diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 21a08f3..9fd420e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -73,4 +73,7 @@ clean:
 config-tool:
 	cd service && go run cmd/config-tool/main.go
 
-.PHONY: proto service windows-resources windows-msi
+devcheck:
+	python3 scripts/devcheck.py $(ARGS)
+
+.PHONY: proto service windows-resources windows-msi devcheck
diff --git a/scripts/devcheck.py b/scripts/devcheck.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..4a45f19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/devcheck.py
@@ -0,0 +1,289 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Scan project Makefiles for development tools and report PATH availability."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import re
+import shutil
+import sys
+from collections import defaultdict
+from pathlib import Path
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+
+FAIL_GROUPS = frozenset({
+    "Core build and test",
+    "Go codestyle (install via: make go-tools)",
+    "Protocol buffers (install via: make -C service go-tools-all)",
+})
+
+SKIP_DIRS = frozenset({
+    ".git",
+    "node_modules",
+    "vendor",
+    "dist",
+    "reports",
+    "webui",
+})
+
+SKIP_COMMANDS = frozenset({
+    ".", ":", "[", "bash", "case", "cat", "cd", "chmod", "chown", "cp", "curl",
+    "do", "done", "echo", "elif", "else", "esac", "exit", "false", "fi", "for",
+    "fuser", "grep", "head", "if", "kill", "killall", "lsof", "make", "mkdir",
+    "mv", "objdump", "pwd", "rm", "sed", "set", "sh", "sleep", "tail", "test",
+    "then", "touch", "trap", "true", "unzip", "while",
+})
+
+SKIP_PREFIXES = ("./", "../", "-", "$(")
+
+GO_INSTALL_RE = re.compile(r"""go\s+install\s+(?:["'])([^"']+)(?:["'])""")
+
+TOOL_GROUPS: list[tuple[str, frozenset[str]]] = [
+    (
+        "Core build and test",
+        frozenset({"go", "npm", "npx", "node", "python3"}),
+    ),
+    (
+        "Go codestyle (install via: make go-tools)",
+        frozenset({"gocyclo", "gocritic"}),
+    ),
+    (
+        "Protocol buffers (install via: make -C service go-tools-all)",
+        frozenset({"buf", "protoc-gen-go"}),
+    ),
+    (
+        "Containers and packaging (optional)",
+        frozenset({"buildah", "docker", "podman", "podman-compose"}),
+    ),
+]
+
+
+class Color:
+    RESET = "\033[0m"
+    BOLD = "\033[1m"
+    GREEN = "\033[32m"
+    RED = "\033[31m"
+    ORANGE = "\033[38;5;208m"
+    DIM = "\033[2m"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def ok(cls, text: str) -> str:
+        return f"{cls.BOLD}{cls.GREEN}{text}{cls.RESET}"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def fail(cls, text: str) -> str:
+        return f"{cls.BOLD}{cls.RED}{text}{cls.RESET}"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def warn(cls, text: str) -> str:
+        return f"{cls.BOLD}{cls.ORANGE}{text}{cls.RESET}"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def dim(cls, text: str) -> str:
+        return f"{cls.DIM}{text}{cls.RESET}"
+
+
+def colors_enabled() -> bool:
+    if os.environ.get("NO_COLOR"):
+        return False
+    if "--no-color" in sys.argv:
+        return False
+    return sys.stdout.isatty()
+
+
+def paint_ok(text: str) -> str:
+    return Color.ok(text) if colors_enabled() else text
+
+
+def paint_fail(text: str) -> str:
+    return Color.fail(text) if colors_enabled() else text
+
+
+def paint_warn(text: str) -> str:
+    return Color.warn(text) if colors_enabled() else text
+
+
+def paint_dim(text: str) -> str:
+    return Color.dim(text) if colors_enabled() else text
+
+
+def find_makefiles(root: Path) -> list[Path]:
+    makefiles: list[Path] = []
+    for path in root.rglob("Makefile"):
+        rel_parts = path.relative_to(root).parts
+        if any(part.startswith(".") or part in SKIP_DIRS for part in rel_parts):
+            continue
+        makefiles.append(path)
+    return sorted(makefiles)
+
+
+def tool_from_go_install(package: str) -> str:
+    return package.rstrip("/").rsplit("/", 1)[-1]
+
+
+def first_command_token(line: str) -> str | None:
+    line = line.strip()
+    if not line or line.startswith("#"):
+        return None
+
+    if line.startswith("$(call") or line.startswith("$(MAKE)"):
+        return None
+
+    for token in line.split():
+        if "=" in token and not token.startswith("./"):
+            continue
+        if token.startswith(SKIP_PREFIXES):
+            return None
+        return token.strip("\"'")
+    return None
+
+
