diff --git a/adapters/acp-adapter/package.json b/adapters/acp-adapter/package.json
index 9b4d1bb..6cdf8c9 100644
--- a/adapters/acp-adapter/package.json
+++ b/adapters/acp-adapter/package.json
@@ -18,9 +18,7 @@
     "@grey/pipeline": "workspace:*",
     "@grey/x402-middleware": "workspace:*",
     "@virtuals-protocol/acp-node-v2": "^0.0.4",
+    "tsx": "^4.22.4",
     "viem": "^2.53.1"
-  },
-  "devDependencies": {
-    "tsx": "^4.22.4"
   }
 }
diff --git a/infra/systemd/grey-acp-adapter.service b/infra/systemd/grey-acp-adapter.service
index 6353a0e..fc98c40 100644
--- a/infra/systemd/grey-acp-adapter.service
+++ b/infra/systemd/grey-acp-adapter.service
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@ Wants=network-online.target
 Type=simple
 User=grey
 WorkingDirectory=/opt/grey/grey
-ExecStart=/usr/bin/node adapters/acp-adapter/dist/main.js
+# FDQ-70: the @virtuals-protocol/acp-node-v2 SDK ships ESM with EXTENSIONLESS relative
+# imports (bun-authored; bun tolerates them, strict Node ESM does not). The tsx loader
+# resolves them, so the adapter runs under `node --import tsx`. tsx is a runtime dependency.
+ExecStart=/usr/bin/node --import tsx adapters/acp-adapter/dist/main.js
 EnvironmentFile=/etc/grey/acp-adapter.env
 Restart=on-failure
 RestartSec=5
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 2c8dcf4..bf1a085 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -59,13 +59,12 @@ importers:
       '@virtuals-protocol/acp-node-v2':
         specifier: ^0.0.4
         version: 0.0.4(@solana/web3.js@1.98.4(bufferutil@4.1.0)(typescript@5.9.3)(utf-8-validate@6.0.6))(bufferutil@4.1.0)(typescript@5.9.3)(utf-8-validate@6.0.6)(zod@4.4.3)
-      viem:
-        specifier: ^2.53.1
-        version: 2.53.1(bufferutil@4.1.0)(typescript@5.9.3)(utf-8-validate@6.0.6)(zod@4.4.3)
-    devDependencies:
       tsx:
         specifier: ^4.22.4
         version: 4.22.4
+      viem:
+        specifier: ^2.53.1
+        version: 2.53.1(bufferutil@4.1.0)(typescript@5.9.3)(utf-8-validate@6.0.6)(zod@4.4.3)
 
   adapters/x402-middleware:
     dependencies: