diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-desktop.yml b/.github/workflows/release-desktop.yml
index ba40c4fb89cba..5a16a9b4c170f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-desktop.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-desktop.yml
@@ -390,6 +390,15 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p "$target_dir"
           cp "native/resource-monitor/target/${{ inputs.rust_target }}/release/${binary_name}" "$target_dir/$binary_name"
 
+      - uses: ./.github/actions/setup-apt-mirrors
+        if: inputs.platform == 'linux'
+
+      # The Linux archive ships libatomic.so.1 and points t3's RUNPATH at it.
+      - name: Install patchelf
+        if: inputs.cli_archive && inputs.platform == 'linux'
+        shell: bash
+        run: command -v patchelf || { sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y patchelf; }
+
       - name: Build CLI archive
         if: inputs.cli_archive
         shell: bash
@@ -433,9 +442,6 @@ jobs:
           path: release-cli/*
           if-no-files-found: error
 
-      - uses: ./.github/actions/setup-apt-mirrors
-        if: inputs.platform == 'linux'
-
       - name: Install Linux desktop build libraries
         if: inputs.platform == 'linux'
         shell: bash
diff --git a/scripts/build-cli-archive.ts b/scripts/build-cli-archive.ts
index ee7c45ada5dd6..47b8cef8a9794 100644
--- a/scripts/build-cli-archive.ts
+++ b/scripts/build-cli-archive.ts
@@ -251,6 +251,67 @@ const stageWebClient = Effect.fn("stageWebClient")(function* (source: string, ta
   }
 });
 
+/** Node links libatomic.so.1, which Ubuntu server and container images lack, so t3 carries its own. */
+const bundleLinuxLibatomic = Effect.fn("bundleLinuxLibatomic")(function* (input: {
+  readonly contentDir: string;
+  readonly executablePath: string;
+}) {
+  const fs = yield* FileSystem.FileSystem;
+  const path = yield* Path.Path;
+  const spawner = yield* ChildProcessSpawner.ChildProcessSpawner;
+  const ldd = yield* spawner.string(ChildProcess.make("ldd", [input.executablePath]));
+  const source = /libatomic\.so\.1 => (\/\S+)/.exec(ldd)?.[1];
+  if (source === undefined) {
+    return yield* new CliArchiveInputMissingError({
+      inputPath: "libatomic.so.1",
+      hint: `ldd did not resolve it for ${input.executablePath}. Install libatomic1 on the build host.`,
+    });
+  }
+  yield* fs.makeDirectory(path.join(input.contentDir, "lib"));
+  yield* fs.copyFile(source, path.join(input.contentDir, "lib/libatomic.so.1"));
+
+  // libatomic is GPL-3.0-or-later WITH GCC-exception-3.1, so its terms and source travel with it.
+  const owner = yield* spawner.string(
+    ChildProcess.make("dpkg-query", ["-S", yield* fs.realPath(source)]),
+  );
+  // Keep the arch qualifier so a second installed arch cannot add its own line.
+  const [, qualifiedPkg, pkg] = /^(([^:\s]+)(?::[^:\s]+)?): /.exec(owner) ?? [];
+  const versions = qualifiedPkg
+    ? yield* spawner.string(
+        ChildProcess.make("dpkg-query", [
+          "-W",
+          "-f=${Version} ${source:Package} ${source:Version}",
+          qualifiedPkg,
+        ]),
+      )
+    : "";
+  const [version, sourcePackage, sourceVersion] = versions.trim().split(" ");
+  if (!pkg || !version || !sourcePackage || !sourceVersion) {
+    return yield* new CliArchiveInputMissingError({
+      inputPath: `dpkg package for ${source}`,
+      hint: "The archive copies libatomic's license and source reference from its Ubuntu package.",
+    });
+  }
+  const header = [
+    `libatomic.so.1 is copied from the Ubuntu package ${pkg} ${version}.`,
+    `Source: https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/${sourcePackage}/${sourceVersion}`,
+    "License: GPL-3.0-or-later WITH GCC-exception-3.1. The package copyright file and GPL-3 follow.",
+  ].join("\n");
+  const copyright = yield* fs.readFileString(`/usr/share/doc/${pkg}/copyright`);
+  const gpl3 = yield* fs.readFileString("/usr/share/common-licenses/GPL-3");
+  yield* fs.writeFileString(
+    path.join(input.contentDir, "lib/libatomic.so.1.LICENSE"),
+    `${header}\n\n${copyright}\n${gpl3}`,
+  );
+
+  // RUNPATH resolves through symlinks and is not inherited by child processes, unlike LD_LIBRARY_PATH.
+  yield* runCommand(
+    ChildProcess.make("patchelf", ["--set-rpath", "$ORIGIN/lib", input.executablePath]),
+    "patchelf --set-rpath",
+  );
+  yield* Effect.log(`[cli-archive] Bundled ${source} as lib/libatomic.so.1.`);
+});
+
 const MacSigningConfig = Config.all({
   identity: Config.String("T3CODE_CLI_MAC_SIGN_IDENTITY").pipe(Config.option),
   appleApiKey: Config.String("APPLE_API_KEY").pipe(Config.option),
@@ -444,11 +505,6 @@ const buildCliArchive = Effect.fn("buildCliArchive")(function* (input: {
     builtExecutable,
     `Run \`node apps/server/scripts/cli.ts build-exe${targetKey === hostKey ? "" : ` --target ${targetKey}`}\` first.`,
   );
-  // TEMPORARY one-time Node fix. Remove when fixed: https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/67048
-  if (input.platform === "linux" && input.arch === "arm64") {
-    const bytes = yield* fs.readFile(builtExecutable);
-    yield* Effect.try(() => assertLinuxArm64PageCompatibility(bytes));
-  }
   yield* requireInput(path.join(webClient, "index.html"), "Run `vp run --filter t3 build` first.");
   yield* requireInput(
     resourceMonitorDir,
@@ -473,6 +529,14 @@ const buildCliArchive = Effect.fn("buildCliArchive")(function* (input: {
   });
 
