diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/build.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/build.yaml
index acc84da55..ba628e101 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/build.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/build.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-name: Build Wownero Core (God Mode)
+name: Build Wownero Core (Corrected Dependencies)
 on:
   push:
     branches: [ master, main ]
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ jobs:
           tar -xf cmake.tar.gz
           echo "$(pwd)/cmake-3.28.1-linux-x86_64/bin" >> $GITHUB_PATH
 
-      - name: Sanitize Makefiles (Add Zlib/Zstd/Boost 1.90)
+      - name: Sanitize Makefiles (Strict Static)
         run: |
           # 1. RESTORE UPSTREAM FILES
           curl -L -o contrib/depends/funcs.mk https://codeberg.org/wownero/wownero/raw/branch/master/contrib/depends/funcs.mk
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ jobs:
           # 2. INJECT ZLIB/ZSTD
           sed -i 's/^packages :=.*/packages := boost openssl expat libusb hidapi protobuf libiconv sodium zeromq unbound zlib zstd/' contrib/depends/packages/packages.mk
 
-          # 3. GENERATE ZLIB.MK
+          # 3. GENERATE ZLIB.MK (With CMake for better cross-compile support)
+          # We switch to CMake for Zlib to ensure it handles Windows/Cross properly
           cat <<'EOF' > contrib/depends/packages/zlib.mk
           package=zlib
           $(package)_version=1.3.1
@@ -69,13 +70,13 @@ jobs:
           $(package)_file_name=$(package)-$($(package)_version).tar.gz
           $(package)_sha256_hash=9a93b2b7dfdac77ceba5a558a580e74667dd6fede4585b91eefb60f03b72df23
           define $(package)_set_vars
-            $(package)_config_opts=--static
+            $(package)_config_opts=-DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF
           endef
           define $(package)_config_cmds
-            CHOST=${host} ./configure $($(package)_config_opts) --prefix=$($(package)_staging_prefix_dir)
+            $($(package)_cmake)
           endef
           define $(package)_build_cmds
-            $(MAKE) libz.a
+            $(MAKE)
           endef
           define $(package)_stage_cmds
             $(MAKE) install
@@ -113,7 +114,6 @@ jobs:
             $(package)_config_opts_debug=variant=debug
             $(package)_config_opts+=--layout=system --user-config=user-config.jam
             $(package)_config_opts+=threading=multi link=static -sNO_BZIP2=1 -sNO_ZLIB=1
-            
             $(package)_config_opts_linux=threadapi=pthread runtime-link=static
             $(package)_config_opts_darwin=target-os=darwin runtime-link=shared
             $(package)_config_opts_mingw32=binary-format=pe target-os=windows threadapi=win32 runtime-link=static
@@ -122,12 +122,10 @@ jobs:
             $(package)_config_opts_i686_linux=address-model=32 architecture=x86
             $(package)_config_opts_x86_64_darwin=address-model=64
             $(package)_config_opts_aarch64_darwin=address-model=64 architecture=arm binary-format=mach-o abi=aapcs
-            
             $(package)_toolset_$(host_os)=gcc
             $(package)_archiver_$(host_os)=$($(package)_ar)
             $(package)_toolset_darwin=darwin
             $(package)_archiver_darwin=$($(package)_libtool)
-            
             $(package)_config_libraries=atomic,chrono,date_time,filesystem,program_options,regex,serialization,system,thread,locale,context,coroutine
             $(package)_cxxflags=-std=c++17 -fPIC
           endef
@@ -151,6 +149,22 @@ jobs:
           cd contrib/depends
           make HOST=${{ matrix.target }} -j$(nproc)
 
+      - name: Verify Dependencies (Critical)
+        run: |
+          LIB_DIR="contrib/depends/${{ matrix.target }}/lib"
+          echo "Checking $LIB_DIR for critical libraries..."
+          ls -la $LIB_DIR
+          
+          # Use find to locate specific files, failing if not found
+          if [ -z "$(find $LIB_DIR -name 'libz*.a')" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Static Zlib missing!"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          if [ -z "$(find $LIB_DIR -name 'libzstd*.a')" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Static Zstd missing!"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
       - name: Build Wownero Core
         run: |
           PREFIX=$(pwd)/contrib/depends/${{ matrix.target }}
@@ -174,44 +188,29 @@ jobs:
           
           make -j$(nproc)
 
-      - name: Package Artifacts (The Fix)
+      - name: Package Artifacts (With Hunt & Copy)
         run: |
           LIB_DIR="contrib/depends/${{ matrix.target }}/lib"
           INC_DIR="contrib/depends/${{ matrix.target }}/include"
-          
           mkdir -p output/lib output/include output/bin
           
-          # Copy Binaries
-          find build/bin -type f -exec cp -v {} output/bin/ \;
+          find build/bin -type f -exec cp {} output/bin/ \;
           
-          # NUCLEAR LIBRARY FIX:
-          # 1. Copy everything ending in .a
+          # NUCLEAR LIBRARY COPY
+          # Copy EVERYTHING in the lib folder
           cp -v $LIB_DIR/*.a output/lib/ || true
           
-          # 2. HUNT DOWN ZLIB/ZSTD if they are named weirdly or missing
-          # ZSTD often ends up as libzstd.a OR libzstd_static.a depending on version.
-          # We force them to standard names in the output folder.
+          # Explicitly find and rename ZSTD/ZLIB if they have weird names
+          # This ensures 'libzstd.a' and 'libz.a' exist in the output for LWS to find
+          find $LIB_DIR -name "libzstd*.a" -exec cp -v {} output/lib/libzstd.a \;
+          find $LIB_DIR -name "libz*.a" ! -name "*zmq*" -exec cp -v {} output/lib/libz.a \;
           
-          # Fix ZSTD
-          if [ ! -f output/lib/libzstd.a ]; then
-             echo "Standard libzstd.a missing. Hunting..."
-             find $LIB_DIR -name "*zstd*.a" -exec cp -v {} output/lib/libzstd.a \;
-          fi
-          
-          # Fix ZLIB
-          if [ ! -f output/lib/libz.a ]; then
-             echo "Standard libz.a missing. Hunting..."
-             find $LIB_DIR -name "*libz*.a" ! -name "*zmq*" ! -name "*zstd*" -exec cp -v {} output/lib/libz.a \;
-          fi
-          
-          # Debug output to PROVE they are there
-          echo "=== ARTIFACT CONTENTS ==="
+          # Verify final payload
+          echo "=== FINAL PAYLOAD ==="
           ls -l output/lib/
           
-          # Copy headers
           cp -r src output/include/wownero-src
           cp -r $INC_DIR/* output/include/
-          
           tar -czf wownero-core-${{ matrix.target }}.tar.gz -C output .
 
       - name: Upload Artifact