diff --git a/.claude/skills/release/SKILL.md b/.claude/skills/release/SKILL.md
index 57e7c4ba3a..4f90f70978 100644
--- a/.claude/skills/release/SKILL.md
+++ b/.claude/skills/release/SKILL.md
@@ -42,6 +42,61 @@ git fetch origin main
 
 If not on dev or working tree is dirty, abort with a clear message.
 
+### Step 1.5: Pre-flight compiled-binary smoke test (MANDATORY before any other step)
+
+> **Why this is first**: releases have ended up with zero working binaries because a module-init crash or bundler bug only surfaces in `bun build --compile` output, not in `bun run`. CI catches it — but only AFTER the tag is pushed and a GitHub Release is created. By then the damage (empty release, broken `releases/latest`, broken `install.sh`) is already live. Failing here, before any user-visible change, keeps the blast radius at "no release was cut."
+
+Run locally on the native target. This takes ~15-30s and is cheaper than discovering the problem after tag+release.
+
+```bash
+# Guard: only run this for Node/Bun projects with a CLI entry point + build-binaries script.
+if [ -f scripts/build-binaries.sh ] && [ -f packages/cli/src/cli.ts ]; then
+  TMP_BINARY=$(mktemp)
+  trap "rm -f $TMP_BINARY" EXIT
+
+  # Compile for the native target only (not full cross-compile — that's CI's job).
+  # Match the real release flags so any bundler quirk reproduces locally.
+  bun build \
+    --compile \
+    --minify \
+    --target=bun \
+    --outfile="$TMP_BINARY" \
+    packages/cli/src/cli.ts
+
+  # Smoke test: the binary must start and exit 0 on a safe, non-interactive command.
+  # `version` or `--help` are both acceptable — pick one that does NOT touch the
+  # network, database, or require env vars.
+  if ! "$TMP_BINARY" version > /tmp/archon-preflight.log 2>&1; then
+    echo "ERROR: compiled binary crashed at startup"
+    cat /tmp/archon-preflight.log
+    echo ""
+    echo "This usually means a dependency has a module-init-time side effect that"
+    echo "fails in a compiled binary context (readFileSync of a path that only"
+    echo "exists in node_modules, etc.). Fix before cutting the release — do NOT"
+    echo "proceed to version bump."
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  # Also grep for known crash markers that exit 0 but print a fatal error
+  # (some module-init errors are caught by top-level try/catch but still log).
+  if grep -qE "Expected CommonJS module|TypeError:|ReferenceError:|SyntaxError:" /tmp/archon-preflight.log; then
+    echo "ERROR: compiled binary emitted a runtime error despite exit 0"
+    cat /tmp/archon-preflight.log
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  echo "Pre-flight binary smoke: PASSED"
+fi
+```
+
+If this fails, **abort the release entirely** — do not bump version, do not modify CHANGELOG, do not create a PR. Surface the error to the user, point at the failing output, and stop. Recovery is: fix the bundler / dependency issue on a feature branch, merge to dev, re-run `/release`.
+
+**Common failure modes this catches:**
+- Bun `--bytecode` flag producing broken bytecode for the current module graph
+- A dependency (e.g. an SDK) reading `package.json` or other files at module top level via paths that resolve fine in `node_modules/` but not next to a compiled binary
+- Circular imports that break under minification but work under plain `bun run`
+- A newly added package that ships CJS with an unusual wrapper shape
+
 ### Step 2: Detect Stack and Current Version
 
