diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8d01532..ca15cfc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ This section is for contributors and anyone building on the project.
 ## Rulesets 🧩
 
 Rules are data‑driven and split by domain in `rulesets/*.toml`.  
+When running an installed binary, the first run will auto‑install the default rulesets
+into the XDG data directory (for example `~/.local/share/vid-repair/rulesets` on Linux).
 Before shipping changes:
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/vid-repair-core/src/rules/embedded.rs b/vid-repair-core/src/rules/embedded.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8985e4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vid-repair-core/src/rules/embedded.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+pub const FILES: &[(&str, &str)] = &[
+    (
+        "containers.toml",
+        include_str!(concat!(
+            env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"),
+            "/../rulesets/containers.toml"
+        )),
+    ),
+    (
+        "decode.toml",
+        include_str!(concat!(env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"), "/../rulesets/decode.toml")),
+    ),
+    (
+        "probe.toml",
+        include_str!(concat!(env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"), "/../rulesets/probe.toml")),
+    ),
+    (
+        "codecs-video.toml",
+        include_str!(concat!(
+            env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"),
+            "/../rulesets/codecs-video.toml"
+        )),
+    ),
+    (
+        "codecs-audio.toml",
+        include_str!(concat!(
+            env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"),
+            "/../rulesets/codecs-audio.toml"
+        )),
+    ),
+    (
+        "transport.toml",
+        include_str!(concat!(
+            env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"),
+            "/../rulesets/transport.toml"
+        )),
+    ),
+    (
+        "timestamps.toml",
+        include_str!(concat!(
+            env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"),
+            "/../rulesets/timestamps.toml"
+        )),
+    ),
+];
diff --git a/vid-repair-core/src/rules/mod.rs b/vid-repair-core/src/rules/mod.rs
index 8d5cd78..9238c3a 100644
--- a/vid-repair-core/src/rules/mod.rs
+++ b/vid-repair-core/src/rules/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 use anyhow::Result;
+use directories::ProjectDirs;
+use fs_err as fs;
 
 use crate::scan::ProbeData;
 
@@ -8,6 +10,7 @@ mod loader;
 mod lint;
 mod matcher;
 mod model;
+mod embedded;
 
 use model::Rule;
 
@@ -22,23 +25,14 @@ pub struct RuleSet {
 
 impl RuleSet {
     pub fn load() -> Result<Self> {
-        let mut candidates = Vec::new();
-
-        if let Ok(current) = std::env::current_dir() {
-            candidates.push(current.join("rulesets"));
+        if let Some(ruleset) = load_compiled_from_candidates()? {
+            return Ok(ruleset);
         }
 
-        if let Ok(exe) = std::env::current_exe() {
-            if let Some(parent) = exe.parent() {
-                candidates.push(parent.join("rulesets"));
-            }
-        }
-
-        for dir in candidates {
-            let rules = loader::load_rules_from_dir(&dir)?;
-            if !rules.is_empty() {
-                let compiled = loader::compile_rules(rules)?;
-                return Ok(Self { rules: compiled });
+        if let Some(dir) = data_ruleset_dir() {
+            install_embedded_rulesets(&dir)?;
+            if let Some(ruleset) = load_compiled_from_candidates()? {
+                return Ok(ruleset);
             }
         }
 
@@ -72,21 +66,13 @@ impl RuleSet {
 }
 
 pub fn load_raw_rules() -> Result<Vec<Rule>> {
-    let mut candidates = Vec::new();
-
-    if let Ok(current) = std::env::current_dir() {
-        candidates.push(current.join("rulesets"));
+    if let Some(rules) = load_raw_from_candidates()? {
+        return Ok(rules);
     }
 
-    if let Ok(exe) = std::env::current_exe() {
-        if let Some(parent) = exe.parent() {
-            candidates.push(parent.join("rulesets"));
-        }
-    }
-
-    for dir in candidates {
-        let rules = loader::load_rules_from_dir(&dir)?;
-        if !rules.is_empty() {
+    if let Some(dir) = data_ruleset_dir() {
+        install_embedded_rulesets(&dir)?;
+        if let Some(rules) = load_raw_from_candidates()? {
             return Ok(rules);
         }
     }
@@ -114,17 +100,14 @@ pub fn build_context(probe: &ProbeData) -> RuleContext {
 }
 
 pub fn ruleset_dir_for_display() -> Result<PathBuf> {
-    if let Ok(current) = std::env::current_dir() {
-        let dir = current.join("rulesets");
+    for dir in candidate_ruleset_dirs() {
         if dir.exists() {
             return Ok(dir);
         }
     }
 
-    if let Ok(exe) = std::env::current_exe() {
-        if let Some(parent) = exe.parent() {
-            return Ok(parent.join("rulesets"));
-        }
+    if let Some(dir) = data_ruleset_dir() {
+        return Ok(dir);
     }
 
     Err(anyhow::anyhow!("No ruleset directory found"))
@@ -140,3 +123,74 @@ pub fn ensure_ruleset_loaded(ruleset: &RuleSet) -> Result<()> {
     }
     Ok(())
 }
+
+fn candidate_ruleset_dirs() -> Vec<PathBuf> {
+    let mut candidates = Vec::new();
+
+    if let Ok(current) = std::env::current_dir() {
+        candidates.push(current.join("rulesets"));
+    }
+
+    if let Ok(exe) = std::env::current_exe() {
+        if let Some(parent) = exe.parent() {
+            candidates.push(parent.join("rulesets"));
+        }
+    }
+
+    if let Some(dir) = data_ruleset_dir() {
+        candidates.push(dir);
+    }
+
+    if let Some(dir) = config_ruleset_dir() {
+        candidates.push(dir);
+    }
+
+    candidates
+}
+
+fn data_ruleset_dir() -> Option<PathBuf> {
+    ProjectDirs::from("cc", "44r0n", "vid-repair").map(|dirs| dirs.data_dir().join("rulesets"))
+}
+
+fn config_ruleset_dir() -> Option<PathBuf> {
+    ProjectDirs::from("cc", "44r0n", "vid-repair").map(|dirs| dirs.config_dir().join("rulesets"))
+}
+
+fn load_compiled_from_candidates() -> Result<Option<RuleSet>> {
+    for dir in candidate_ruleset_dirs() {
+        let rules = loader::load_rules_from_dir(&dir)?;
+        if !rules.is_empty() {
+            let compiled = loader::compile_rules(rules)?;
+            return Ok(Some(RuleSet { rules: compiled }));
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(None)
+}
+
+fn load_raw_from_candidates() -> Result<Option<Vec<Rule>>> {
+    for dir in candidate_ruleset_dirs() {
+        let rules = loader::load_rules_from_dir(&dir)?;
+        if !rules.is_empty() {
+            return Ok(Some(rules));
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(None)
+}
+
+fn install_embedded_rulesets(dir: &std::path::Path) -> Result<()> {
+    if dir.exists() && dir.is_file() {
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
+    fs::create_dir_all(dir)?;
+
+    for (name, contents) in embedded::FILES {
+        let path = dir.join(name);
+        if path.exists() {
+            continue;
+        }
+        fs::write(&path, contents)?;
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}