diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows-arm64-msys2.yml b/.github/workflows/windows-arm64-msys2.yml
index 2b1d9b40..f74fa6ef 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows-arm64-msys2.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows-arm64-msys2.yml
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ jobs:
             mingw-w64-clang-aarch64-desktop-file-utils
             mingw-w64-clang-aarch64-ntldd
 
-      # Configure + Build (MSYS2 shell)
       - name: Configure
         shell: msys2 {0}
         run: |
@@ -44,15 +43,21 @@ jobs:
           rm -rf build dist
           mkdir -p dist
 
-          # Force Meson to use CLANGARM64 msgfmt (not /usr/bin/msgfmt lacking ITS rules)
+          # Ensure Meson uses the CLANGARM64 gettext tooling (has ITS data)
           export MSGFMT="/clangarm64/bin/msgfmt"
 
+          # Belt + suspenders: make sure the linker sees winpthreads
+          export LIBRARY_PATH="/clangarm64/lib:${LIBRARY_PATH:-}"
+          export LDFLAGS="-lwinpthread ${LDFLAGS:-}"
+
           meson setup build \
             --prefix=/ \
             -Dtext-frontend=true \
             -Ddbus=disabled \
             -Dwith-upd=false \
-            -Dwith-perl=false
+            -Dwith-perl=false \
+            -Dc_link_args=-lwinpthread \
+            -Dcpp_link_args=-lwinpthread
 
       - name: Build
         shell: msys2 {0}
@@ -68,27 +73,20 @@ jobs:
           export PATH="/clangarm64/bin:$PATH"
           ninja -C build test || true
 
-      # Stage install into dist/ (portable tree)
       - name: Stage install
         shell: msys2 {0}
         run: |
           set -euxo pipefail
           export PATH="/clangarm64/bin:$PATH"
-
           DESTDIR="$PWD/dist" ninja -C build install
 
-          # dist layout will be:
-          #   dist/bin, dist/lib, dist/share, etc (because --prefix=/)
-
-      # OPTIONAL but recommended: harvest DLL deps into dist/bin so installer is self-contained
       - name: Harvest runtime DLL dependencies
         shell: msys2 {0}
         run: |
           set -euxo pipefail
           export PATH="/clangarm64/bin:$PATH"
 
-          # Copy DLL deps for main EXE + plugins into dist/bin
-          # ntldd prints deps; we then copy any deps that live in /clangarm64/bin
+          # Copy DLL deps for EXEs + plugins into dist/bin
           for f in dist/bin/zoitechat.exe dist/bin/zoitechat-text.exe dist/lib/zoitechat/plugins/*.dll; do
             [ -e "$f" ] || continue
             ntldd -R "$f" | tr '\\' '/' | grep -E '^/clangarm64/bin/.*\.dll$' | while read -r dll; do
@@ -96,7 +94,6 @@ jobs:
             done
           done
 
-      # Install Inno Setup (Windows-native)
       - name: Install Inno Setup
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
@@ -106,12 +103,10 @@ jobs:
           }
           iscc.exe /?
 
-      # Build installer using an .iss file committed in your repo
       - name: Build ARM64 installer
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
           $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
-          # Expecting you add installer/zoitechat-arm64.iss (example below)
           iscc.exe "installer\zoitechat-arm64.iss"
 
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4