diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index cbfcee2..4bf00c0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -64,9 +64,89 @@ jobs:
           name: bindings-${{ matrix.target }}
           path: gelectron_core.*.node
 
+  runtime:
+    name: Runtime ${{ matrix.target }}
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        include:
+          - os: macos-latest
+            target: aarch64-apple-darwin
+            platform: darwin
+            arch: arm64
+          - os: macos-latest
+            target: x86_64-apple-darwin
+            platform: darwin
+            arch: x64
+          - os: windows-latest
+            target: x86_64-pc-windows-msvc
+            platform: win32
+            arch: x64
+          - os: windows-latest
+            target: aarch64-pc-windows-msvc
+            platform: win32
+            arch: arm64
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            target: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
+            platform: linux
+            arch: x64
+
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Setup Rust
+        uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+        with:
+          targets: ${{ matrix.target }}
+
+      - name: Install Linux system dependencies
+        if: matrix.platform == 'linux'
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get update
+          sudo apt-get install -y libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev libgtk-3-dev libayatana-appindicator3-dev librsvg2-dev libsoup-3.0-dev
+
+      - name: Build gelectron binary
+        run: cargo build --release -p gelectron --target ${{ matrix.target }}
+
+      - name: Package release archive
+        run: |
+          bash scripts/make-release.sh \
+            -v "${{ github.ref_name }}" \
+            -p ${{ matrix.platform }} \
+            -a ${{ matrix.arch }} \
+            -b "target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/gelectron" \
+            --no-build
+
+      - name: Build macOS installer (DMG)
+        if: matrix.platform == 'darwin'
+        run: bash scripts/pkg/make-dmg.sh -v "${{ github.ref_name }}" -a ${{ matrix.arch }} -b "target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/gelectron" -o dist
+
+      - name: Build Windows installer (EXE)
+        if: matrix.platform == 'win32' && matrix.arch == 'x64'
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          choco install nsis -y --no-progress
+          powershell -File scripts/pkg/make-exe.ps1 -Bin "target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/gelectron.exe" -Compat src/electron -Version "${{ github.ref_name }}" -Arch x64 -Out dist
+
+      - name: Build Linux installer (AppImage)
+        if: matrix.platform == 'linux'
+        run: bash scripts/pkg/make-appimage.sh -v "${{ github.ref_name }}" -b "target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/gelectron" -o dist
+
+      - name: Upload installer artifacts
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: installers-${{ matrix.target }}
+          path: |
+            dist/gelectron-*
+            dist/Gelectron-*
+          if-no-files-found: error
+
   release:
     name: Attach binaries to GitHub Release
-    needs: build
+    needs: [build, runtime]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
       contents: write
@@ -79,10 +159,17 @@ jobs:
           pattern: bindings-*
           merge-multiple: true
 
-      - name: List binaries
+      - name: Download all installers
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          path: artifacts
+          pattern: installers-*
+          merge-multiple: true
+
+      - name: List artifacts
         run: ls -la artifacts/
 
-      - name: Upload binaries to GitHub Release
+      - name: Upload assets to GitHub Release
         uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
         with:
-          files: artifacts/*.node
+          files: artifacts/**
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d030b1e..a014cbe 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -38,8 +38,55 @@ Once installed, run any Electron app with:
 gelectron-core /path/to/electron-app
 ```
 
+### Download a native installer (double-click, no tools needed)
+
+Every new release tag (pushed as `v*`) is pre-compiled in CI and published as
+platform-native, double-clickable installers on the [Releases page]:
+
+| Platform | Installer | What it does |
+|---|---|---|
+| macOS | `Gelectron-<version>-arm64.dmg` / `-x64.dmg` | Contains `Install gelectron.pkg`, which installs the runtime + compat layer to `/usr/local/bin` |
+| Windows | `Gelectron-<version>-x64.exe` | NSIS installer → `C:\Program Files\Gelectron`, adds it to the system PATH, Start Menu + uninstaller |
+| Linux | `Gelectron-<version>-x86_64.AppImage` | Self-contained bundle (includes Node.js + compat), just run it |
+
+After installing, `gelectron /path/to/electron-app` works from anywhere.
+
+> macOS installers are ad-hoc signed (no Developer ID), so on another Mac the
+> first launch shows a Gatekeeper "unidentified developer" warning — right-click
+> → Open to run it.
+
+### Install from GitHub Releases (no npm)
+
+Every new release tag (pushed as `v*`) is pre-compiled in CI and published as
+a self-contained installer archive. Install the latest pre-built runtime with
+a single command — no Rust toolchain, no npm:
+
+```bash
+# macOS / Linux
+curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mileswolfallen2/gelectron/main/scripts/install-release.sh | bash
+
+# Windows (PowerShell)
+irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mileswolfallen2/gelectron/main/scripts/install-release.ps1 | iex
+```
+
+The installer downloads `gelectron-<version>-<platform>-<arch>.tar.gz` (or
+`.zip`) from the latest GitHub Release and puts the `gelectron` binary plus
+the JS compatibility layer into `~/.local/bin` (macOS/Linux) or
+`%LOCALAPPDATA%\gelectron\bin` (Windows). Customize with:
+
+```bash
+bash scripts/install-release.sh --version v0.1.1   # specific tag
+bash scripts/install-release.sh --prefix ~/bin     # custom location
+bash scripts/install-release.sh --uninstall        # remove
+```
+
+Archives can also be downloaded directly from the [Releases page] and
+unpacked manually — the binary just needs the `compat/` folder next to it.
