diff --git a/.github/workflows/dev-build.yml b/.github/workflows/dev-build.yml
index a4379937..e09e9a8c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dev-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dev-build.yml
@@ -110,6 +110,17 @@ jobs:
           SNOWLUMA_TARGET: ${{ matrix.target }}
         run: pnpm run build:all
 
+      # Materialize `dist/node_modules/` for runtime-only externals
+      # listed in `packages/runtime/package.json::dependencies`
+      # (currently: better-sqlite3 — native binding can't be inlined
+      # by vite). Mirrors the same step in `release.yml`. Runs npm
+      # (not pnpm) deliberately so the install produces a flat
+      # `node_modules/` tree with no symlinks, which is what the
+      # bundled `index.mjs::require('better-sqlite3')` expects.
+      - name: Bundle runtime dependencies
+        working-directory: dist
+        run: npm install --omit=dev
+
       # Naming convention:
       #   SnowLuma-dev-<arch>.zip|tar.gz        – zero-install (node bundled)
       #   SnowLuma-dev-<arch>-lite.zip|tar.gz   – user provides Node >= 22
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 699f5ebb..fbb38960 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
     "build:webui": "pnpm --filter webui build",
     "build:all": "pnpm --filter @snowluma/core build:all && pnpm --filter @snowluma/sdk build && pnpm --filter webui build",
     "dev": "pnpm --filter @snowluma/core dev",
+    "dist:install": "cd dist && npm install --omit=dev",
     "dev:mode": "cd dist && cross-env SNOWLUMA_DEV_MODE=1 SNOWLUMA_DEV_WEBUI=1 node index.mjs",
     "dev:web": "pnpm --filter webui dev",
     "test": "pnpm --filter @snowluma/core test",
diff --git a/packages/runtime/package.json b/packages/runtime/package.json
index 3e30cb7a..4b6415e7 100644
--- a/packages/runtime/package.json
+++ b/packages/runtime/package.json
@@ -4,5 +4,8 @@
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "main": "index.mjs",
-  "description": "SnowLuma runtime distribution manifest: ships into dist/ (launcher.bat, package.json, native/*.dll, native/*.node). Native libraries are loaded via process.dlopen()."
+  "description": "SnowLuma runtime distribution manifest: ships into dist/ (launcher.bat, package.json, native/*.dll, native/*.node). vite-plugin-cp copies this package.json into dist/, then the release workflow runs `npm install --omit=dev` inside dist/ to materialize the production node_modules. Dependencies listed here are the runtime-only externals that vite did NOT bundle into index.mjs (currently: better-sqlite3 — native binding, can't be inlined).",
+  "dependencies": {
+    "better-sqlite3": "^11.7.0"
+  }
 }