diff --git a/tests/test_pipeline_integration.py b/tests/test_pipeline_integration.py
index d6df6b8..206ca38 100644
--- a/tests/test_pipeline_integration.py
+++ b/tests/test_pipeline_integration.py
@@ -1,25 +1,34 @@
-import shutil
-import subprocess
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
 
-from tools.pipeline.run import process_clip
+from tools.pipeline.run import process_clip, resolve_ffmpeg
 
-_HAS_FF = shutil.which("ffmpeg") is not None and shutil.which("ffprobe") is not None
 _FOREST = Path("simulator/sample_media/forest/base.mp4")
 
 
-@pytest.mark.skipif(not _HAS_FF, reason="ffmpeg/ffprobe not installed")
+def _ffmpeg_available() -> bool:
+    try:
+        resolve_ffmpeg()
+        return True
+    except Exception:
+        return False
+
+
+_HAS_FF = _ffmpeg_available()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(not _HAS_FF,
+                    reason="neither system ffmpeg nor imageio-ffmpeg available")
 @pytest.mark.skipif(not _FOREST.exists(),
                     reason="forest POC base absent (run simulator/setup_sample_media.py)")
 def test_process_clip_emits_proxy_and_master(tmp_path):
     out = process_clip(_FOREST, tmp_path, overlap=0.5, start=0.0, duration=4.0)
     assert out["proxy"].exists() and out["master"].exists()
-    # Proxy is exactly 1920x1080.
-    probe = subprocess.run(
-        ["ffprobe", "-v", "quiet", "-select_streams", "v:0",
-         "-show_entries", "stream=width,height", "-of", "csv=p=0", str(out["proxy"])],
-        capture_output=True, text=True, check=True,
-    ).stdout.strip()
-    assert probe == "1920,1080"
+    # Proxy is exactly 1920×1080 — verified with cv2, no ffprobe dependency.
+    import cv2
+    cap = cv2.VideoCapture(str(out["proxy"]))
+    w = int(cap.get(cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_WIDTH))
+    h = int(cap.get(cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_HEIGHT))
+    cap.release()
+    assert (w, h) == (1920, 1080)
diff --git a/tools/pipeline/ffmpeg_ops.py b/tools/pipeline/ffmpeg_ops.py
index a8a2655..6a7f232 100644
--- a/tools/pipeline/ffmpeg_ops.py
+++ b/tools/pipeline/ffmpeg_ops.py
@@ -31,17 +31,20 @@ def frame_args(src, dst, *, start: float, duration: float,
 
 
 def crossfade_loop_args(src, dst, *, duration: float, overlap: float,
-                        ff: str = "ffmpeg") -> list[str]:
+                        fps: int = 30, ff: str = "ffmpeg") -> list[str]:
     """Stage 3 — make `src` loop seamlessly by crossfading its tail over its head.
     Output length = duration − overlap. Requires overlap < duration/2 so a non-empty
-    middle remains."""
+    middle remains.
+
+    fps is applied after each trim so xfade receives a constant-frame-rate stream
+    (xfade requires CFR; a raw trim output reports rate 1/0 which xfade rejects)."""
     if overlap <= 0 or overlap >= duration / 2:
         raise ValueError(f"overlap {overlap} must be in (0, duration/2={duration/2})")
     d, o = duration, overlap
     fc = (
-        f"[0:v]trim=0:{o},setpts=PTS-STARTPTS[head];"
-        f"[0:v]trim={o}:{d - o},setpts=PTS-STARTPTS[mid];"
-        f"[0:v]trim={d - o}:{d},setpts=PTS-STARTPTS[tail];"
+        f"[0:v]trim=0:{o},setpts=PTS-STARTPTS,fps={fps}[head];"
+        f"[0:v]trim={o}:{d - o},setpts=PTS-STARTPTS,fps={fps}[mid];"
+        f"[0:v]trim={d - o}:{d},setpts=PTS-STARTPTS,fps={fps}[tail];"
         f"[tail][head]xfade=transition=fade:duration={o}:offset=0[xf];"
         f"[xf][mid]concat=n=2:v=1,format=yuv420p[out]"
     )
diff --git a/tools/pipeline/run.py b/tools/pipeline/run.py
index 56c7346..ec22c41 100644
--- a/tools/pipeline/run.py
+++ b/tools/pipeline/run.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ this glue is covered by the opt-in integration test."""
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import shutil
 import subprocess
 from pathlib import Path
 
@@ -12,6 +13,15 @@ from .ffmpeg_ops import crossfade_loop_args, frame_args, transcode_args
 MASTER_MAX_W = 3840
 
 
+def resolve_ffmpeg() -> str:
+    """ffmpeg from PATH, else the bundled imageio-ffmpeg binary (matches
+    simulator/setup_scales_media.py). The Pi/dev box may lack a system ffmpeg."""
+    if shutil.which("ffmpeg"):
+        return "ffmpeg"
+    import imageio_ffmpeg
+    return imageio_ffmpeg.get_ffmpeg_exe()
+
+
 def probe_duration(src, *, ff: str = "ffprobe") -> float:
     out = subprocess.run(
         [ff, "-v", "quiet", "-show_entries", "format=duration",
@@ -27,9 +37,10 @@ def _run(args: list[str]) -> None:
 
 def process_clip(src, out_dir, *, start: float = 0.0, duration: float | None = None,
                  overlap: float = 1.0, master_w: int = 3840, master_h: int = 2160,
-                 ff: str = "ffmpeg") -> dict:
+                 ff: str | None = None) -> dict:
     """Run stages 2–4 for one clip; return {'master','proxy','loop','mezzanine'} paths.
     `duration` defaults to the full source length (minus the trim start)."""
+    ff = ff or resolve_ffmpeg()
     src = Path(src)
     out_dir = Path(out_dir)
     out_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)