+
 > The `gelectron-core` npm package is the recommended distribution channel. Building from source (below) is only needed if you're developing Gelectron itself or want the bleeding-edge version.
 
+[Releases page]: https://github.com/mileswolfallen2/gelectron/releases
+
 ### Prerequisites (for building from source)
 
 - Rust 1.75+ (`rustup.rs`)
diff --git a/scripts/install-release.ps1 b/scripts/install-release.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..99f40a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/install-release.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+# gelectron installer (PowerShell / Windows)
+#
+# Downloads the pre-built gelectron binary + Electron compatibility layer from
+# GitHub Releases and installs it into PREFIX so `gelectron <app>` works from
+# anywhere. No Rust toolchain or npm required.
+#
+#   Install layout:
+#     <PREFIX>/gelectron.exe      native binary
+#     <PREFIX>/compat/*.js        Electron API compat layer
+#
+# Usage:
+#   .\scripts\install-release.ps1                 latest release
+#   .\scripts\install-release.ps1 -Version v0.1.1
+#   .\scripts\install-release.ps1 -File C:\path\to\gelectron-0.1.1-win32-x64.zip
+#   .\scripts\install-release.ps1 -Prefix "$HOME\bin"
+#   .\scripts\install-release.ps1 -Uninstall
+
+param(
+    [string]$Repo = "mileswolfallen2/gelectron",
+    [string]$Prefix = "",
+    [string]$Version = "",
+    [string]$File = "",
+    [switch]$Uninstall,
+    [switch]$Help
+)
+
+$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
+
+function Show-Help {
+    @"
+  gelectron installer - install pre-built gelectron from GitHub Releases
+
+  Usage:
+    install-release.ps1 [options]
+
+  Options:
+    -Repo owner/repo    GitHub repo (default: mileswolfallen2/gelectron)
+    -Prefix DIR         Install directory (default: %LOCALAPPDATA%\gelectron\bin)
+    -Version TAG        Install a specific release tag (default: latest)
+    -File PATH          Install from a local archive instead of downloading
+    -Uninstall          Remove previously installed files
+    -Help               Show this help
+"@ | Write-Host
+}
+
+if ($Help) { Show-Help; exit 0 }
+if (-not $Prefix) { $Prefix = Join-Path $env:LOCALAPPDATA "gelectron\bin" }
+
+# ── Detect platform / arch ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+$Platform = "win32"
+switch ($env:PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE) {
+    "ARM64" { $Arch = "arm64" }
+    default { $Arch = "x64" }
+}
+$ArchiveExt = "zip"
+
+# ── Uninstall ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+if ($Uninstall) {
+    foreach ($p in @((Join-Path $Prefix "gelectron.exe"), (Join-Path $Prefix "compat"))) {
+        if (Test-Path $p) { Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $p }
+    }
+    Write-Host "Removed $Prefix\gelectron.exe and $Prefix\compat"
+    exit 0
+}
+
+# ── Resolve version + archive ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+$ArchiveFile = $File
+if (-not $ArchiveFile) {
+    if ($Version) {
+        $Tag = "v" + ($Version.TrimStart("v"))
+    } else {
+        Write-Host "==> Resolving latest release from $Repo..."
+        $latest = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://api.github.com/repos/$Repo/releases/latest" -Headers @{ "User-Agent" = "gelectron-installer" }
+        $Tag = $latest.tag_name
+    }
+    $Ver = $Tag.TrimStart("v")
+    $Asset = "gelectron-$Ver-$Platform-$Arch.$ArchiveExt"
+    $Url = "https://github.com/$Repo/releases/download/$Tag/$Asset"
+    Write-Host "==> Downloading $Asset ..."
+    $ArchiveFile = Join-Path $env:TEMP "gelectron-install-$([Guid]::NewGuid().ToString('N')).$ArchiveExt"
+    Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $Url -OutFile $ArchiveFile -UseBasicParsing
+}
+
+# ── Extract ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+$Stage = Join-Path $env:TEMP ("gelectron-install-stage-" + [Guid]::NewGuid().ToString("N"))
+New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $Stage | Out-Null
+try {
+    Write-Host "==> Extracting archive..."
+    Expand-Archive -Path $ArchiveFile -DestinationPath $Stage -Force
+
+    $Bin = Join-Path $Stage "gelectron.exe"
+    if (-not (Test-Path $Bin)) {
+        throw "archive does not contain gelectron.exe"
+    }
+
+    # ── Install ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    Write-Host "==> Installing to $Prefix"
+    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $Prefix -Force | Out-Null
+    Copy-Item $Bin (Join-Path $Prefix "gelectron.exe") -Force
+    if (Test-Path (Join-Path $Stage "compat")) {
+        Copy-Item -Recurse -Force (Join-Path $Stage "compat") $Prefix
+    }
+
+    Write-Host ""
+    Write-Host "  OK Installed: $Prefix\gelectron.exe"
+    Write-Host "  OK Installed: $Prefix\compat\"
+    Write-Host ""
+    Write-Host "  Add $Prefix to your PATH, then run:"
+    Write-Host '    gelectron C:\path\to\electron-app'
+}
+finally {
+    Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $Stage -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+    if (-not $File) { Remove-Item -Force $ArchiveFile -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/install-release.sh b/scripts/install-release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..dad638d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/install-release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# gelectron installer
+#
+# Downloads the pre-built gelectron binary + Electron compatibility layer from
+# GitHub Releases and installs it into PREFIX so `gelectron <app>` works from
+# anywhere. No Rust toolchain or Node dependency manager required.