 Detect the project's package manager and version file:
@@ -211,6 +266,7 @@ After the tag is pushed, `.github/workflows/release.yml` builds platform binarie
 
 ```bash
 echo "Waiting for release workflow to finish uploading binaries..."
+WORKFLOW_FAILED=0
 for i in {1..30}; do
   ASSET_COUNT=$(gh release view "vx.y.z" --repo coleam00/Archon --json assets --jq '.assets | length')
   # Expect 7 assets: 5 binaries (darwin-arm64, darwin-x64, linux-arm64, linux-x64, windows-x64.exe) + archon-web.tar.gz + checksums.txt
@@ -218,14 +274,45 @@ for i in {1..30}; do
     echo "All $ASSET_COUNT assets uploaded"
     break
   fi
+
+  # Short-circuit: if the release workflow itself has failed, stop waiting.
+  # Hanging for 15 min when CI already crashed just delays the recovery path.
+  WORKFLOW_STATUS=$(gh run list --workflow release.yml --event push --limit 1 --json conclusion,status --jq '.[0] | "\(.status)|\(.conclusion)"')
+  if [[ "$WORKFLOW_STATUS" == "completed|failure" ]]; then
+    echo "Release workflow FAILED — no point waiting longer"
+    WORKFLOW_FAILED=1
+    break
+  fi
+
   echo "  Assets so far: $ASSET_COUNT/7 — waiting 30s (attempt $i/30)..."
   sleep 30
 done
 
-if [ "$ASSET_COUNT" -lt 7 ]; then
-  echo "ERROR: Release workflow did not finish uploading assets after 15 minutes"
-  echo "Check https://github.com/coleam00/Archon/actions for the release workflow run"
-  exit 1
+if [ "$WORKFLOW_FAILED" -eq 1 ] || [ "$ASSET_COUNT" -lt 7 ]; then
+  # Triage: rerun once in case it's transient, then check again.
+  RUN_ID=$(gh run list --workflow release.yml --event push --limit 1 --json databaseId --jq '.[0].databaseId')
+  echo "Release workflow failed on run $RUN_ID. Rerunning failed jobs once to confirm..."
+  gh run rerun "$RUN_ID" --failed
+  gh run watch "$RUN_ID" --exit-status --interval 30 || true
+
+  # Re-check asset count + run status after rerun.
+  ASSET_COUNT=$(gh release view "vx.y.z" --repo coleam00/Archon --json assets --jq '.assets | length')
+  if [ "$ASSET_COUNT" -ge 7 ]; then
+    echo "Rerun succeeded — all assets now present"
+  else
+    echo ""
+    echo "===== DETERMINISTIC CI FAILURE ====="
+    echo "The release workflow failed on two consecutive runs. This is NOT a flake."
+    echo "The tag and release exist but have no (or incomplete) assets."
+    echo ""
+    echo "install.sh and similar 'releases/latest' paths are now 404-ing."
+    echo "Proceeding with Homebrew/tap sync would publish a formula pointing at"
+    echo "missing or inconsistent binaries."
+    echo ""
+    echo "Jump to the 'Recovery: deterministic release CI failure' section at the"
+    echo "bottom of this skill and execute it. Do NOT continue past this point."
+    exit 1
+  fi
 fi
 ```
 
@@ -376,9 +463,81 @@ Also run `/test-release curl-mac x.y.z` to cover the curl install path. The two
 
 If you have a VPS available, also run `/test-release curl-vps x.y.z <vps-target>` to verify the Linux binary.
 
