diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yaml b/.github/workflows/main.yaml
index a4ef606..3260be8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yaml
@@ -117,8 +117,9 @@ jobs:
         # is safe here for two reasons: (a) the env: block is step-scoped, so
         # mix release in the next step does not inherit TARGET_ABI, and (b) mix
         # deps.compile only compiles the named deps, not exqlite, so
-        # cc_precompiler never runs during this step. mix release sees mdex_native already
-        # compiled and skips it, bundling the musl .so from _build/prod.
+        # cc_precompiler never runs during this step. mix release sees
+        # mdex_native already compiled and skips it, bundling the musl .so
+        # from _build/prod.
         # rustler_precompiled is listed first because mix deps.compile only
         # compiles the named deps (not their transitive deps), and mdex_native
         # uses it via `use RustlerPrecompiled` at compile time. See EXT-7.
@@ -128,6 +129,14 @@ jobs:
           MIX_ENV: prod
           TARGET_ABI: musl
         run: mix deps.compile rustler_precompiled mdex_native
+      -
+        # mdex_native's precompiled musl NIF dynamically needs libgcc_s.
+        # Burrito's musl loader otherwise finds the Ubuntu host's glibc copy
+        # first and rejects it at runtime. Bundle Alpine's compatible runtime
+        # under a unique name and patch the NIF to select it deterministically.
+        if: startsWith(matrix.target, 'linux_')
+        name: Bundle mdex_native's musl libgcc runtime
+        run: ../ci/bundle_mdex_musl_libgcc.sh
       -
         name: Build the ${{ matrix.target }} target
         run: MIX_ENV=prod BURRITO_TARGET=${{ matrix.target }} mix release lc
@@ -157,19 +166,16 @@ jobs:
               fi
           fi
       -
-        # Smoke-test the linux_aarch64 binary on the native ARM64 runner:
-        # proves the binary executes (right architecture), the OTP app boots,
-        # and all NIFs (exqlite via elixir_make/Zig, mdex_native via
-        # rustler_precompiled) load correctly. `lc version` runs in
-        # interactive mode (no LINEAR_CLI_DAEMON=true), starts an empty
-        # supervisor, prints the version, and exits 0 - no API key or network
-        # needed. Only runs for linux_aarch64 because that's the only target
-        # whose runner architecture matches the binary (macos/Windows smoke
-        # tests are out of scope for CRY-48).
-        if: matrix.target == 'linux_aarch64'
-        name: Smoke-test the linux_aarch64 binary boots and NIFs load
+        # Both Linux targets build on native matching runners. `lc version`
+        # boots the application and performs a hidden Marcli render, forcing
+        # mdex_native and its NIF to load before the command can exit 0. No API
+        # key or network is needed. macOS/Windows runtime smoke tests remain
+        # out of scope because their hosted runners are not all native to the
+        # configured Burrito targets.
+        if: startsWith(matrix.target, 'linux_')
+        name: Smoke-test the ${{ matrix.target }} binary and Markdown NIF
         timeout-minutes: 1
-        run: ./burrito_out/lc_linux_aarch64 version
+        run: ./burrito_out/lc_${{ matrix.target }} version
       -
         # Handed off to burrito-package below, which needs every target's
         # binary gathered back into one place before it can build the
@@ -351,6 +357,12 @@ jobs:
           TARGET_ABI: musl
         run: mix deps.compile rustler_precompiled mdex_native
         working-directory: app
+      -
+        # Apply the same musl libgcc repair as the standalone Linux binaries;
+        # this release is copied into the Alpine container image below.
+        name: Bundle mdex_native's musl libgcc runtime
+        run: ../ci/bundle_mdex_musl_libgcc.sh
+        working-directory: app
       -
         name: Build the linux_x86_64 target (container's payload)
         run: MIX_ENV=prod BURRITO_TARGET=linux_x86_64 mix release lc
@@ -362,11 +374,10 @@ jobs:
         run: ./ci/build_image.sh "${{ needs.burrito-package.outputs.tag_name }}"
       -
         # Verify the musl NIF actually loads on Alpine before publishing.
-        # Analogous to the linux_aarch64 native smoke test in burrito-build:
-        # `lc version` boots the OTP app, loads all NIFs (exqlite via
-        # elixir_make/Zig, mdex_native via rustler_precompiled with the musl
-        # NIF bundled by the pre-compile step above), prints the version, and
-        # exits 0. No API key or network needed. ci/build_image.sh prefers
+        # `lc version` boots the OTP app and performs a hidden Markdown render,
+        # forcing mdex_native's NIF and its bundled libgcc runtime to load.