+#
+#   Install layout:
+#     <PREFIX>/gelectron          native binary
+#     <PREFIX>/compat/*.js        Electron API compat layer
+#
+# Usage:
+#   curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mileswolfallen2/gelectron/main/scripts/install-release.sh | bash
+#   ./scripts/install-release.sh                 latest release
+#   ./scripts/install-release.sh --version v0.1.1
+#   ./scripts/install-release.sh --file /path/to/gelectron-0.1.1-darwin-arm64.tar.gz
+#   PREFIX=~/bin ./scripts/install-release.sh    custom prefix
+#   ./scripts/install-release.sh --uninstall     remove installed files
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+DEFAULT_REPO="mileswolfallen2/gelectron"
+DEFAULT_PREFIX="${HOME}/.local/bin"
+
+REPO="$DEFAULT_REPO"
+PREFIX="${PREFIX:-$DEFAULT_PREFIX}"
+VERSION=""
+FILE=""
+UNINSTALL=0
+
+usage() {
+  cat <<'EOF'
+  gelectron installer — install pre-built gelectron from GitHub Releases
+
+  Usage:
+    install-release.sh [options]
+
+  Options:
+    --repo owner/repo    GitHub repo to fetch releases from (default: mileswolfallen2/gelectron)
+    --prefix DIR         Install directory (env: PREFIX, default: ~/.local/bin)
+    --version TAG        Install a specific release tag (default: latest)
+    --file PATH          Install from a local release archive instead of downloading
+    --uninstall          Remove previously installed files
+    -h, --help           Show this help
+EOF
+}
+
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    --repo) REPO="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    --prefix) PREFIX="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    --version) VERSION="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    --file) FILE="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    --uninstall) UNINSTALL=1; shift ;;
+    -h|--help) usage; exit 0 ;;
+    *) echo "error: unknown option: $1" >&2; usage; exit 1 ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+# ── Detect platform / arch ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+case "$(uname -s)" in
+  Darwin)  PLATFORM="darwin" ;;
+  MINGW*|MSYS*|CYGWIN*) PLATFORM="win32" ;;
+  Linux)   PLATFORM="linux" ;;
+  *) echo "error: unsupported platform: $(uname -s)" >&2; exit 1 ;;
+esac
+
+case "$(uname -m)" in
+  arm64|aarch64) ARCH="arm64" ;;
+  x86_64|amd64)  ARCH="x64" ;;
+  *) echo "error: unsupported arch: $(uname -m)" >&2; exit 1 ;;
+esac
+
+[[ "$PLATFORM" == "win32" ]] && ARCHIVE_EXT="zip" || ARCHIVE_EXT="tar.gz"
+
+# ── Uninstall ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+if [[ "$UNINSTALL" == "1" ]]; then
+  rm -f "$PREFIX/gelectron"
+  rm -f "$PREFIX/gelectron.exe"
+  rm -rf "$PREFIX/compat"
+  echo "Removed $PREFIX/gelectron and $PREFIX/compat"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# ── Resolve version + archive ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+if [[ -n "$FILE" ]]; then
+  ARCHIVE_FILE="$FILE"
+else
+  if [[ -n "$VERSION" ]]; then
+    TAG="${VERSION#v}"
+    TAG="v${TAG}"
+  else
+    echo "==> Resolving latest release from $REPO..."
+    if ! command -v curl >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+      echo "error: curl is required" >&2
+      exit 1
+    fi
+    API_URL="https://api.github.com/repos/$REPO/releases/latest"
+    TAG="$(curl -fsSL "$API_URL" | sed -n 's/.*"tag_name": *"\([^"]*\)".*/\1/p' | head -n1)"
+    if [[ -z "$TAG" ]]; then
+      echo "error: could not resolve latest release from $API_URL" >&2
+      exit 1
+    fi
+  fi
+  VER="${TAG#v}"
+  ASSET="gelectron-$VER-$PLATFORM-$ARCH.$ARCHIVE_EXT"
+  URL="https://github.com/$REPO/releases/download/$TAG/$ASSET"
+  echo "==> Downloading $ASSET ..."
+  ARCHIVE_FILE="$(mktemp /tmp/gelectron-install.XXXXXX.$ARCHIVE_EXT)"
+  trap 'rm -f "$ARCHIVE_FILE"' EXIT
+  curl -fsSL -L "$URL" -o "$ARCHIVE_FILE"
+fi
+
+# ── Extract ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+STAGE="$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/gelectron-install-stage.XXXXXX")"
+trap 'rm -rf "$STAGE" "${ARCHIVE_FILE:-}"' EXIT
+
+echo "==> Extracting archive..."