+## Recovery: deterministic release CI failure
+
+Reached here because Step 10 detected two consecutive workflow failures. The tag `vx.y.z` is pushed, the GitHub release exists, but assets are missing or incomplete. Every `install.sh` run currently resolves `releases/latest` to this broken release and 404s on download. Homebrew users are safe because Step 10's atomic formula update was blocked.
+
+**Do not re-run the release workflow a third time hoping it succeeds.** If the failure was reproducible twice, it's a code bug — you need to ship code to fix it.
+
+### Immediate mitigation (restore `install.sh`)
+
+Delete the GitHub Release so `releases/latest` falls back to the previous version. Keep the git tag — tag immutability matters and there are no shipped artifacts pointing at it anyway.
+
+```bash
+gh release delete "vx.y.z" --yes
+# Do NOT delete the tag:
+#   git push --delete origin vx.y.z   ← do not run
+# Tag stays so git history records the attempt; no release means no assets
+# means releases/latest resolves to the prior working release.
+```
+
+Verify:
+
+```bash
+gh api repos/coleam00/Archon/releases/latest --jq '.tag_name'
+# should now print the prior version (e.g. v0.3.6), not vx.y.z
+```
+
+### Diagnose
+
+The release workflow logs tell you which target failed and at what stage (compile vs. smoke-test vs. upload):
+
+```bash
+gh run list --workflow release.yml --limit 2 --json databaseId,conclusion
+gh run view <RUN_ID> --log-failed
+```
+
+Common causes:
+- **Bundler/bytecode bug** — Bun `--bytecode` produces invalid output for the current module graph. Symptom: `TypeError: Expected CommonJS module to have a function wrapper` at binary startup. Historically caused by a new dependency's CJS/ESM shape interacting with `--bytecode` — dropping the flag or lazy-importing the offending module has been the fix.
+- **Module-init crash** — a dependency does `readFileSync('package.json')` or similar at module top level via a path that exists in `node_modules/` but not next to a compiled binary. Symptom: every binary subcommand crashes immediately; error typically mentions a missing file adjacent to `process.execPath`. Fix by lazy-importing the dependency behind the code path that actually uses it.
+- **Smoke-test timeout on Windows** — not actually a bug in the code; the Windows runner is slow. Rerun once; if it recurs, bump the test timeout.
+
+Step 1.5 now runs a local compiled-binary smoke test before any user-visible step. If the failure mode above reproduces locally, you've found it. If it doesn't, the bug is platform-specific (Windows cross-compile, Linux glibc, etc.) and you need the CI logs.
+
+### Fix and re-release as the NEXT patch
+
+**Do not reuse `vx.y.z`.** Cut `vx.y.(z+1)` (or next-minor if warranted) with the fix. Rationale:
+- Tag immutability: `vx.y.z` is already recorded in git history and release cache
+- Semver clarity: users and tooling should see a new version number when the bits change
+- Audit trail: "v0.3.7 was cut but had no shipped binaries; v0.3.8 is the first release with <fix>" is cleaner than rewriting v0.3.7
+
+Steps:
+
+1. Cut a fix branch off dev, implement the fix, PR to dev, merge.
+2. Re-run `/release` (it will bump to the next patch — e.g. `0.3.8` — automatically).
+3. Step 1.5's pre-flight smoke will catch the same bug locally if the fix didn't actually fix it. Iterate until it passes before tagging.
+
+### CHANGELOG note for the hotfix release
+
+Include a line in the new release's CHANGELOG that references the broken prior version so users understand why there's no binary artifact under that tag:
+
+```markdown
+### Fixed
+
+- **First release with working compiled binaries after vx.y.z's <bug>.** vx.y.z was tagged but its binary smoke test failed deterministically (see RUN_ID in CI history). The tag is preserved for history; this release (vx.y.(z+1)) is the first with shipped binaries. `install.sh` and Homebrew were never updated to vx.y.z, so users were not exposed to the broken state.
+```
+
+### What NOT to do
+
+- **Do not force-push or rewrite the tag.** Once a tag exists, it's a public promise of that SHA. Deleting and re-creating to a different SHA is tag-spoofing and breaks any downstream that cached the original.
+- **Do not skip this recovery path to "just push more binaries to the broken release".** The release exists with a specific commit SHA; uploading binaries built from a newer SHA creates binary/source drift that is hard to diagnose later.
+- **Do not update the Homebrew formula before v0.3.(z+1) is fully shipped.** The formula should always point at a version with all 7 assets uploaded and `/test-release brew` passing.
+
 ## Important Rules
 