   const executablePath = path.join(contentDir, executableName);
+  if (input.platform === "linux") {
+    yield* bundleLinuxLibatomic({ contentDir, executablePath });
+  }
+  // TEMPORARY one-time Node fix. Remove when fixed: https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/67048
+  if (input.platform === "linux" && input.arch === "arm64") {
+    const bytes = yield* fs.readFile(executablePath);
+    yield* Effect.try(() => assertLinuxArm64PageCompatibility(bytes));
+  }
   if (input.platform === "mac") {
     yield* signMacArchiveContents({ repoRoot, contentDir, executablePath });
   } else if (input.platform === "win") {
diff --git a/scripts/smoke-cli-archive.ts b/scripts/smoke-cli-archive.ts
index c5344bdeb43fe..1318aa3c0c6dd 100644
--- a/scripts/smoke-cli-archive.ts
+++ b/scripts/smoke-cli-archive.ts
@@ -97,7 +97,12 @@ const smokeCliArchive = Effect.fn("smokeCliArchive")(function* (input: {
   }
   const contentDir = path.join(scratch, root);
   const executable = path.join(contentDir, platform === "win32" ? "t3.exe" : "t3");
-  for (const required of [executable, path.join(contentDir, "client/index.html")]) {
+  const bundledLibatomic = path.join(contentDir, "lib/libatomic.so.1");
+  for (const required of [
+    executable,
+    path.join(contentDir, "client/index.html"),
+    ...(platform === "linux" ? [bundledLibatomic, `${bundledLibatomic}.LICENSE`] : []),
+  ]) {
     if (!(yield* fs.exists(required))) {
       return yield* new CliArchiveSmokeError({
         step: "checking the archive layout",
@@ -106,6 +111,22 @@ const smokeCliArchive = Effect.fn("smokeCliArchive")(function* (input: {
     }
   }
 
+  // The runner has libatomic installed; fresh Ubuntu servers do not.
+  if (platform === "linux") {
+    const ldd = yield* spawner.string(ChildProcess.make("ldd", [executable]));
+    // Older glibc prints the path as given, newer prints it resolved; compare both resolved.
+    const loaded = /libatomic\.so\.1 => (\/.*) \(0x[0-9a-f]+\)/.exec(ldd)?.[1];
+    if (
+      loaded === undefined ||
+      (yield* fs.realPath(loaded)) !== (yield* fs.realPath(bundledLibatomic))
+    ) {
+      return yield* new CliArchiveSmokeError({
+        step: "checking that t3 loads the bundled libatomic",
+        detail: ldd,
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
   const version = yield* runExecutable(executable, ["--version"], contentDir);
   if (version.exitCode !== 0 || !version.stdout.includes(input.expectVersion)) {
     return yield* new CliArchiveSmokeError({