+case "$ARCHIVE_EXT" in
+  zip)  unzip -qo "$ARCHIVE_FILE" -d "$STAGE" ;;
+  *)    tar -xzf "$ARCHIVE_FILE" -C "$STAGE" ;;
+esac
+
+BIN_ABS="$STAGE/gelectron"
+[[ -f "$STAGE/gelectron.exe" ]] && BIN_ABS="$STAGE/gelectron.exe"
+if [[ ! -f "$BIN_ABS" ]]; then
+  echo "error: archive does not contain gelectron" >&2
+  ls -la "$STAGE" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# ── Install ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+echo "==> Installing to $PREFIX"
+mkdir -p "$PREFIX"
+
+install -m 755 "$BIN_ABS" "$PREFIX/$(basename "$BIN_ABS")"
+if [[ -d "$STAGE/compat" ]]; then
+  mkdir -p "$PREFIX/compat"
+  install -m 644 "$STAGE"/compat/*.js "$PREFIX/compat/"
+fi
+
+# Downloaded-from-GitHub binaries carry a quarantine attribute on macOS and
+# Gatekeeper will block the first launch. Clear it — the binary is ad-hoc
+# signed, so this is the only thing standing in the way.
+if [[ "$PLATFORM" == "darwin" ]]; then
+  xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "$PREFIX/$(basename "$BIN_ABS")" 2>/dev/null || true
+fi
+
+echo
+echo "  ✓ Installed: $PREFIX/$(basename "$BIN_ABS")"
+echo "  ✓ Installed: $PREFIX/compat/"
+
+if ! command -v gelectron >/dev/null 2>&1 || [[ "$(command -v gelectron)" != "$PREFIX/gelectron" ]]; then
+  echo
+  echo "  warning: $PREFIX is not on your PATH."
+  case "$SHELL" in
+    *zsh)  RC="$HOME/.zshrc" ;;
+    *bash) RC="$HOME/.bashrc" ;;
+    *)     RC="$HOME/.profile" ;;
+  esac
+  echo "  Add this line to $RC:"
+  echo "    export PATH=\"$PREFIX:\$PATH\""
+fi
+
+echo
+"$PREFIX/$(basename "$BIN_ABS")" --version >/dev/null 2>&1 && \
+  echo "  Run: gelectron /path/to/electron-app" || \
+  echo "  Hint: $PREFIX/$(basename "$BIN_ABS") --version"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/make-release.sh b/scripts/make-release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..1c06c6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/make-release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,180 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# gelectron release builder
+#
+# Pre-compiles the gelectron native binary and bundles it with the Electron
+# compatibility layer (src/electron/*.js) into a single, self-contained
+# installer archive per platform/arch:
+#
+#   gelectron-<version>-darwin-arm64.tar.gz
+#   gelectron-<version>-darwin-x64.tar.gz
+#   gelectron-<version>-win32-arm64.zip
+#   gelectron-<version>-win32-x64.zip
+#   gelectron-<version>-linux-arm64.tar.gz
+#   gelectron-<version>-linux-x64.tar.gz
+#
+# Archive layout (the install scripts unpack this into PREFIX):
+#   gelectron | gelectron.exe   native binary
+#   compat/*.js                 Electron API compatibility layer
+#
+# This script is what the GitHub Actions workflow runs on every new release
+# tag; it can also be run locally for testing or manual distributions.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+REPO_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
+
+VERSION=""
+PLATFORM=""
+ARCH=""
+BINARY=""
+OUT_DIR="$REPO_DIR/dist"
+BUILD=1
+
+usage() {
+  cat <<'EOF'
+  gelectron release builder
+
+  Usage:
+    scripts/make-release.sh [options]
+
+  Options:
+    -v, --version VER    Release version (default: from package.json, minus v)
+    -p, --platform P     Target OS: darwin, win32, linux (default: current)
+    -a, --arch A         Target arch: x64, arm64 (default: current)
+    -b, --binary PATH    Use an already-built gelectron binary (skips cargo build)
+    -o, --out DIR        Output directory (default: <repo>/dist)
+    -n, --no-build       Do not compile (requires --binary or an existing build)
+    -h, --help           Show this help
+EOF
+}
+
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    -v|--version) VERSION="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    -p|--platform) PLATFORM="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    -a|--arch) ARCH="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    -b|--binary) BINARY="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    -o|--out) OUT_DIR="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    -n|--no-build) BUILD=0; shift ;;
+    -h|--help) usage; exit 0 ;;
+    *) echo "error: unknown option: $1" >&2; usage; exit 1 ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+# ── Resolve defaults ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+if [[ -z "$VERSION" ]]; then
+  VERSION="$(node -p "require('$REPO_DIR/package.json').version" 2>/dev/null || echo '0.0.0')"
+fi
+VERSION="${VERSION#v}"
+
+if [[ -z "$PLATFORM" ]]; then
+  case "$(uname -s)" in
+    Darwin) PLATFORM="darwin" ;;
+    MINGW*|MSYS*|CYGWIN*) PLATFORM="win32" ;;
+    Linux) PLATFORM="linux" ;;
+    *) echo "error: cannot detect platform" >&2; exit 1 ;;
+  esac
+fi
+
+if [[ -z "$ARCH" ]]; then
+  case "$(uname -m)" in
+    arm64|aarch64) ARCH="arm64" ;;
+    x86_64|amd64) ARCH="x64" ;;
+    *) echo "error: cannot detect arch" >&2; exit 1 ;;
+  esac
+fi
+
+case "$PLATFORM-$ARCH" in
+  darwin-arm64|darwin-x64|win32-arm64|win32-x64|linux-arm64|linux-x64) ;;
+  *) echo "error: unsupported platform/arch: $PLATFORM/$ARCH" >&2; exit 1 ;;
+esac
+
+EXE_SUFFIX=""
+[[ "$PLATFORM" == "win32" ]] && EXE_SUFFIX=".exe"
+[[ "$PLATFORM" == "win32" ]] && ARCHIVE_EXT="zip" || ARCHIVE_EXT="tar.gz"
+
+log() { echo "==> $*"; }
+
+# ── Locate or build the gelectron binary ────────────────────────────────────
+
+BIN="$BINARY"
+if [[ -z "$BIN" && "$BUILD" == "1" ]]; then
+  CANDIDATES=(
+    "$REPO_DIR/target/release/gelectron$EXE_SUFFIX"
+    "$REPO_DIR/target/debug/gelectron$EXE_SUFFIX"
+  )
+  for c in "${CANDIDATES[@]}"; do
+    if [[ -f "$c" ]]; then BIN="$c"; break; fi
+  done
+fi
+
+if [[ -z "$BIN" && "$BUILD" == "1" ]]; then
+  log "Building gelectron (release)..."