 - NEVER force push
+- **NEVER skip Step 1.5 (pre-flight compiled-binary smoke).** If the stack is a Bun/Node project with a build-binaries script, the `bun build --compile` smoke test runs before version bump, PR, or tag. Skipping it means every bundler regression or module-init crash only surfaces after the tag is pushed — by which point `releases/latest` is already 404-ing for every user. The ~30s cost is paid to keep the failure mode local.
+- If Step 1.5 fails, **abort the release** and fix the underlying issue on a feature branch. Do not "just skip it" and hope CI doesn't repro the problem.
 - NEVER skip the review step — always show the changelog before committing
 - NEVER include "Co-Authored-By: Claude" or any AI attribution in the commit
 - NEVER add emoji to changelog entries unless the user asks
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 887ffe4e94..f1f781a886 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,15 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.3.8] - 2026-04-22
+
+Hotfix for v0.3.7 — restore working compiled binaries. v0.3.7 was tagged but never shipped any working assets: two distinct bugs (Pi SDK's module-init `package.json` read, and Bun `--bytecode` producing broken output for this project's module graph) made every compiled archon binary crash at startup. The v0.3.7 GitHub Release was deleted immediately (the tag remains for history); v0.3.8 is the first release with working `archon-{darwin,linux}-{arm64,x64}` and `archon-windows-x64.exe` binaries since v0.3.6. Homebrew and `install.sh` were never updated to v0.3.7, so users were not exposed to the broken state.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **Compiled archon binaries no longer crash at startup when the Pi provider is bundled.** `@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent/dist/config.js` runs `readFileSync(getPackageJsonPath(), 'utf-8')` at module top-level, which inside a compiled binary resolves to `dirname(process.execPath) + '/package.json'` — a path that doesn't exist next to `/usr/local/bin/archon`, making every archon command (including `archon version`) crash with ENOENT before it ran. The Pi SDK and all Pi-dependent helper modules are now dynamically imported inside `PiProvider.sendQuery()`; registering Pi and instantiating the provider no longer touches Pi's module-init side effects. A regression test (`provider-lazy-load.test.ts`) walks the same `registerCommunityProviders()` + `getAgentProvider('pi')` path the CLI and server take and asserts neither SDK package was resolved. Claude and Codex providers keep their static import style — their SDKs have no equivalent module-init side effect. Unblocks the v0.3.7 release binaries that could not ship because of this bug. (#1355)
+- **Release binary compile no longer silently produces broken bytecode.** `scripts/build-binaries.sh` dropped the `--bytecode` flag: Bun 1.3.11's bytecode step failed with `Failed to generate bytecode for ./cli.js` against the 0.3.7 module graph and fell through to producing a binary that crashed at module instantiation with "Expected CommonJS module to have a function wrapper". Windows was already excluded; this removes the flag everywhere. Release parity preserved via `--minify`. (#1354)
+
 ## [0.3.7] - 2026-04-22
 
