diff --git a/.github/CLAUDE.md b/.github/CLAUDE.md
index 85761cc28..0ac64a4c9 100644
--- a/.github/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/.github/CLAUDE.md
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ source contracts only; it never builds release binaries or container images.
 Release Please maintains the version and changelog PR. Publishing the resulting
 stable GitHub release triggers the heavy release workflows:
 
-- `release.yml` builds and smokes Linux and Windows archives, builds and scans
-  the container, verifies and attaches artifacts, publishes npm and MCP
+- `release.yml` builds and smokes Linux, macOS, and Windows archives, builds and
+  scans the container, verifies and attaches artifacts, publishes npm and MCP
   Registry metadata, and signs/attests release outputs.
 - `build-incus-image.yml` uses the central hosted Incus image workflow and
   publishes checksum-verified image assets plus the rolling Incus alias.
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ ARM64 workflow, installer, and package contracts are explicitly enabled for
 Labby through the pinned fleet policy and repository contract. Keep that opt-in
 visible when adding ARM64 jobs or artifacts; QEMU and cross-platform emulation
 still require a deliberate implementation and verification plan.
+The supported binary artifacts are Linux x86_64, macOS arm64, and Windows
+x86_64. Keep each target native to its GitHub-hosted runner; do not add
+emulation, cross-platform image matrices, or QEMU setup.
 
 ## Editing rules
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
index 8361cb58d..da97f8113 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ name: release-please
 # On every green CI run on main, release-please maintains a "release PR" that
 # bumps `.release-please-manifest.json` and updates CHANGELOG.md. Merging that
 # PR creates the git tag (vX.Y.Z) and a draft GitHub Release. Publishing that
-# release triggers the GitHub-hosted release workflows for Linux/Windows
+# release triggers the GitHub-hosted release workflows for Linux/macOS/Windows
 # archives, the GHCR image, and the Incus artifact.
 #
 # release-type is "simple", NOT "rust". release-please's rust/cargo-workspace
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 2f5763108..bb4a85584 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -100,6 +100,10 @@ jobs:
             runner: '"windows-latest"'
             binary: labby.exe
             archive: lab-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.zip
+          - target: aarch64-apple-darwin
+            runner: '"macos-15"'
+            binary: labby
+            archive: lab-aarch64-apple-darwin.tar.gz
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@93cb6efe18208431cddfb8368fd83d5badbf9bfd
         with:
@@ -111,6 +115,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Rust and kache
         if: runner.os != 'Windows'
         uses: ./.github/actions/setup-rust-kache
+        with:
+          targets: ${{ matrix.target }}
       - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@4cda84d5c5c54efe2404f9d843567869ab1699d4
         if: runner.os == 'Windows'
         with:
@@ -133,7 +139,11 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p dist
           cp "target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/${{ matrix.binary }}" "dist/${{ matrix.binary }}"
           tar -C dist -czf "${{ matrix.archive }}" "${{ matrix.binary }}"
-          sha256sum "${{ matrix.archive }}" > "${{ matrix.archive }}.sha256"
+          if command -v sha256sum >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            sha256sum "${{ matrix.archive }}" > "${{ matrix.archive }}.sha256"
+          else
+            shasum -a 256 "${{ matrix.archive }}" > "${{ matrix.archive }}.sha256"
+          fi
 
       - name: Smoke packaged Code Mode runner (Unix)
         if: runner.os != 'Windows'
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 992b007f4..f76f2fc46 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -223,7 +223,13 @@ labby mcp
 `labby serve` starts the hosted HTTP runtime: `/v1` product APIs, `/mcp`
 streamable HTTP MCP, auth routes, OAuth relay endpoints, and static Labby web
 assets when an export is available. `labby mcp` is the stdio MCP entrypoint for
-local MCP clients.
+local MCP clients. A client configured to launch `labby mcp` does not need an
+HTTP URL: when a `labby serve` daemon is reachable, the stdio process becomes a
+transparent bridge to that daemon and uses its gateway configuration, upstream
+connections, and OAuth state. If no daemon is found and no explicit target is
+set, it starts a standalone local gateway instead. See the
+[local bridge guide](./docs/surfaces/TRANSPORT.md#local-bridge-to-the-running-daemon)
+for client configuration and `LABBY_SERVER_URL` fail-closed behavior.
 
 ### Manage Upstream MCP Gateways
 
@@ -543,8 +549,8 @@ provider tools. It does not install ACP adapters or mount ACP-specific state.
 