+  cargo build --release --manifest-path "$REPO_DIR/Cargo.toml" -p gelectron
+  BIN="$REPO_DIR/target/release/gelectron$EXE_SUFFIX"
+fi
+
+# A --binary path may omit the platform extension (e.g. CI passes the target
+# path before the .exe suffix is appended).
+if [[ -n "$BIN" && ! -f "$BIN" && -n "$EXE_SUFFIX" && -f "$BIN$EXE_SUFFIX" ]]; then
+  BIN="$BIN$EXE_SUFFIX"
+fi
+
+if [[ -z "$BIN" || ! -f "$BIN" ]]; then
+  echo "error: gelectron binary not found. Build it first (cargo build --release -p gelectron) or pass --binary." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+BIN="$(cd "$(dirname "$BIN")" && pwd)/$(basename "$BIN")"
+
+# ── Stage the payload ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+STAGE="$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/gelectron-release.XXXXXX")"
+trap 'rm -rf "$STAGE"' EXIT
+
+PAYLOAD="$STAGE/payload"
+mkdir -p "$PAYLOAD"
+
+log "Copying binary ($(basename "$BIN"))..."
+install -m 755 "$BIN" "$PAYLOAD/gelectron$EXE_SUFFIX"
+
+COMPAT_SRC="$REPO_DIR/src/electron"
+if [[ ! -d "$COMPAT_SRC" || -z "$(ls "$COMPAT_SRC"/*.js 2>/dev/null)" ]]; then
+  echo "error: compat layer not found in $COMPAT_SRC" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+log "Copying compat layer..."
+mkdir -p "$PAYLOAD/compat"
+install -m 644 "$COMPAT_SRC"/*.js "$PAYLOAD/compat/"
+
+# Ad-hoc sign so the binary actually runs on arm64 Macs (unsigned binaries
+# are killed by the kernel). No certificate required.
+if [[ "$PLATFORM" == "darwin" ]]; then
+  if command -v codesign >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    log "Ad-hoc signing binary..."
+    codesign --force --sign - "$PAYLOAD/gelectron" 2>/dev/null || echo "  (warning: codesign failed)"
+  fi
+fi
+
+# ── Archive ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+mkdir -p "$OUT_DIR"
+ARCHIVE_NAME="gelectron-$VERSION-$PLATFORM-$ARCH.$ARCHIVE_EXT"
+ARCHIVE_PATH="$OUT_DIR/$ARCHIVE_NAME"
+
+if [[ "$ARCHIVE_EXT" == "zip" ]]; then
+  log "Creating $ARCHIVE_NAME..."
+  if command -v powershell >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    powershell -NoProfile -Command "Compress-Archive -Path '$PAYLOAD/*' -DestinationPath '$ARCHIVE_PATH' -Force"
+  else
+    (cd "$PAYLOAD" && zip -qr "$ARCHIVE_PATH" .)
+  fi
+else
+  log "Creating $ARCHIVE_NAME..."
+  (cd "$PAYLOAD" && tar -czf "$ARCHIVE_PATH" .)
+fi
+
+echo
+log "Created installer: $ARCHIVE_PATH"
+sha256sum "$ARCHIVE_PATH" 2>/dev/null || shasum -a 256 "$ARCHIVE_PATH" 2>/dev/null || true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/pkg/gelectron.nsi b/scripts/pkg/gelectron.nsi
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..06a2604
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/pkg/gelectron.nsi
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+; Gelectron Windows installer (NSIS)
+;
+; Build with makensis from a staging directory containing:
+;   gelectron.exe
+;   compat\*.js
+;
+;   makensis /DVERSION=0.1.1 /DARCH=x64 Gelectron.nsi
+;
+; Installs to $PROGRAMFILES64\Gelectron, adds it to the machine PATH, creates
+; Start Menu + Add/Remove Programs entries, and writes an uninstaller.