 Pi community provider, home-scoped workflows/commands/scripts, worktree policy, Web UI approval-gate auto-resume, three-path env model, and a breaking change to Claude Code binary resolution for compiled binary users.
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 42cc8a3714..9153069c82 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "archon",
-  "version": "0.3.7",
+  "version": "0.3.8",
   "private": true,
   "workspaces": [
     "packages/*"
diff --git a/packages/adapters/package.json b/packages/adapters/package.json
index 19dbeedd9d..de465130f6 100644
--- a/packages/adapters/package.json
+++ b/packages/adapters/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@archon/adapters",
-  "version": "0.3.7",
+  "version": "0.3.8",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./src/index.ts",
   "types": "./src/index.ts",
diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index 1f00737409..f74cbfd087 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@archon/cli",
-  "version": "0.3.7",
+  "version": "0.3.8",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./src/cli.ts",
   "bin": {
diff --git a/packages/core/package.json b/packages/core/package.json
index 31820f43f7..d024002644 100644
--- a/packages/core/package.json
+++ b/packages/core/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@archon/core",
-  "version": "0.3.7",
+  "version": "0.3.8",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./src/index.ts",
   "types": "./src/index.ts",
diff --git a/packages/docs-web/package.json b/packages/docs-web/package.json
index 38ab7a44a7..a77bad6eda 100644
--- a/packages/docs-web/package.json
+++ b/packages/docs-web/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@archon/docs-web",
-  "version": "0.3.7",
+  "version": "0.3.8",
   "private": true,
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "astro dev",
diff --git a/packages/git/package.json b/packages/git/package.json
index dbcee1820b..66357d975d 100644
--- a/packages/git/package.json
+++ b/packages/git/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@archon/git",
-  "version": "0.3.7",
+  "version": "0.3.8",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./src/index.ts",
   "types": "./src/index.ts",
diff --git a/packages/isolation/package.json b/packages/isolation/package.json
index c145585304..fe000efdb7 100644
--- a/packages/isolation/package.json
+++ b/packages/isolation/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@archon/isolation",
-  "version": "0.3.7",
+  "version": "0.3.8",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./src/index.ts",
   "types": "./src/index.ts",
diff --git a/packages/paths/package.json b/packages/paths/package.json
index 4fe6345982..5df8eb3ace 100644
--- a/packages/paths/package.json
+++ b/packages/paths/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@archon/paths",
-  "version": "0.3.7",
+  "version": "0.3.8",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./src/index.ts",
   "types": "./src/index.ts",
diff --git a/packages/providers/package.json b/packages/providers/package.json
index 5937d54658..88ecb3ddce 100644
--- a/packages/providers/package.json
+++ b/packages/providers/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@archon/providers",
-  "version": "0.3.7",
+  "version": "0.3.8",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./src/index.ts",
   "types": "./src/index.ts",
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
     "./registry": "./src/registry.ts"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "test": "bun test src/claude/provider.test.ts && bun test src/codex/provider.test.ts && bun test src/registry.test.ts && bun test src/codex/binary-guard.test.ts && bun test src/codex/binary-resolver.test.ts && bun test src/codex/binary-resolver-dev.test.ts && bun test src/claude/binary-resolver.test.ts && bun test src/claude/binary-resolver-dev.test.ts && bun test src/community/pi/model-ref.test.ts && bun test src/community/pi/config.test.ts && bun test src/community/pi/event-bridge.test.ts && bun test src/community/pi/options-translator.test.ts && bun test src/community/pi/session-resolver.test.ts && bun test src/community/pi/provider.test.ts",
+    "test": "bun test src/claude/provider.test.ts && bun test src/codex/provider.test.ts && bun test src/registry.test.ts && bun test src/codex/binary-guard.test.ts && bun test src/codex/binary-resolver.test.ts && bun test src/codex/binary-resolver-dev.test.ts && bun test src/claude/binary-resolver.test.ts && bun test src/claude/binary-resolver-dev.test.ts && bun test src/community/pi/model-ref.test.ts && bun test src/community/pi/config.test.ts && bun test src/community/pi/event-bridge.test.ts && bun test src/community/pi/options-translator.test.ts && bun test src/community/pi/session-resolver.test.ts && bun test src/community/pi/provider.test.ts && bun test src/community/pi/provider-lazy-load.test.ts",
     "type-check": "bun x tsc --noEmit"
   },
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/packages/providers/src/community/pi/provider-lazy-load.test.ts b/packages/providers/src/community/pi/provider-lazy-load.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..04ee0d1919
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/providers/src/community/pi/provider-lazy-load.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/**
+ * Regression test: Pi SDK must not load at module-import time.
+ *
+ * Pi's `@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent/dist/config.js` runs
+ * `readFileSync(getPackageJsonPath(), 'utf-8')` at module top-level. Inside
+ * a compiled Archon binary `getPackageJsonPath()` resolves to
+ * `dirname(process.execPath) + '/package.json'`, which doesn't exist — so
+ * any static import chain from `@archon/providers` into the Pi SDK crashes
+ * archon at startup with ENOENT before any command runs (v0.3.7 symptom).
+ *
+ * Detection strategy: replace both Pi SDK packages with `mock.module`
+ * factories that flip a boolean the first time something resolves them.
+ * Walk the same registration path the CLI and server take and assert
+ * neither flag tipped. A throwing factory would abort the failing import
+ * before the `expect` calls run, producing a crash at resolution time with
+ * no assertion context — counters keep failures actionable.
+ *
+ * Runs in its own `bun test` invocation because Bun's `mock.module` is
+ * process-wide and would poison `provider.test.ts`, which installs benign
+ * stubs for the same modules (see CLAUDE.md on test isolation).
+ */
+import { expect, mock, test } from 'bun:test';
+
+// Counter-based detection — see the file header for why not `throw`.
+let piCodingAgentLoaded = false;
+let piAiLoaded = false;
+
+mock.module('@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent', () => {
+  piCodingAgentLoaded = true;
+  return {};
+});
+mock.module('@mariozechner/pi-ai', () => {
+  piAiLoaded = true;
+  return {};
+});
+
+test('registering and instantiating the Pi provider does not eagerly load the Pi SDK', async () => {
+  // Go through the same public entrypoint the CLI and server call.
+  // `registerCommunityProviders()` pulls in the full registration path
+  // (registry.ts → registration.ts → provider.ts → provider's helpers).
+  const { clearRegistry, getAgentProvider, registerCommunityProviders } =
+    await import('../../registry');
+
+  clearRegistry();
+  registerCommunityProviders();
+
+  const provider = getAgentProvider('pi');
+  expect(provider.getType()).toBe('pi');
+  expect(provider.getCapabilities()).toBeDefined();
+
+  // If either of these fails, someone reintroduced a static (non-type)
+  // `import { ... }` from a Pi SDK package somewhere in the module chain
+  // reachable from `registerCommunityProviders()`. Fix by moving that value
+  // import inside `PiProvider.sendQuery()`'s dynamic-import block.
+  expect(piCodingAgentLoaded).toBe(false);
+  expect(piAiLoaded).toBe(false);
+});
diff --git a/packages/providers/src/community/pi/provider.ts b/packages/providers/src/community/pi/provider.ts
index f0171df202..e4b6804762 100644
--- a/packages/providers/src/community/pi/provider.ts
+++ b/packages/providers/src/community/pi/provider.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,5 @@
 import { createLogger } from '@archon/paths';
-import {
-  AuthStorage,
-  ModelRegistry,
-  SettingsManager,
-  createAgentSession,
-} from '@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent';
-import { getModel, type Api, type Model } from '@mariozechner/pi-ai';
+import type { Api, Model } from '@mariozechner/pi-ai';
 
