diff --git a/bin/build-npm.ts b/bin/build-npm.ts
index 023547f..5189a2e 100644
--- a/bin/build-npm.ts
+++ b/bin/build-npm.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ await build({
     },
     dependencies: {
       "bun-sqlite-key-value": undefined as unknown as string,
+      "ws": "^8.18.0",
       "zod": undefined as unknown as string,
     },
     devDependencies: {
diff --git a/deno.json b/deno.json
index ae8e84f..dabc5aa 100644
--- a/deno.json
+++ b/deno.json
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
     "@flowcore/data-pump": "jsr:@flowcore/data-pump@^0.16.4",
     "@flowcore/sdk": "npm:@flowcore/sdk@^1.54.0",
     "postgres": "npm:postgres@^3.4.3",
+    "ws": "npm:ws@^8.18.0",
     "zod": "npm:zod@^3.25.63"
   },
   "fmt": {
diff --git a/deno.lock b/deno.lock
index 167aa0b..d8ff8ed 100644
--- a/deno.lock
+++ b/deno.lock
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
     "npm:postgres@^3.4.3": "3.4.5",
     "npm:prom-client@^15.1.3": "15.1.3",
     "npm:rxjs@^7.8.1": "7.8.2",
+    "npm:ws@^8.18.0": "8.19.0",
     "npm:zod@^3.25.63": "3.25.63"
   },
   "jsr": {
@@ -432,6 +433,7 @@
       "npm:node-cache@^5.1.2",
       "npm:postgres@^3.4.3",
       "npm:rxjs@^7.8.1",
+      "npm:ws@^8.18.0",
       "npm:zod@^3.25.63"
     ]
   }
diff --git a/src/pathways/cluster/cluster-manager.ts b/src/pathways/cluster/cluster-manager.ts
index 12525ce..409ab27 100644
--- a/src/pathways/cluster/cluster-manager.ts
+++ b/src/pathways/cluster/cluster-manager.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import type {
   WsFailMessage,
   WsMessage,
 } from "./types.ts"
+import { createNodeTransport } from "./node-transport.ts"
 
 const DEFAULT_LEASE_TTL_MS = 30_000
 const DEFAULT_LEASE_RENEW_INTERVAL_MS = 10_000
@@ -21,34 +22,32 @@ const DEFAULT_DELIVERY_TIMEOUT_MS = 30_000
 const LEASE_KEY = "pathway-cluster-leader"
 
 /**
- * Creates a default transport using Deno APIs.
- * Uses runtime detection to avoid compile-time dependency on Deno types.
+ * Creates a default transport with runtime auto-detection.
+ * Uses Deno APIs when available, falls back to ws-based Node.js transport.
  */
 function createDefaultTransport(): ClusterTransport {
   // deno-lint-ignore no-explicit-any
   const D = (globalThis as any).Deno
-  if (!D?.serve) {
-    throw new Error(
-      "Default cluster transport requires Deno. Provide a custom ClusterTransport via options.transport for Node.js.",
-    )
+  if (D?.serve) {
+    return {
+      startServer(port, onConnection) {
+        const server = D.serve({ port, hostname: "0.0.0.0" }, (req: Request) => {
+          if (req.headers.get("upgrade")?.toLowerCase() !== "websocket") {
+            return new Response("Expected WebSocket", { status: 426 })
+          }
+          const { socket, response } = D.upgradeWebSocket(req)
+          socket.onopen = () => onConnection(socket as unknown as ClusterSocket)
+          return response
+        })
+        return Promise.resolve({ shutdown: () => server.shutdown() })
+      },
+      connect(address) {
+        return new WebSocket(address) as unknown as ClusterSocket
+      },
+    }
   }
 
-  return {
-    startServer(port, onConnection) {
-      const server = D.serve({ port, hostname: "0.0.0.0" }, (req: Request) => {
-        if (req.headers.get("upgrade")?.toLowerCase() !== "websocket") {
-          return new Response("Expected WebSocket", { status: 426 })
-        }
-        const { socket, response } = D.upgradeWebSocket(req)
-        socket.onopen = () => onConnection(socket as unknown as ClusterSocket)
-        return response
-      })
-      return Promise.resolve({ shutdown: () => server.shutdown() })
-    },
-    connect(address) {
-      return new WebSocket(address) as unknown as ClusterSocket
-    },
-  }
+  return createNodeTransport()
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/pathways/cluster/index.ts b/src/pathways/cluster/index.ts
index 1b6a2a1..7103497 100644
--- a/src/pathways/cluster/index.ts
+++ b/src/pathways/cluster/index.ts
@@ -13,4 +13,5 @@ export type {
   WsPongMessage,
 } from "./types.ts"
 export { ClusterManager } from "./cluster-manager.ts"
+export { createNodeTransport } from "./node-transport.ts"
 export { createPostgresPathwayCoordinator, PostgresPathwayCoordinator } from "./postgres-coordinator.ts"
diff --git a/src/pathways/cluster/node-transport.ts b/src/pathways/cluster/node-transport.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..86b1d5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pathways/cluster/node-transport.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import type { ClusterSocket, ClusterTransport } from "./types.ts"
+
+/**
+ * Creates a cluster transport for Node.js/Bun using the `ws` package.
+ * The `ws` import is deferred to `startServer()` to avoid loading it in Deno.
+ */
+export function createNodeTransport(): ClusterTransport {
+  return {
+    async startServer(port, onConnection) {
+      // deno-lint-ignore no-explicit-any
+      const ws = await import("ws") as any
+      const WebSocketServer = ws.WebSocketServer ?? ws.default?.WebSocketServer
+      const wss = new WebSocketServer({ port, host: "0.0.0.0" })
+
+      return new Promise((resolve) => {
+        wss.on("listening", () => {
+          resolve({
+            async shutdown() {
+              await new Promise<void>((res, rej) => {
+                wss.close((err?: Error) => (err ? rej(err) : res()))
+              })
+            },
+          })
+        })
+
+        // deno-lint-ignore no-explicit-any
+        wss.on("connection", (rawWs: any) => {
+          const socket: ClusterSocket = {
+            send: (data: string) => rawWs.send(data),
+            close: () => rawWs.close(),
+            get readyState() {
+              return rawWs.readyState
+            },
+            onopen: null,
+            onmessage: null,
+            onclose: null,
+            onerror: null,
+          }
+
+          // deno-lint-ignore no-explicit-any
+          rawWs.on("message", (data: any) => {
+            socket.onmessage?.({ data: data.toString() })
+          })
+          rawWs.on("close", (ev: unknown) => socket.onclose?.(ev))
+          rawWs.on("error", (ev: unknown) => socket.onerror?.(ev))
+
+          // Connection is already open when "connection" fires
+          onConnection(socket)
+        })
+      })
+    },
+
+    connect(address) {
+      return new WebSocket(address) as unknown as ClusterSocket
+    },
+  }
+}