+
+!include "MUI2.nsh"
+!include "WordFunc.nsh"
+
+!ifndef VERSION
+  !define VERSION "0.0.0"
+!endif
+!ifndef ARCH
+  !define ARCH "x64"
+!endif
+
+!define APPNAME "Gelectron"
+!define COMPANY "gelectron"
+!define ENV_KEY 'HKLM "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment"'
+!define UNINST_KEY "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\${APPNAME}"
+
+Name "${APPNAME}"
+OutFile "Gelectron-${VERSION}-${ARCH}.exe"
+InstallDir "$PROGRAMFILES64\${APPNAME}"
+InstallDirRegKey HKLM "Software\${APPNAME}" "InstallDir"
+RequestExecutionLevel admin
+
+; ── Modern UI ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+!insertmacro MUI_PAGE_WELCOME
+!insertmacro MUI_PAGE_DIRECTORY
+!insertmacro MUI_PAGE_INSTFILES
+!insertmacro MUI_PAGE_FINISH
+
+!insertmacro MUI_UNPAGE_CONFIRM
+!insertmacro MUI_UNPAGE_INSTFILES
+
+!insertmacro MUI_LANGUAGE "English"
+
+; ── Install section ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+Section "Install"
+  SetShellVarContext all
+  SetOutPath "$INSTDIR"
+
+  File "gelectron.exe"
+  File /r "compat"
+
+  WriteUninstaller "$INSTDIR\Uninstall.exe"
+
+  CreateDirectory "$SMPROGRAMS\${APPNAME}"
+  CreateShortcut "$SMPROGRAMS\${APPNAME}\${APPNAME}.lnk" "$INSTDIR\gelectron.exe"
+
+  WriteRegStr HKLM "${UNINST_KEY}" "DisplayName" "${APPNAME}"
+  WriteRegStr HKLM "${UNINST_KEY}" "DisplayVersion" "${VERSION}"
+  WriteRegStr HKLM "${UNINST_KEY}" "Publisher" "${COMPANY}"
+  WriteRegStr HKLM "${UNINST_KEY}" "InstallLocation" "$INSTDIR"
+  WriteRegStr HKLM "${UNINST_KEY}" "UninstallString" '"$INSTDIR\Uninstall.exe"'
+  WriteRegStr HKLM "${UNINST_KEY}" "DisplayIcon" "$INSTDIR\gelectron.exe"
+
+  ; Add $INSTDIR to the machine PATH (add-if-not-present via WordFunc)
+  ReadRegStr $0 ${ENV_KEY} "Path"
+  ${WordAdd} $0 ";" "+$INSTDIR" $1
+  WriteRegExpandStr ${ENV_KEY} "Path" $1
+  SendMessage ${HWND_BROADCAST} ${WM_SETTINGCHANGE} 0 "STR:Environment"
+SectionEnd
+
+; ── Uninstall section ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+Section "Uninstall"
+  SetShellVarContext all
+  ; Remove $INSTDIR from the machine PATH
+  ReadRegStr $0 ${ENV_KEY} "Path"
+  ${WordAdd} $0 ";" "-$INSTDIR" $1
+  WriteRegExpandStr ${ENV_KEY} "Path" $1
+  SendMessage ${HWND_BROADCAST} ${WM_SETTINGCHANGE} 0 "STR:Environment"
+
+  Delete "$SMPROGRAMS\${APPNAME}\${APPNAME}.lnk"
+  RMDir "$SMPROGRAMS\${APPNAME}"
+
+  DeleteRegKey HKLM "${UNINST_KEY}"
+  DeleteRegKey HKLM "Software\${APPNAME}"
+
+  RMDir /r "$INSTDIR"
+SectionEnd
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/pkg/make-appimage.sh b/scripts/pkg/make-appimage.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..30dba1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/pkg/make-appimage.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Build the Linux AppImage: bundles the gelectron binary, the compat layer
+# and a Node.js runtime into a single self-contained, downloadable AppImage.
+#
+#   Gelectron-<version>-x86_64.AppImage
+#
+# Requires: the gelectron binary (built against webkit2gtk-4.1), compat layer,
+# and network access (downloads Node.js + appimagetool).
+#
+# Usage:
+#   scripts/pkg/make-appimage.sh -v VERSION [--binary PATH] [--compat DIR] [-o DIR]
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+REPO_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../.." && pwd)"
+NODE_VERSION="20.18.1"
+
+VERSION=""
+BINARY=""
+COMPAT="$REPO_DIR/src/electron"
+OUT_DIR="$REPO_DIR/dist"
+
+usage() {
+  cat <<'EOF'
+  Linux AppImage builder
+
+  Usage:
+    scripts/pkg/make-appimage.sh -v VERSION [--binary PATH] [--compat DIR] [-o DIR]
+
+  Options:
+    -v, --version VER    Version string (e.g. 0.1.1)
+    -b, --binary PATH    Path to the gelectron binary
+    -c, --compat DIR     Path to the compat layer (default: <repo>/src/electron)
+    -o, --out DIR        Output directory (default: <repo>/dist)
+    -h, --help           Show this help
+EOF
+}
+
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    -v|--version) VERSION="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    -b|--binary) BINARY="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    -c|--compat) COMPAT="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    -o|--out) OUT_DIR="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    -h|--help) usage; exit 0 ;;
+    *) echo "error: unknown option: $1" >&2; usage; exit 1 ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+VERSION="${VERSION#v}"
+[[ -n "$VERSION" ]] || { echo "error: --version required" >&2; exit 1; }
+if [[ -z "$BINARY" ]]; then
+  BINARY="$REPO_DIR/target/release/gelectron"
+fi
+[[ -f "$BINARY" ]] || { echo "error: binary not found: $BINARY" >&2; exit 1; }
+[[ -d "$COMPAT" ]] || { echo "error: compat dir not found: $COMPAT" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+log() { echo "==> $*"; }
+
+STAGE="$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/gelectron-appimage.XXXXXX")"
+trap 'rm -rf "$STAGE"' EXIT
+
+APPDIR="$STAGE/Gelectron.AppDir"
+mkdir -p "$APPDIR/usr/bin"
+
+# ── Binaries ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+log "Staging binary..."
