diff --git a/.github/workflows/create-release.yml b/.github/workflows/create-release.yml
index 39b6394407..e923e01ac2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/create-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/create-release.yml
@@ -282,6 +282,24 @@ jobs:
           timeout_minutes: 15
           command: ./gradlew --no-daemon :cli:${{ matrix.tasks }}
 
+      # amy is headless: the Compose UI render stack (skiko + its native dylibs,
+      # foundation/material/material3/ui/animation) must never reach the CLI
+      # image. cli/build.gradle.kts excludes it from runtimeClasspath; this
+      # guards against a transitive dep silently dragging it back (size + macOS
+      # notarization-surface regression). compose.runtime is CLI-safe and stays.
+      - name: Assert no Compose UI in the amy image
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          LIB="cli/build/install/amy/lib"
+          leak="$(ls "$LIB" | grep -iE 'skiko|foundation(-layout)?-desktop|material3?-desktop|material-ripple|ui-desktop|animation(-core)?-desktop' || true)"
+          if [ -n "$leak" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Compose UI render stack leaked into the amy CLI image:"
+            echo "$leak" | sed 's/^/  /'
+            echo "Exclude it in cli/build.gradle.kts (configurations.runtimeClasspath)."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "OK: no skiko / Compose UI render jars in the amy image ($(du -sh "$LIB" | cut -f1))."
+
       # macOS only: import the Developer ID cert (no-op without the secret) so
       # the next step can codesign the jlink image. The jvm bundle for
       # Homebrew-core is NOT signed here — Homebrew strips quarantine itself.
diff --git a/cli/build.gradle.kts b/cli/build.gradle.kts
index 9296e49d5b..5fdf00d2fd 100644
--- a/cli/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/cli/build.gradle.kts
@@ -30,6 +30,28 @@ dependencies {
     implementation(libs.slf4j.nop)
 }
 
+// amy is headless. It compiles against zero Compose UI (the Compose deps are
+// `implementation` in :commons, so they never reach the CLI compile classpath —
+// verified), yet they still ride the *runtime* classpath into the shipped image:
+// ~29 MB of Compose desktop render stack, including skiko's native .dylibs that
+// needlessly enlarge the macOS notarization surface. None of it is reachable
+// from a CLI command, so drop the whole UI layer from the runtime image. Keep
+// `androidx.compose.runtime` — snapshot state + the @Stable/@Immutable
+// annotations ARE CLI-safe and used by commons models/state holders (see
+// commons/ARCHITECTURE.md §1). A regression here is caught by the "no Compose UI
+// in the amy image" assertion in .github/workflows/create-release.yml.
+configurations.named("runtimeClasspath") {
+    // skiko (native renderer + its .dylibs) and the Compose UI bytecode layer.
+    // NB: Compose Multiplatform publishes UI under org.jetbrains.compose.* — only
+    // `runtime` relocates to androidx.compose.runtime, which we deliberately keep.
+    exclude(group = "org.jetbrains.skiko")
+    exclude(group = "org.jetbrains.compose.ui")
+    exclude(group = "org.jetbrains.compose.foundation")
+    exclude(group = "org.jetbrains.compose.material")
+    exclude(group = "org.jetbrains.compose.material3")
+    exclude(group = "org.jetbrains.compose.animation")
+}
+
 application {
     mainClass.set("com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.cli.MainKt")
     applicationName = "amy"