diff --git a/Build-SessionMarker.ps1 b/Build-SessionMarker.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f58fd89b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Build-SessionMarker.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+param([switch]$StageOnly, [string]$DependencyTargetDirectory = (Join-Path $PSScriptRoot 'target'))
+$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+$privateDirectory = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot '.local/session-marker'
+$buildDirectory = Join-Path $privateDirectory 'build'
+$artifact = Join-Path $buildDirectory 'skate3rust-session-marker.exe'
+$destination = Join-Path $privateDirectory 'skate3-session-marker.exe'
+Push-Location $PSScriptRoot
+$previousFlags = $env:CARGO_TARGET_X86_64_PC_WINDOWS_MSVC_RUSTFLAGS
+try {
+    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $buildDirectory | Out-Null
+    if (-not $StageOnly) {
+        $env:CARGO_TARGET_X86_64_PC_WINDOWS_MSVC_RUSTFLAGS = '-C target-feature=+crt-static'
+        # Dependencies may use a shared cache. The linker writes this task's
+        # artifact directly, never staging the cache's generic skate3rust.exe.
+        & cargo rustc --release --locked --target x86_64-pc-windows-msvc `
+            --target-dir $DependencyTargetDirectory -p skate-game --no-default-features `
+            --bin skate3rust -- -C extra-filename=-session-marker `
+            -o (Join-Path $buildDirectory 'skate3rust.exe')
+        if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'Session-marker build failed.' }
+    }
+    $bytes = [System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes($artifact)
+    $text = [System.Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetString($bytes)
+    foreach ($required in @('--start-paused', 'session_marker/effect.wgsl', 'Session marker return rejected')) {
+        if (-not $text.Contains($required)) { throw "Wrong session-marker artifact: missing $required" }
+    }
+    Copy-Item -LiteralPath $artifact -Destination $destination -Force
+    $hash = (Get-FileHash -LiteralPath $destination -Algorithm SHA256).Hash
+    if ($hash -ne (Get-FileHash -LiteralPath $artifact -Algorithm SHA256).Hash) {
+        throw 'Staged executable hash mismatch.'
+    }
+    @{ executable = $destination; sha256 = $hash; source = $PSScriptRoot;
+       revision = (& git rev-parse HEAD); staticChecks = 'CLI, marker shader, return path' } |
+        ConvertTo-Json | Set-Content -LiteralPath (Join-Path $privateDirectory 'build-manifest.json') -Encoding UTF8
+    Write-Host "Ready for manual launch: $destination"
+    Write-Host "SHA256: $hash"
+} finally {
+    $env:CARGO_TARGET_X86_64_PC_WINDOWS_MSVC_RUSTFLAGS = $previousFlags
+    Pop-Location
+}
diff --git a/PLAY-SESSION-MARKER.bat b/PLAY-SESSION-MARKER.bat
index 8060b036..728d57dc 100644
--- a/PLAY-SESSION-MARKER.bat
+++ b/PLAY-SESSION-MARKER.bat
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 setlocal
 cd /d "%~dp0"
 set "MARKER_DIR=%~dp0.local\session-marker"
-if not exist "%MARKER_DIR%\skate3rust.exe" (
+if not exist "%MARKER_DIR%\skate3-session-marker.exe" (
     echo Missing private session-marker build. See docs\session-markers.md.
     pause
     exit /b 1
@@ -16,5 +16,5 @@ if not defined SKATE3_ASSETS (
     exit /b 1
 )
 set "SKATE3_SESSION_MARKER_OVERLAY=%MARKER_DIR%\overlay"
-"%MARKER_DIR%\skate3rust.exe" --assets "%SKATE3_ASSETS%" --start-paused %*
+"%MARKER_DIR%\skate3-session-marker.exe" --assets "%SKATE3_ASSETS%" --start-paused %*
 if errorlevel 1 pause
diff --git a/docs/session-markers.md b/docs/session-markers.md
index a9a416f5..bd99db77 100644
--- a/docs/session-markers.md
+++ b/docs/session-markers.md
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ SHA-256 provenance:
 ```text
 Owned default.xex: 1db39496585c521d17a2137804f42cf73ebed2b32cac166ec42dbf772f4dcf7f
 TU3 disassembly image: f4aa113eb541bfba03dbc108cf5ab43f58c965b20fa3b82f9c40938a0ad841c4
-Private manual executable: 38be66b784b64d87d2134120b9bf582c74b295d4a01b1d1e9246cf62b4f0775f
+Corrected private manual executable: cf5e5e0cc4ed88547f03a8a1ebe628133d4b58ecc451ecad4d59276d1ba22cbf
 ```
 
 | Native owner | Behavior represented |
@@ -96,6 +96,15 @@ Release compilation passed with the existing static-CRT Windows target flags:
 cargo build --release --locked --target x86_64-pc-windows-msvc -p skate-game --no-default-features
 ```
 
+The first staged executable was subsequently found to be an older build from
+the shared target directory: it contained neither `--start-paused` nor the
+marker shader. The compile result did not verify the staged artifact. That
+executable has been superseded by `.local/session-marker/skate3-session-marker.exe`.
+`Build-SessionMarker.ps1` now links directly into the task's private build
+directory with a distinct artifact name, checks the CLI/marker strings without
+executing it, and verifies the staged SHA-256. Use that script for future builds;
+`-DependencyTargetDirectory` can select an existing dependency cache.
+
 Three standalone hold-state tests passed (cancellation/latching, unset/nearby/
 blocked returns and tail, distance ramp). The WGSL passed offline Naga27 parsing
 and validation. Original HUD manifest counts, triangle structure and every RGBA