+def collect_tools(makefiles: list[Path]) -> dict[str, set[str]]:
+    tools: dict[str, set[str]] = defaultdict(set)
+
+    for makefile in makefiles:
+        rel = makefile.relative_to(ROOT).as_posix()
+        try:
+            lines = makefile.read_text(encoding="utf-8", errors="replace").splitlines()
+        except OSError:
+            continue
+
+        for line in lines:
+            if not line.startswith("\t"):
+                continue
+
+            recipe = line.lstrip("\t@")
+            for package in GO_INSTALL_RE.findall(recipe):
+                tools[tool_from_go_install(package)].add(rel)
+
+            if "python -c" in recipe or recipe.startswith("python "):
+                tools["python3"].add(rel)
+
+            command = first_command_token(recipe)
+            if command is None:
+                continue
+
+            command = command.lower()
+            if command in SKIP_COMMANDS or command == "python":
+                continue
+            if "/" in command and command not in {"podman-compose"}:
+                continue
+
+            tools[command].add(rel)
+
+    return dict(tools)
+
+
+def resolve_python() -> tuple[bool, str | None]:
+    for name in ("python3", "python"):
+        path = shutil.which(name)
+        if path is not None:
+            return True, path
+    return False, None
+
+
+def resolve_tool(name: str) -> tuple[bool, str | None]:
+    if name == "python3":
+        return resolve_python()
+    path = shutil.which(name)
+    return path is not None, path
+
+
+def group_tools(tools: dict[str, set[str]]) -> list[tuple[str, list[str]]]:
+    grouped: list[tuple[str, list[str]]] = []
+    assigned: set[str] = set()
+
+    for title, members in TOOL_GROUPS:
+        present = sorted(tool for tool in tools if tool in members)
+        if present:
+            grouped.append((title, present))
+            assigned.update(present)
+
+    remaining = sorted(tool for tool in tools if tool not in assigned)
+    if remaining:
+        grouped.append(("Other tools found in Makefiles", remaining))
+
+    return grouped
+
+
+def format_status(found: bool, path: str | None, *, required: bool) -> str:
+    if found:
+        return paint_ok(f"OK      {path}")
+
+    if required:
+        return paint_fail("MISSING")
+    return paint_warn("MISSING")
+
+
+def print_group(
+    title: str,
+    tool_names: list[str],
+    tools: dict[str, set[str]],
+    verbose: bool,
+) -> tuple[int, int, list[str]]:
+    required = title in FAIL_GROUPS
+    print(title)
+    available = 0
+    missing: list[str] = []
+
+    for name in tool_names:
+        found, path = resolve_tool(name)
+        available += int(found)
+        if not found:
+            missing.append(name)
+        print(f"  {name:<16} {format_status(found, path, required=required)}")
+        if verbose:
+            for source in sorted(tools[name]):
+                print(paint_dim(f"    referenced in {source}"))
+    print()
+    return available, len(tool_names), missing
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    verbose = "--verbose" in sys.argv or "-v" in sys.argv
+    makefiles = find_makefiles(ROOT)
+    tools = collect_tools(makefiles)
+
+    print("Development environment check")
+    print(f"Scanned {len(makefiles)} Makefile(s) under {ROOT}")
+    print()
+
+    total_available = 0
+    total_checked = 0
+    required_missing: list[str] = []
+    optional_missing: list[str] = []
+
+    for title, tool_names in group_tools(tools):
+        available, checked, missing = print_group(title, tool_names, tools, verbose)
+        total_available += available
+        total_checked += checked
+
+        if title in FAIL_GROUPS:
+            required_missing.extend(missing)
+        else:
+            optional_missing.extend(missing)
+
+    summary = f"Summary: {total_available}/{total_checked} tools available on PATH"
+    if required_missing:
+        print(paint_fail(summary))
+    elif optional_missing:
+        print(paint_warn(summary))
+    else:
+        print(paint_ok(summary))
+
+    if required_missing:
+        print()
+        print(paint_fail("Missing required tools: " + ", ".join(required_missing)))
+        print(paint_dim("Install the missing tools for your platform, then re-run: make devcheck"))
+        return 1
+
+    if optional_missing:
+        print()
+        print(paint_warn("Missing optional tools: " + ", ".join(optional_missing)))
+
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main())