diff --git a/dashcaddy-installer/BUILD_GUIDE.md b/dashcaddy-installer/BUILD_GUIDE.md
index ba254d6..3bcc980 100644
--- a/dashcaddy-installer/BUILD_GUIDE.md
+++ b/dashcaddy-installer/BUILD_GUIDE.md
@@ -58,9 +58,13 @@ npm run build
 # Windows (creates portable .exe and installer)
 npm run build:win
 
-# macOS (creates .dmg)
+# macOS zip (from any host; electron-builder's native target)
 npm run build:mac
 
+# macOS real drag-install .dmg — built ON LINUX, no Mac needed
+# (one-time toolchain: see scripts/build-dmg-linux.sh header)
+npm run build:dmg
+
 # Linux (creates AppImage and .deb)
 npm run build:linux
 ```
@@ -73,8 +77,12 @@ Built applications are placed in the `build-output/` directory:
   `build-output/DashCaddy Installer Setup <version>.exe` (NSIS installer)
   — filenames embed the current `version` from package.json
 - **macOS**: `build-output/DashCaddy Installer-<version>-mac.zip` — the
-  configured mac target is `zip` (unsigned; signed `.dmg` builds require
-  a Mac with signing credentials)
+  configured mac target is `zip` (unsigned; signed builds require a Mac
+  with signing credentials). `npm run build:dmg` additionally produces a
+  real drag-install `build-output/DashCaddy Installer-<version>.dmg`
+  built entirely on Linux (libguestfs HFS+ volume + libdmg-hfsplus UDZO
+  compression; unsigned — macOS Gatekeeper will show the standard
+  right-click→Open dialog on first launch)
 - **Linux**: `build-output/DashCaddy Installer-<version>.AppImage` and
   `build-output/dashcaddy-installer_<version>_amd64.deb`
 
diff --git a/dashcaddy-installer/package.json b/dashcaddy-installer/package.json
index 66d0cc8..488bf40 100644
--- a/dashcaddy-installer/package.json
+++ b/dashcaddy-installer/package.json
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
     "build:win": "electron-builder --win",
     "build:mac": "electron-builder --mac",
     "build:linux": "electron-builder --linux",
-    "build:scan": "bash scripts/check-artifact-secrets.sh build-output"
+    "build:scan": "bash scripts/check-artifact-secrets.sh build-output",
+    "build:dmg": "npm run build:mac && bash scripts/build-dmg-linux.sh"
   },
   "keywords": [
     "dashcaddy",
diff --git a/dashcaddy-installer/scripts/build-dmg-linux.sh b/dashcaddy-installer/scripts/build-dmg-linux.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6a3f7ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dashcaddy-installer/scripts/build-dmg-linux.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Build a REAL .dmg for macOS users ON LINUX (no Mac needed).
+#
+# One-time toolchain setup (all on the Linux build host):
+#   apt-get install -y hfsprogs libguestfs-tools linux-modules-extra-$(uname -r)
+#     hfsprogs = the HFS+ volume formatter; libguestfs runs it INSIDE its
+#     sandboxed appliance VM, where it only ever formats disk-image FILES —
+#     never real block devices/drives.
+#   modprobe hfsplus && echo hfsplus >> /etc/modules   (kernel support)
+#   git clone https://github.com/planetbeing/libdmg-hfsplus.git /opt/libdmg-hfsplus
+#   cd /opt/libdmg-hfsplus
+#   sed -i 's/IF(OPENSSL_FOUND)/IF(FALSE)/' dmg/CMakeLists.txt   # OpenSSL 3 breaks FileVault; not needed for plain UDZO
+#   mkdir build && cd build && cmake .. && make
+#
+# Usage: scripts/build-dmg-linux.sh   (run from dashcaddy-installer/, after npm run build:mac)
+set -euo pipefail
+cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
+
+LIBDMG=/opt/libdmg-hfsplus/build
+STAGE="$(mktemp -d)"
+trap 'rm -rf "$STAGE"' EXIT
+APP="build-output/mac/DashCaddy Installer.app"
+VERSION=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
+OUT="build-output/DashCaddy Installer-$VERSION.dmg"
+
+[ -d "$APP" ] || { echo "ERROR: $APP missing — run: npm run build:mac"; exit 1; }
+[ -x "$LIBDMG/hdutil/hdutil" ] || { echo "ERROR: libdmg-hfsplus not built at $LIBDMG"; exit 1; }
+modprobe hfsplus 2>/dev/null || { echo "ERROR: hfsplus kernel module missing"; exit 1; }
+
+echo ">>> staging app + /Applications drag-install link"
+cp -a "$APP" "$STAGE/DashCaddy Installer.app"
+ln -s /Applications "$STAGE/Applications"
+
+echo ">>> creating HFS+ volume inside a 400M image file (no drives touched)"
+# LIBGUESTFS_BACKEND=direct is deliberate: the appliance must run the host
+# kernel so the hfsplus module is available; direct backend on a dedicated
+# build host is accepted (appliance only ever touches image files here).
+export LIBGUESTFS_BACKEND=direct
+virt-make-fs --type=hfsplus --size=400M "$STAGE" "$STAGE/vol.hfs"
+
+echo ">>> verifying volume contents (app + symlink present)"
+"$LIBDMG/hdutil/hdutil" "$STAGE/vol.hfs" ls /
+
+echo ">>> compressing to UDIF .dmg"
+"$LIBDMG/dmg/dmg" dmg "$STAGE/vol.hfs" "$OUT"
+
+echo ">>> secret-scanning the DMG contents"
+VERIFY="$STAGE/verify"
+mkdir -p "$VERIFY"
+"$LIBDMG/hdutil/hdutil" "$STAGE/vol.hfs" extractall / "$VERIFY"
+bash scripts/check-artifact-secrets.sh "$VERIFY"
+
+echo ">>> DONE: $OUT ($(du -h "$OUT" | cut -f1))"
+file "$OUT"