diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/deploy.yaml b/.forgejo/workflows/deploy.yaml
index 8e07a6b..3cd201f 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/deploy.yaml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/deploy.yaml
@@ -295,9 +295,9 @@ jobs:
           rsync -a --delete content/ /deploy-app/content/
           # The server links libmsquic as a SHARED lib out of crafter-build's
           # external cache; the RUNPATH into that cache only exists on this
-          # build machine. The binary carries an $ORIGIN rpath (project.cpp),
-          # so the .so must travel with it. install dereferences the
-          # libmsquic.so.2 -> .so.2.x.y symlink into a regular file.
+          # build machine. The binary carries an rpath to /srv/catcrafts-app
+          # (project.cpp), so the .so must travel with it. install dereferences
+          # the libmsquic.so.2 -> .so.2.x.y symlink into a regular file.
           MSQ=$(find ~/.cache/crafter.build/external -name 'libmsquic.so.2*' -type f | head -1)
           if [ -z "$MSQ" ]; then
             echo "ERROR: libmsquic.so.2 not found in the external build cache." >&2
diff --git a/project.cpp b/project.cpp
index 7b9b498..8f37f5d 100644
--- a/project.cpp
+++ b/project.cpp
@@ -137,9 +137,13 @@ extern "C" Configuration CrafterBuildProject(std::span<const std::string_view> a
         // libmsquic.so.2 is built in crafter-build's external cache, and the
         // RUNPATH pointing there only exists on the build machine — the first
         // deploy to a real host died in the loader (exit 127) because of it.
-        // $ORIGIN makes the loader also look next to the binary itself, and CI
-        // ships the .so alongside it into /srv/catcrafts-app.
-        cfg.linkFlags.push_back("-Wl,-rpath,$ORIGIN");
+        // CI ships the .so alongside the binary into /srv/catcrafts-app, and
+        // this rpath makes the loader look there. The path is spelled out
+        // rather than $ORIGIN: the flag passes through a shell on its way to
+        // the linker, where $ORIGIN expands to empty — leaving a bare -rpath
+        // that swallows the next input file (libCatcrafts.Shared.a) and fails
+        // the link with every Shared symbol undefined.
+        cfg.linkFlags.push_back("-Wl,-rpath,/srv/catcrafts-app");
 
         ApplyReleaseTrimming(cfg);
         return cfg;