diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-download-latest.yml b/.github/workflows/test-download-latest.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8c1f61c39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-download-latest.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+name: "Test download_latest script"
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+  pull_request:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  smoke-tests:
+    name: "OS: ${{ matrix.runner }}, node@${{ matrix.node }}"
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        runner: [ubuntu, macos]
+        node: [24.x]
+      fail-fast: false
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.runner }}-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30 # Installing dependencies on windows can take a while
+    env:
+      npm_config_loglevel: verbose
+      npm_config_foreground_scripts: "true"
+      PUPPETEER_SKIP_DOWNLOAD: "true"
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v5
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v6
+        with:
+          check-latest: true
+          node-version: ${{ matrix.node }}
+
+      - name: Install mongosh through download_latest.sh
+        run: ./download_latest.sh
+
+      - name: Run smoke tests
+        run: npx -y mongodb-runner -- exec -- sh -c 'env MONGOSH_SMOKE_TEST_SERVER=$MONGODB_URI ./mongosh --smokeTests'
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dd419c24a..1a90afe80 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,6 +22,15 @@ Once downloaded, you will have to extract the binary and add it to your PATH
 variable. For detailed instructions for each of our supported platforms, please visit
 [installation documentation](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/mongodb-shell/install#mdb-shell-install).
 
+Alternatively:
+- Run `npx mongosh` to run mongosh without a full installation. This is
+  easiest if you already have npm installed.
+- Run `download_latest.sh` to download a `mongosh` binary. You can use
+  the following script:
+```sh
+curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mongodb-js/mongosh/refs/heads/main/download_latest.sh | sh
+```
+
 ## CLI Usage
 
 <!-- AUTOMATICALLY_INSERT_CLI_USAGE -->
diff --git a/download_latest.sh b/download_latest.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..b133db972
--- /dev/null
+++ b/download_latest.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -o errexit
+
+MONGOSH_RELEASES_URL=https://downloads.mongodb.com/compass/mongosh.json
+
+say() {
+    echo >&2 "$@"
+}
+
+sayf() {
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2059
+    printf >&2 "$@"
+}
+
+show_download_link() {
+    say "Download mongosh manually from:"
+    say
+    sayf "\t%s\n" 'https://www.mongodb.com/try/download/shell'
+}
+
+for tool in jq curl; do
+    which "$tool" >/dev/null || {
+        say "This script requires '$tool'."
+        exit 1
+    }
+done
+
+os=$(uname -o | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
+arch=$(uname -m)
+
+case "$os" in
+    *linux)
+        ext=tgz
+        os=linux
+        ;;
+    darwin)
+        ext=zip
+        ;;
+    *)
+        say "❌ This script does not support this OS ($os)."
+        show_download_link
+
+        exit 1
+esac
+
+# normalize $arch:
+case "$arch" in
+    amd64|x64)
+        arch=x86_64
+        ;;
+    aarch64)
+        arch=arm64
+        ;;
+    *)
+        # Use uname’s reported architecture in the jq query.
+esac
+
+if [ "$os" = "linux" ]; then
+    if ldd $(which curl) | grep -q libssl.so.3 ; then
+        openssl_query='and .sharedOpenssl == "openssl3"'
+    else
+        openssl_query='and (has("sharedOpenssl") | not)'
+    fi
+else
+    openssl_query=''
+fi
+
+jq_query=$(cat <<EOF
+.versions[0].downloads[] |
+select(
+    .distro == "$os" and
+    .arch == "$arch"
+    $openssl_query
+) |
+.archive.url
+EOF
+)
+
+url=$(curl -fsSL $MONGOSH_RELEASES_URL | jq -r "$jq_query")
+
+if [ -z "$url" ]; then
+    say "❓ No download found for $os on $arch."
+    show_download_link
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+case "$ext" in
+    zip)
+        file=$(mktemp)
+
+        say "Downloading $url to $file …"
+        #trap 'rm -f "$file"' EXIT
+
+        curl -fsSL "$url" > "$file"
+        say "Downloaded $ext file; extracting mongosh …"
+
+        unzip -j "$file" '*/bin/mongosh*'
+        ;;
+    tgz)
+        say "Downloading & extracting from $url …"
+
+        curl -fsSL "$url" | tar -xzf - \
+            --transform "s/.*\///" \
+            --wildcards "**/bin/mongosh*" \
+        | sed -E 's/^.*[/]//'
+
+        ;;
+    *)
+        say "Bad file extension: $ext"
+        show_download_link
+        exit 1
+esac
+
+./mongosh --build-info >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
+    say "❌ Downloaded mongosh is not executable."
+    ./mongosh --build-info
+    exit 1
+}
+
+say "✅ Success! 'mongosh' and its crypto library are now saved in this directory."
diff --git a/packages/build/src/download-center/config.spec.ts b/packages/build/src/download-center/config.spec.ts
index 43d70cca9..2a0f2a27c 100644
--- a/packages/build/src/download-center/config.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/build/src/download-center/config.spec.ts
@@ -205,6 +205,24 @@ describe('DownloadCenter config', function () {
           tutorial_link: 'test',
         });
       });
+
+      it('the list is sorted by semver even if versions are added out of order', function () {
+        const getVersionConfig1x = sinon.stub().returns({ version: '1.2.2' });
+        const getVersionConfig2x = sinon.stub().returns({ version: '2.0.0' });
+        const existingDownloadCenterConfig =
+          createDownloadCenterConfig(getVersionConfig2x);
+        expect(existingDownloadCenterConfig.versions).to.have.lengthOf(1);
+
+        const updatedConfig = getUpdatedDownloadCenterConfig(
+          existingDownloadCenterConfig,
+          getVersionConfig1x
+        );
+
+        expect(updatedConfig.versions).to.deep.equal([
+          { version: '2.0.0' },
+          { version: '1.2.2' },
+        ]);
+      });
     });
 
     context(
diff --git a/packages/build/src/download-center/config.ts b/packages/build/src/download-center/config.ts
index fd6948c44..3761033e5 100644
--- a/packages/build/src/download-center/config.ts
+++ b/packages/build/src/download-center/config.ts
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ export function getUpdatedDownloadCenterConfig(
     currentVersions[matchingMajorVersionIdx] = versionConfig;
   }
 
+  // NB: download_latest.sh depends on the specific ordering of versions here.
   currentVersions.sort((a, b) => semver.rcompare(a.version, b.version));
 
   return {