 import type {
   IAgentProvider,
@@ -16,12 +10,20 @@ import type {
 
 import { PI_CAPABILITIES } from './capabilities';
 import { parsePiConfig } from './config';
-import { bridgeSession } from './event-bridge';
 import { parsePiModelRef } from './model-ref';
-import { resolvePiSkills, resolvePiThinkingLevel, resolvePiTools } from './options-translator';
-import { createNoopResourceLoader } from './resource-loader';
-import { resolvePiSession } from './session-resolver';
-import { createArchonUIBridge, createArchonUIContext } from './ui-context-stub';
+
+// IMPORTANT: Do NOT add static `import { ... } from '@mariozechner/*'` here,
+// and do NOT statically import sibling modules that themselves import runtime
+// values from Pi (options-translator, resource-loader, session-resolver,
+// ui-context-stub, event-bridge). Pi's `@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent/dist/config.js`
+// runs `readFileSync(getPackageJsonPath(), "utf-8")` at module load; inside a
+// compiled Archon binary `getPackageJsonPath()` resolves to
+// `dirname(process.execPath) + "/package.json"` — a path that doesn't exist —
+// and archon crashes at startup before any command runs (v0.3.7 symptom).
+//
+// All Pi SDK value bindings and Pi-dependent helper modules are dynamically
+// imported inside `sendQuery()` below, which runs only when a Pi workflow is
+// actually invoked. Type-only imports above are fine — TS erases them.
 