+install -m 755 "$BINARY" "$APPDIR/usr/bin/gelectron"
+
+log "Staging compat layer (usr/bin/compat, resolved next to the binary)..."
+mkdir -p "$APPDIR/usr/bin/compat"
+install -m 644 "$COMPAT"/*.js "$APPDIR/usr/bin/compat/"
+
+# Node.js runtime (gelectron's Node mode requires node on PATH)
+NODE_DIR="$STAGE/node"
+if [[ ! -d "$NODE_DIR" ]]; then
+  log "Downloading Node.js v$NODE_VERSION..."
+  mkdir -p "$NODE_DIR"
+  NODE_ARCHIVE="$STAGE/node.tar.xz"
+  curl -fsSL "https://nodejs.org/dist/v${NODE_VERSION}/node-v${NODE_VERSION}-linux-x64.tar.xz" -o "$NODE_ARCHIVE"
+  tar -xJf "$NODE_ARCHIVE" -C "$NODE_DIR"
+fi
+install -m 755 "$NODE_DIR"/node-v${NODE_VERSION}-linux-x64/bin/node "$APPDIR/usr/bin/node"
+install -m 644 "$NODE_DIR"/node-v${NODE_VERSION}-linux-x64/lib/libnode.so* "$APPDIR/usr/lib/" 2>/dev/null || true
+
+mkdir -p "$APPDIR/usr/lib"
+cp "$NODE_DIR"/node-v${NODE_VERSION}-linux-x64/lib/libnode.so* "$APPDIR/usr/lib/" 2>/dev/null || true
+
+# ── AppImage metadata ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+cat > "$APPDIR/AppRun" <<'EOF'
+#!/bin/sh
+SELF="$(dirname "$(readlink -f "$0")")"
+export PATH="$SELF/usr/bin:$PATH"
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$SELF/usr/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH:-}"
+export GELECTRON_NATIVE=1
+exec "$SELF/usr/bin/gelectron" "$@"
+EOF
+chmod +x "$APPDIR/AppRun"
+
+cat > "$APPDIR/gelectron.desktop" <<EOF
+[Desktop Entry]
+Type=Application
+Name=Gelectron
+Comment=Firefox-engine alternative to Electron, powered by Servo
+Exec=gelectron
+Icon=gelectron
+Terminal=false
+Categories=Development;
+EOF
+
+if [[ -f "$REPO_DIR/logo.png" ]]; then
+  install -m 644 "$REPO_DIR/logo.png" "$APPDIR/gelectron.png"
+fi
+
+# ── appimagetool ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+TOOL="$STAGE/appimagetool"
+if [[ ! -f "$TOOL" ]]; then
+  log "Downloading appimagetool..."
+  curl -fsSL "https://github.com/AppImage/appimagetool/releases/download/continuous/appimagetool-x86_64.AppImage" -o "$TOOL"
+fi
+chmod +x "$TOOL"
+
+# ── Build ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+mkdir -p "$OUT_DIR"
+APPIMAGE_NAME="Gelectron-$VERSION-x86_64.AppImage"
+APPIMAGE_PATH="$OUT_DIR/$APPIMAGE_NAME"
+
+export VERSION="$VERSION"
+export ARCH="x86_64"
+# Run appimagetool without FUSE (Ubuntu 24.04+ runners don't ship libfuse2)
+export APPIMAGE_EXTRACT_AND_RUN=1
+log "Creating $APPIMAGE_NAME ..."
+"$TOOL" "$APPDIR" "$APPIMAGE_PATH" >/dev/null
+
+echo
+log "Created installer: $APPIMAGE_PATH"
+sha256sum "$APPIMAGE_PATH" 2>/dev/null || shasum -a 256 "$APPIMAGE_PATH" 2>/dev/null || true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/pkg/make-dmg.sh b/scripts/pkg/make-dmg.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..60c8afb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/pkg/make-dmg.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Build the macOS installer: a .pkg (installs the gelectron runtime +
+# compat layer to /usr/local/bin) wrapped in a .dmg for distribution.
