget &> /dev/null && ! command -v curl &> /dev/null; then
+    log "Missing system dependency: wget or curl. Install via your package manager and retry."
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
   if ! command -v sha256sum &> /dev/null && ! command -v shasum &> /dev/null; then
     log "Missing system dependency: sha256sum or shasum."
     exit 1
@@ -68,4 +75,31 @@ json_value() {
   else
     echo "$2" | grep -oP "\"${key}\": \"\\K[^\"]+"
   fi
+}
+
+# Download file (wget or curl)
+download() {
+  local url="$1"
+  local dest="$2"
+  if command -v wget &> /dev/null; then
+    wget -q "$url" -O "$dest"
+  elif command -v curl &> /dev/null; then
+    curl -sL "$url" -o "$dest"
+  else
+    log "Error: Neither wget nor curl found."
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
+# Download to stdout (wget or curl)
+download_stdout() {
+  local url="$1"
+  if command -v wget &> /dev/null; then
+    wget -qO- "$url"
+  elif command -v curl &> /dev/null; then
+    curl -sL "$url"
+  else
+    log "Error: Neither wget nor curl found."
+    return 1
+  fi
 }
\ No newline at end of file