 /**
  * Map Pi provider id → env var name used by pi-ai's getEnvApiKey().
@@ -55,14 +57,18 @@ function getLog(): ReturnType<typeof createLogger> {
  * Typed wrapper around Pi's `getModel` for a runtime-string provider/model
  * pair. Pi's getModel signature constrains `TModelId` to
  * `keyof MODELS[TProvider]`, which isn't knowable from a runtime string —
- * the cast through `unknown` is the only way to bypass it. Isolating that
- * escape hatch behind one searchable name keeps it auditable.
+ * the local `GetModelFn` alias is the narrowest shape that still lets us
+ * bypass that constraint. Isolating the escape hatch behind one searchable
+ * name keeps it auditable. Takes `getModel` as a parameter because the Pi
+ * SDK is loaded dynamically (see the header comment on this file for why).
  */
-function lookupPiModel(provider: string, modelId: string): Model<Api> | undefined {
-  return (getModel as unknown as (p: string, m: string) => Model<Api> | undefined)(
-    provider,
-    modelId
-  );
+type GetModelFn = (provider: string, modelId: string) => Model<Api> | undefined;
+function lookupPiModel(
+  getModel: GetModelFn,
+  provider: string,
+  modelId: string
+): Model<Api> | undefined {
+  return getModel(provider, modelId);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -95,11 +101,12 @@ ${JSON.stringify(schema, null, 2)}`;
  * (no reuse) with in-memory auth/session/settings, so the server never
  * touches `~/.pi/` and concurrent calls don't collide.
  *
- * v1 capabilities are all false (see `capabilities.ts`): sessionResume,
- * thinkingControl, skills, mcp, etc. map to Pi features but require
- * intentional wiring before they can be declared. Under-declaring is
- * honest; the dag-executor emits warnings for any nodeConfig field not
- * supported.
+ * Capabilities (see `capabilities.ts` for the canonical list): Pi declares
+ * `sessionResume`, `skills`, `toolRestrictions`, `structuredOutput`,
+ * `envInjection`, `effortControl`, and `thinkingControl`. Features Pi does
+ * not currently support through Archon (`mcp`, `hooks`, `agents`,
+ * `costControl`, `fallbackModel`, `sandbox`) stay off; the dag-executor
+ * surfaces a warning for any unsupported nodeConfig field.
  */
 export class PiProvider implements IAgentProvider {
   async *sendQuery(
@@ -108,6 +115,33 @@ export class PiProvider implements IAgentProvider {
     resumeSessionId?: string,
     requestOptions?: SendQueryOptions
   ): AsyncGenerator<MessageChunk> {
+    // Lazy-load Pi SDK and all Pi-dependent helper modules here. Must not move
+    // these imports to module scope — see the header comment for the failure
+    // mode (archon compiled binary crashes at startup when Pi's config.js
+    // reads a package.json that doesn't exist next to the executable).
+    //
+    // Class constructors (AuthStorage, ModelRegistry, SettingsManager) are
+    // accessed via `piCodingAgent.X` rather than destructured, because
+    // destructured PascalCase bindings trip eslint's naming-convention rule.
+    const [
+      piCodingAgent,
+      piAi,
+      { bridgeSession },
+      { resolvePiSkills, resolvePiThinkingLevel, resolvePiTools },
+      { createNoopResourceLoader },
+      { resolvePiSession },
+      { createArchonUIBridge, createArchonUIContext },
+    ] = await Promise.all([
+      import('@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent'),
+      import('@mariozechner/pi-ai'),
+      import('./event-bridge'),
+      import('./options-translator'),
+      import('./resource-loader'),
+      import('./session-resolver'),
+      import('./ui-context-stub'),
+    ]);
+    const { createAgentSession } = piCodingAgent;
+
     const assistantConfig = requestOptions?.assistantConfig ?? {};
     const piConfig = parsePiConfig(assistantConfig);
 
@@ -146,7 +180,8 @@ export class PiProvider implements IAgentProvider {
 
     // 2. Look up the Model via Pi's static catalog. `lookupPiModel` returns
     //    undefined when not found; we guard explicitly below.
-    const model = lookupPiModel(parsed.provider, parsed.modelId);
+    // Cast to the runtime-string-friendly shape — see `lookupPiModel`'s docblock.
+    const model = lookupPiModel(piAi.getModel as GetModelFn, parsed.provider, parsed.modelId);
     if (!model) {
       throw new Error(
         `Pi model not found: provider='${parsed.provider}' model='${parsed.modelId}'. ` +
@@ -174,7 +209,7 @@ export class PiProvider implements IAgentProvider {
     //    OAuth refresh note: Pi refreshes expired access tokens against the
     //    provider's OAuth server and rewrites ~/.pi/agent/auth.json under a
     //    file lock (same mechanism pi CLI uses — safe for concurrent access).
-    const authStorage = AuthStorage.create();
+    const authStorage = piCodingAgent.AuthStorage.create();
 