+        # It then prints the version and exits 0; no API key or network is
+        # needed. ci/build_image.sh prefers
         # Podman, so the image lives in Podman's local storage; we run it
         # directly rather than loading a tarball. LINEAR_CLI_DAEMON is
         # overridden to false (the image bakes in true so the default CMD
diff --git a/app/lib/linear_cli/cli/commands.ex b/app/lib/linear_cli/cli/commands.ex
index 9c64efb..120eba4 100644
--- a/app/lib/linear_cli/cli/commands.ex
+++ b/app/lib/linear_cli/cli/commands.ex
@@ -18,9 +18,12 @@ defmodule LinearCli.CLI.Commands do
   @doc """
   Ported from commands/version.rb, extended to respect the global
   `--output json` option like every other command does - previously
-  ignored it and always printed plain text.
+  ignored it and always printed plain text. The hidden Markdown render makes
+  this command a complete release smoke test for mdex_native's NIF as well as
+  the application boot path.
   """
   def version(%{options: options}) do
+    verify_markdown_runtime!()
     version = to_string(Application.spec(:linear_cli, :vsn))
 
     if options.output == "json" do
@@ -32,6 +35,11 @@ defmodule LinearCli.CLI.Commands do
     :ok
   end
 
+  defp verify_markdown_runtime! do
+    _rendered = Marcli.render("runtime check", escape_sequences: false)
+    :ok
+  end
+
   @doc "Ported from commands/team/list.rb. Ruby's `--mine` defaults true."
   def team_list(%{flags: flags, options: options}) do
     result = if flags.no_mine, do: Linear.teams(), else: Linear.my_teams()
diff --git a/ci/bundle_mdex_musl_libgcc.sh b/ci/bundle_mdex_musl_libgcc.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..cd96efa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/bundle_mdex_musl_libgcc.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+script_dir=$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)
+repo_root=$(cd -- "$script_dir/.." && pwd)
+native_dir=${1:-"$repo_root/app/_build/prod/lib/mdex_native/priv/native"}
+
+if [ ! -d "$native_dir" ]; then
+    printf 'mdex_native directory does not exist: %s\n' "$native_dir" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+native_dir=$(cd -- "$native_dir" && pwd)
+shopt -s nullglob
+musl_nifs=("$native_dir"/libmdex_native_nif-*-unknown-linux-musl.so)
+shopt -u nullglob
+
+if [ "${#musl_nifs[@]}" -ne 1 ]; then
+    printf 'expected exactly one mdex_native musl NIF in %s; found %d\n' \
+        "$native_dir" "${#musl_nifs[@]}" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Rust's dynamically linked musl cdylibs depend on libgcc_s. Burrito starts
+# its Linux ERTS with a musl loader but puts the host library directories on
+# LD_LIBRARY_PATH, where a glibc libgcc_s may be found first. Give Alpine's
+# musl-compatible runtime a unique dependency name and keep it beside the NIF
+# so the loader cannot accidentally select the host copy.
+nif_name=$(basename -- "${musl_nifs[0]}")
+libgcc_name=libmdex_musl_libgcc_s.so.1
+
+if command -v podman >/dev/null 2>&1 && podman info >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    container_runtime=podman
+elif command -v docker >/dev/null 2>&1 && docker info >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    container_runtime=docker
+else
+    printf 'podman or docker is required to bundle the musl libgcc runtime\n' >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+container_args=(run --rm)
+
+if [ "$container_runtime" = podman ]; then
+    container_args+=(--security-opt label=disable)
+fi
+
+container_args+=(-v "$native_dir:/native")
+
+# The single-quoted body is intentionally expanded by the container's shell.
+# shellcheck disable=SC2016
+"$container_runtime" "${container_args[@]}" alpine:3.22 sh -euxc '
+    apk add --no-cache libgcc patchelf
+
+    nif="/native/$1"
+    bundled_libgcc="/native/$2"
+    install -m 0755 /usr/lib/libgcc_s.so.1 "$bundled_libgcc"
+
+    # Set RUNPATH before growing DT_NEEDED. With patchelf 0.18, doing these
+    # two mutations in the opposite order can produce a loadable NIF that
+    # crashes on its first call.
+    patchelf --set-rpath "\$ORIGIN" "$nif"
+
+    if patchelf --print-needed "$nif" | grep -Fxq libgcc_s.so.1; then
+        patchelf --replace-needed libgcc_s.so.1 "$2" "$nif"
+    elif ! patchelf --print-needed "$nif" | grep -Fxq "$2"; then
+        printf "mdex_native NIF has no expected libgcc dependency: %s\\n" "$nif" >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    patchelf --print-needed "$nif" | grep -Fxq "$2"
+    test "$(patchelf --print-rpath "$nif")" = "\$ORIGIN"
+' sh "$nif_name" "$libgcc_name"
+
+printf 'bundled musl libgcc runtime for %s\n' "${musl_nifs[0]}"