+#
+#   Gelectron-<version>-<arch>.dmg
+#     └── Install gelectron.pkg   (double-click, runs macOS Installer as root)
+#
+# Requires macOS (pkgbuild + hdiutil). Ad-hoc signing only — no Developer ID
+# certificate, so first launch shows a Gatekeeper warning on other machines.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+REPO_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../.." && pwd)"
+
+VERSION=""
+ARCH=""
+BINARY=""
+COMPAT="$REPO_DIR/src/electron"
+OUT_DIR="$REPO_DIR/dist"
+
+usage() {
+  cat <<'EOF'
+  macOS installer builder (pkg inside DMG)
+
+  Usage:
+    scripts/pkg/make-dmg.sh -v VERSION -a ARCH [--binary PATH] [--compat DIR] [-o DIR]
+
+  Options:
+    -v, --version VER    Version string (e.g. 0.1.1)
+    -a, --arch A         arm64 | x64
+    -b, --binary PATH    Path to the gelectron binary
+    -c, --compat DIR     Path to the compat layer (default: <repo>/src/electron)
+    -o, --out DIR        Output directory (default: <repo>/dist)
+    -h, --help           Show this help
+EOF
+}
+
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    -v|--version) VERSION="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    -a|--arch) ARCH="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    -b|--binary) BINARY="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    -c|--compat) COMPAT="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    -o|--out) OUT_DIR="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    -h|--help) usage; exit 0 ;;
+    *) echo "error: unknown option: $1" >&2; usage; exit 1 ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+[[ -n "$VERSION" ]] || { echo "error: --version required" >&2; exit 1; }
+VERSION="${VERSION#v}"
+[[ -n "$ARCH" ]] || { echo "error: --arch required" >&2; exit 1; }
+case "$ARCH" in arm64|x64) ;; *) echo "error: unsupported arch: $ARCH" >&2; exit 1 ;; esac
+
+if [[ -z "$BINARY" ]]; then
+  BINARY="$REPO_DIR/target/release/gelectron"
+fi
+[[ -f "$BINARY" ]] || { echo "error: binary not found: $BINARY" >&2; exit 1; }
+[[ -d "$COMPAT" ]] || { echo "error: compat dir not found: $COMPAT" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+log() { echo "==> $*"; }
+
+STAGE="$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/gelectron-dmg.XXXXXX")"
+trap 'rm -rf "$STAGE"' EXIT
+
+# ── Payload root (what pkgbuild installs into /usr/local/bin) ─────────────
+
+PAYLOAD="$STAGE/gelectron"
+mkdir -p "$PAYLOAD"
+
+log "Staging payload..."
+install -m 755 "$BINARY" "$PAYLOAD/gelectron"
+mkdir -p "$PAYLOAD/compat"
+install -m 644 "$COMPAT"/*.js "$PAYLOAD/compat/"
+
+if command -v codesign >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  log "Ad-hoc signing binary..."
+  codesign --force --sign - "$PAYLOAD/gelectron" 2>/dev/null || echo "  (warning: codesign failed)"
+fi
+
+# ── Component package ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+PKG="$STAGE/Install gelectron.pkg"
+log "Building package (installs to /usr/local/bin)..."
+pkgbuild \
+  --root "$PAYLOAD" \
+  --identifier "com.gelectron.runtime.$ARCH" \
+  --version "$VERSION" \
+  --ownership recommended \
+  --install-location /usr/local/bin \
+  "$PKG"
+
+# ── DMG ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+mkdir -p "$OUT_DIR"
+DMG_NAME="Gelectron-$VERSION-$ARCH.dmg"
+DMG_PATH="$OUT_DIR/$DMG_NAME"
+
+DMG_STAGE="$STAGE/dmg"
+mkdir -p "$DMG_STAGE"
+cp "$PKG" "$DMG_STAGE/"
+
+log "Creating $DMG_NAME ..."
+hdiutil create \
+  -volname "Gelectron $VERSION" \
+  -srcfolder "$DMG_STAGE" \
+  -format UDZO \
+  -ov \
+  "$DMG_PATH" >/dev/null
+
+echo
+log "Created installer: $DMG_PATH"
+shasum -a 256 "$DMG_PATH"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/pkg/make-exe.ps1 b/scripts/pkg/make-exe.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..145cb98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/pkg/make-exe.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+# Gelectron Windows installer builder (NSIS)
+#
+# Stages the payload and compiles the installer EXE with makensis:
+#   Gelectron-<version>-<arch>.exe
+#
+# Usage:
+#   powershell -File scripts/pkg/make-exe.ps1 `
+#     -Bin target\release\gelectron.exe `
+#     -Compat src\electron `
+#     -Version 0.1.1 -Arch x64 -Out dist
+#
+# Requires makensis on PATH (install via: choco install nsis -y)
+
+param(
+    [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Bin,
+    [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Compat,
+    [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Version,
+    [string]$Arch = "x64",
+    [string]$Out = "dist",
+    [string]$NsiPath = "scripts/pkg/gelectron.nsi"
+)
+
+$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
+
+if (-not (Get-Command makensis -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
+    throw "makensis not found. Install NSIS first (choco install nsis -y)."
+}
+
+$RealityVersion = $Version.TrimStart("v")
+
+$Stage = Join-Path $env:TEMP ("gelectron-nsis-" + [Guid]::NewGuid().ToString("N"))
+New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $Stage -Force | Out-Null
+try {
+    Copy-Item $Bin (Join-Path $Stage "gelectron.exe") -Force
+    Copy-Item -Recurse -Force $Compat (Join-Path $Stage "compat")
+    Copy-Item $NsiPath (Join-Path $Stage "gelectron.nsi") -Force
+
+    Write-Host "==> Compiling installer (makensis)..."
+    Push-Location $Stage
+    try {
+        & makensis "-DVERSION=$RealityVersion" "-DARCH=$Arch" gelectron.nsi
+        if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "makensis failed with exit code $LASTEXITCODE" }
+    }
+    finally {
+        Pop-Location
+    }
+
+    $Installer = Get-ChildItem $Stage -Filter "Gelectron-*.exe" | Select-Object -First 1
+    if (-not $Installer) { throw "makensis produced no installer" }
+
+    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $Out -Force | Out-Null
+    Copy-Item $Installer.FullName (Join-Path $Out $Installer.Name) -Force
+    Write-Host ""
+    Write-Host "==> Created installer: $(Join-Path $Out $Installer.Name)"
+}
+finally {
+    Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $Stage -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+}
\ No newline at end of file