     const envVarName = PI_PROVIDER_ENV_VARS[parsed.provider];
     const envOverride = envVarName
@@ -265,8 +300,8 @@ export class PiProvider implements IAgentProvider {
     // when piConfig.enableExtensions is true — Pi's community extension
     // ecosystem (tools + lifecycle hooks from ~/.pi/agent/extensions/ and
     // packages installed via `pi install npm:<pkg>`).
-    const modelRegistry = ModelRegistry.inMemory(authStorage);
-    const settingsManager = SettingsManager.inMemory();
+    const modelRegistry = piCodingAgent.ModelRegistry.inMemory(authStorage);
+    const settingsManager = piCodingAgent.SettingsManager.inMemory();
     // Default ON: extensions (community packages like @plannotator/pi-extension
     // or your own local ones) are a core reason users run Pi. Opt out with
     // `assistants.pi.enableExtensions: false` (or `interactive: false`) in
diff --git a/packages/providers/src/community/pi/ui-context-stub.ts b/packages/providers/src/community/pi/ui-context-stub.ts
index 99f18c63c5..70917a0068 100644
--- a/packages/providers/src/community/pi/ui-context-stub.ts
+++ b/packages/providers/src/community/pi/ui-context-stub.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ import type {
   ExtensionUIDialogOptions,
   ExtensionWidgetOptions,
   TerminalInputHandler,
+  Theme,
 } from '@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent';
-import { Theme } from '@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent';
 
 import type { MessageChunk } from '../../types';
 
diff --git a/packages/server/package.json b/packages/server/package.json
index 4c99e4f88f..7615d6399c 100644
--- a/packages/server/package.json
+++ b/packages/server/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@archon/server",
-  "version": "0.3.7",
+  "version": "0.3.8",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./src/index.ts",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/packages/web/package.json b/packages/web/package.json
index 2ff34166ff..a132d517a2 100644
--- a/packages/web/package.json
+++ b/packages/web/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@archon/web",
-  "version": "0.3.7",
+  "version": "0.3.8",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/packages/workflows/package.json b/packages/workflows/package.json
index 18da91fdc8..ccaa6eaf57 100644
--- a/packages/workflows/package.json
+++ b/packages/workflows/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@archon/workflows",
-  "version": "0.3.7",
+  "version": "0.3.8",
   "type": "module",
   "exports": {
     "./schemas/*": "./src/schemas/*.ts",
diff --git a/scripts/build-binaries.sh b/scripts/build-binaries.sh
index 8b9cd086b1..43ba159626 100755
--- a/scripts/build-binaries.sh
+++ b/scripts/build-binaries.sh
@@ -75,17 +75,13 @@ for target_pair in "${TARGETS[@]}"; do
   IFS=':' read -r target outfile <<< "$target_pair"
   echo "Building $target → $outfile"
 
-  # --bytecode excluded for Windows cross-compile (inconsistent Bun support)
-  BYTECODE_FLAG=""
-  if [[ "$target" != *windows* ]]; then
-    BYTECODE_FLAG="--bytecode"
-  fi
-
-  # Always --minify to match release parity
+  # --bytecode disabled: Bun 1.3.11 produces broken bytecode for our module graph
+  # (likely triggered by @mariozechner/pi-coding-agent's CJS/ESM interop shape) —
+  # "TypeError: Expected CommonJS module to have a function wrapper" at runtime.
+  # Always --minify to match release parity.
   bun build \
     --compile \
     --minify \
-    $BYTECODE_FLAG \
     --target="$target" \
     --outfile="$outfile" \
     packages/cli/src/cli.ts