diff --git a/desktopApp/build.gradle.kts b/desktopApp/build.gradle.kts
index 0ec8f6836e..61485c6e68 100644
--- a/desktopApp/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/desktopApp/build.gradle.kts
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ compose.desktop {
 
         jvmArgs += "-Xmx2g"
 
+        // VLC plugin path fallback — used if JNA setenv and bundled discovery both fail
+        jvmArgs += "-Dvlc.plugin.path=\$APPDIR/resources/vlc/plugins"
+
         // Forward platform-preview overrides from the gradle invocation to the
         // launched app's JVM so `./gradlew :desktopApp:run -Damethyst.platform=GNOME`
         // works in addition to the env-var form (`AMETHYST_PLATFORM=GNOME`).
@@ -101,7 +104,15 @@ compose.desktop {
         nativeDistributions {
             appResourcesRootDir.set(project.layout.projectDirectory.dir("src/jvmMain/appResources"))
             targetFormats(TargetFormat.Dmg, TargetFormat.Msi, TargetFormat.Deb, TargetFormat.Rpm)
-            modules("java.management") // Required by kmp-tor TorRuntime
+            // Output of ./gradlew suggestRuntimeModules (+ java.management already present)
+            modules(
+                "java.instrument",   // Runtime instrumentation (agent/profiler hooks)
+                "java.management",   // Required by kmp-tor TorRuntime
+                "java.prefs",        // java.util.prefs (desktop persistence)
+                "java.sql",          // JDBC metadata (Jackson, SQLite driver)
+                "jdk.security.auth", // JAAS authentication callbacks
+                "jdk.unsupported",   // sun.misc.Unsafe (VLCJ ByteBufferFactory)
+            )
 
             packageName = "Amethyst"
             packageVersion = appVersion
@@ -143,6 +154,7 @@ compose.desktop {
         // whose declared return type the JVM verifier rejects (R8 doesn't hit
         // this — it generates bridges differently from ProGuard).
         buildTypes.release.proguard {
+            version.set("7.9.1") // Kotlin 2.3 metadata support
             configurationFiles.from(project.file("compose-rules.pro"))
         }
     }
diff --git a/desktopApp/compose-rules.pro b/desktopApp/compose-rules.pro
index bb824643d1..8241422ed6 100644
--- a/desktopApp/compose-rules.pro
+++ b/desktopApp/compose-rules.pro
@@ -96,6 +96,16 @@
     native <methods>;
 }
 
+# kmp-tor — loads native Tor daemon via JNI reflection
+-keep class io.matthewnelson.** { *; }
+
+# Coil image loader — uses ServiceLoader for decoder/fetcher registration
+-keep class coil3.** { *; }
+
+# OkHttp/Okio — platform detection and I/O via reflection
+-keep class okhttp3.** { *; }
+-keep class okio.** { *; }
+
 # ============================================================================
 # Optimize sub-pass — disable the one that produces invalid okio bytecode
 # ============================================================================
@@ -185,3 +195,9 @@
 # to detect logging. We ship slf4j-nop; keep it intact so detection succeeds.
 -keep class org.slf4j.** { *; }
 -dontwarn org.slf4j.**
+
+# ============================================================================
+# Kotlin 2.3 stdlib stubs — compile-time classes with no JVM runtime class
+# ============================================================================
+-dontwarn kotlin.concurrent.atomics.**
+-dontwarn kotlin.jvm.internal.EnhancedNullability
diff --git a/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/service/media/MacOsVlcDiscoverer.kt b/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/service/media/MacOsVlcDiscoverer.kt
index d7f9c02f2f..58d7f9fa54 100644
--- a/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/service/media/MacOsVlcDiscoverer.kt
+++ b/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/service/media/MacOsVlcDiscoverer.kt
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@
  */
 package com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.desktop.service.media
 
+import com.sun.jna.Function
 import com.sun.jna.NativeLibrary
-import uk.co.caprica.vlcj.binding.lib.LibC
 import uk.co.caprica.vlcj.binding.support.runtime.RuntimeUtil
 import uk.co.caprica.vlcj.factory.discovery.strategy.BaseNativeDiscoveryStrategy
 
@@ -36,6 +36,14 @@ class MacOsVlcDiscoverer :
         arrayOf("libvlc\\.dylib", "libvlccore\\.dylib"),
         arrayOf("%s/plugins"),
     ) {
+    /** Plugin path discovered during [setPluginPath], available after discovery. */
+    var discoveredPluginPath: String? = null
+        private set
+
+    /** Whether [setPluginPath] successfully set the process env var. */
+    var envVarSet: Boolean = false
+        private set
+
     override fun supported(): Boolean {
         val os = System.getProperty("os.name").lowercase()
         return "mac" in os
@@ -52,5 +60,22 @@ class MacOsVlcDiscoverer :
         return true
     }
 
-    override fun setPluginPath(pluginPath: String?): Boolean = LibC.INSTANCE.setenv(PLUGIN_ENV_NAME, pluginPath, 1) == 0
+    override fun setPluginPath(pluginPath: String?): Boolean {
+        if (pluginPath == null) return false
+        discoveredPluginPath = pluginPath
+        return try {
+            // Call setenv directly via JNA Function API. This bypasses vlcj's
+            // LibC interface binding which fails on macOS 13+ because dlsym
+            // can't resolve the versioned symbol `setenv$3b99ba0d`.
+            val setenv = Function.getFunction("c", "setenv")
+            val result = setenv.invokeInt(arrayOf<Any>(PLUGIN_ENV_NAME, pluginPath, 1)) == 0
+            envVarSet = result
+            result
+        } catch (_: Throwable) {
+            // JNA Function call also failed — VlcjPlayerPool will use
+            // --plugin-path factory arg as fallback.
+            envVarSet = false
+            false
+        }
+    }
 }