diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0e08a2a..6ca954e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/recursive-oss/rec/main/install.sh |
 This installs `rec` in `~/.local/bin` and adds it to your PATH for new
 terminals. All other data lives under `~/.local/share/rec`.
 
+The installer leaves any other program named `rec`, such as the recorder in
+SoX, untouched and lists its path. Whichever comes first on your PATH runs as
+`rec`, and `~/.local/bin/rec` always runs this one.
+
 
 ## Usage
 
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 35c27f7..2738cb5 100644
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
 rec_install() (
   set -euo pipefail
   umask 077
-  bold='' faint='' green='' red='' blue='' reset='' erase=''
+  bold='' faint='' green='' red='' yellow='' blue='' reset='' erase=''
   if [ -t 1 ] && [ "${TERM:-dumb}" != dumb ]; then
     erase=$'\r\033[K'
     if [ -z "${NO_COLOR:-}" ]; then
-      bold=$'\033[1m' faint=$'\033[2m' green=$'\033[32m' red=$'\033[31m' blue=$'\033[38;5;68m' reset=$'\033[0m'
+      bold=$'\033[1m' faint=$'\033[2m' green=$'\033[32m' red=$'\033[31m' yellow=$'\033[33m' blue=$'\033[38;5;68m' reset=$'\033[0m'
     fi
   fi
   fail() { printf '%s' "$erase"; printf '%srec install:%s %s\n' "$red$bold" "$reset" "$*" >&2; exit 1; }
@@ -44,15 +44,12 @@ rec_install() (
   mkdir "$lock_dir" 2>/dev/null || fail "another install is active; if interrupted, remove $lock_dir"
   tmp=$(mktemp -d "$data/.install.XXXXXX")
   trap 'rm -rf "$tmp"; rmdir "$lock_dir" 2>/dev/null || true' EXIT
-  existing=$(command -v rec || true)
   if [ -e "$bin/rec" ] || [ -L "$bin/rec" ]; then
     [ -L "$bin/rec" ] || fail "$bin/rec exists and is not a managed symlink"
     old=$(readlink "$bin/rec")
     case "$old" in "$data"/releases/*/rec) [ -f "$(dirname "$old")/.managed" ] || fail 'existing rec is not managed';; *) fail 'existing rec belongs to another program';; esac
-    [ -z "$existing" ] || [ "$existing" = "$bin/rec" ] || fail "rec already resolves to $existing"
   else
     old=''
-    [ -z "$existing" ] || fail "rec already resolves to $existing"
   fi
   printf '%sInstalling rec%s\n\n' "$bold" "$reset"
   begin "Downloading rec ${version:-(latest release)}"
@@ -129,6 +126,12 @@ rec_install() (
       *) printf '\n%sOpen a new terminal, or run: export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"%s\n' "$faint" "$reset";;
     esac
   fi
+  # Other programs can be called rec too, such as the recorder in SoX. They stay untouched.
+  others=$(type -aP rec | while IFS= read -r other; do [ "$other" -ef "$bin/rec" ] || printf '  %s\n' "$other"; done | awk '!seen[$0]++') || true
+  if [ -n "$others" ]; then
+    printf '\n%sOther rec commands on your PATH:%s\n%s\nWhichever comes first on PATH runs as rec. This install is always at %s/rec.\n' \
+      "$yellow$bold" "$reset" "$others" "$bin" >&2
+  fi
   if [ "$serve_after" = 1 ]; then
     rm -rf "$tmp"
     rmdir "$lock_dir"
diff --git a/tests/installer_test.py b/tests/installer_test.py
index 8d22788..c20a6ed 100644
--- a/tests/installer_test.py
+++ b/tests/installer_test.py
@@ -154,10 +154,44 @@ def installed(home):
         (home / ".local/bin/rec").write_text("unrelated program\n")
         install(env, ok=False)
         assert (home / ".local/bin/rec").read_text() == "unrelated program\n"
+
+        other = root / "other program"
+        other.mkdir()
+        (other / "rec").write_text('#!/bin/sh\necho "$*" >> "$HOME/other.log"\n')
+        (other / "rec").chmod(0o755)
+        notice = "Other rec commands"
+        listed = f"  {other}/rec\n"
+
+        # A conflict ahead of the install warns on the first install and on later updates.
+        home, env = new_home()
+        env["PATH"] = f"{other}:{env['PATH']}"
+        for _ in range(2):
+            r = install(env)
+            assert notice in r.stderr and listed in r.stderr, r.stderr
+            assert installed(home).parent.name == "0.3.0"
+        install(env, "--serve")
+        assert (home / "serve.log").read_text() == "serve\n"
+        assert not (home / "other.log").exists(), "installer ran the other program"
+
+        # A conflict behind the install is still listed, once per path, without the install itself.
+        home, env = new_home()
+        own = home / ".local/bin"
+        env["PATH"] = f"{own}/:{other}:{other}:{env['PATH']}"
+        r = install(env)
+        assert r.stderr.count(listed) == 1, r.stderr
+        assert f"  {own}/" not in r.stderr, r.stderr
+
+        # The install alone is not a conflict, however PATH spells its directory.
+        home, env = new_home()
+        assert notice not in install(env).stderr
+        own = home / ".local/bin"
+        for entry in [f"{own}", f"{own}/", f"{own}/."]:
+            r = install(dict(env, PATH=f"{entry}:{env['PATH']}"))
+            assert notice not in r.stderr, (entry, r.stderr)
         server.shutdown()
         server.server_close()
         print(
-            "Installer: public default URL, pins, idempotence, checksum/version/device rejection, running-server stop, --serve, platform checks and collision preservation passed"
+            "Installer: public default URL, pins, idempotence, checksum/version/device rejection, running-server stop, --serve, platform checks, collision preservation and other rec warnings passed"
         )