 Release Please maintains the version/changelog pull request and creates the
 stable tag plus draft GitHub release when that pull request merges. Publishing
-the release triggers the heavy GitHub-hosted x86_64 workflows. They build Linux
-and Windows archives with checksums, build and scan the GHCR image, build and
+the release triggers the heavy GitHub-hosted workflows. They build Linux,
+macOS, and Windows archives with checksums, build and scan the GHCR image, build and
 smoke the Incus image, publish the npm launcher, and publish Labby's
 `server.json` metadata to the official MCP Registry.
 
diff --git a/crates/labby-codemode/src/runner_backend.rs b/crates/labby-codemode/src/runner_backend.rs
index 6b1c504c5..48b5951aa 100644
--- a/crates/labby-codemode/src/runner_backend.rs
+++ b/crates/labby-codemode/src/runner_backend.rs
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ fn invalid_param(message: impl Into<String>) -> ToolError {
     }
 }
 
-#[cfg(test)]
+#[cfg(all(test, target_os = "linux"))]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
diff --git a/crates/labby/tests/ci_changed_paths.rs b/crates/labby/tests/ci_changed_paths.rs
index 4e15f462b..d2092f99f 100644
--- a/crates/labby/tests/ci_changed_paths.rs
+++ b/crates/labby/tests/ci_changed_paths.rs
@@ -1240,6 +1240,15 @@ fn draft_releases_are_surfaced_without_being_auto_published() {
 fn release_tool_downloads_are_version_and_digest_pinned() {
     let release = fs::read_to_string(repo_root().join(".github/workflows/release.yml"))
         .expect("read release workflow");
+    for target in [
+        "target: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu",
+        "target: aarch64-apple-darwin",
+        "target: x86_64-pc-windows-msvc",
+    ] {
+        assert!(release.contains(target), "release matrix missing {target}");
+    }
+    assert!(release.contains("runner: '\"macos-15\"'"));
+    assert!(!release.contains("x86_64-apple-darwin"));
     assert!(!release.contains("/latest/download/"));
     assert!(!release.contains("mcp-publisher"));
     assert!(!release.contains("registry.modelcontextprotocol.io"));
diff --git a/docs/TECH.md b/docs/TECH.md
index 3d0e4373d..1e9e17ad4 100644
--- a/docs/TECH.md
+++ b/docs/TECH.md
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ The workspace metadata in the root `Cargo.toml` is authoritative:
 - Cargo resolver 3
 - workspace version shared by the Rust crates
 - AGPL-3.0-only license
-- release targets: Linux x86_64 GNU and Windows x86_64 MSVC
+- release targets: Linux x86_64 GNU, macOS arm64, and Windows x86_64 MSVC
 
 `rust-toolchain.toml` pins the toolchain used locally and in CI. The matching
 `rust-version` in `Cargo.toml` is the minimum version Cargo will accept.
diff --git a/docs/runtime/CICD.md b/docs/runtime/CICD.md
index dea8fc0ba..e04e60f27 100644
--- a/docs/runtime/CICD.md
+++ b/docs/runtime/CICD.md
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ land the required code/tests and the baseline update together.
   - Required fast jobs run only when their category is enabled; `ci-gate` is the stable required check for branch protection
   - Native Windows workspace and Palette jobs use GitHub-hosted runners, bounded timeouts, and keyed Cargo caches; they report portability regressions without blocking `ci-gate`
   - Heavy release work starts only from a published stable GitHub release
-  - Release Linux jobs use GitHub-hosted x86_64 runners; native Windows artifacts use GitHub-hosted Windows
+  - Release Linux jobs use GitHub-hosted x86_64 runners; native macOS and Windows artifacts use GitHub-hosted runners
 
 The pinned fleet policy and repository contract set `allow-arm64: true` for
 Labby. This removes the former fleet-wide ARM64 token rejection while keeping
@@ -203,11 +203,13 @@ documented in [Actions runner setup](./ACTIONS_RUNNER.md).
 | Platform | Target |
 |----------|--------|
 | Linux x86_64 | `x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu` |
+| macOS arm64 | `aarch64-apple-darwin` |
 | Windows x86_64 | `x86_64-pc-windows-msvc` |
 
-Windows is a supported platform. Official Windows release artifacts are built
-on native GitHub-hosted Windows runners using the MSVC target. Linux-to-Windows
-GNU cross-compilation may be useful experimentally, but it is not the release
+macOS and Windows are supported platforms. Official macOS artifacts are built
+on a native GitHub-hosted Apple Silicon runner. Official Windows artifacts are
+built on native GitHub-hosted Windows runners using the MSVC target.
+Cross-compilation may be useful experimentally, but it is not the release
 support contract.
 
 ## Integration Tests
@@ -252,7 +254,7 @@ partially published release.
 
 - **Surface:** GitHub Releases
 - **Container surface:** GitHub Container Registry (`ghcr.io/dinglebear-ai/labby`)
-- **Artifacts per release:** one binary archive per supported target (Linux x86_64 and Windows x86_64)
+- **Artifacts per release:** one binary archive per supported target (Linux x86_64, macOS arm64, and Windows x86_64)
 - **Checksums:** every binary archive has a SHA-256 checksum file
 - **Package registries:** the `@dinglebear/labby` npm launcher and `server.json` MCP Registry metadata publish from the same validated version.
 
diff --git a/docs/services/UPSTREAM.md b/docs/services/UPSTREAM.md
index 4c0206b29..af1a67f52 100644
--- a/docs/services/UPSTREAM.md
+++ b/docs/services/UPSTREAM.md
@@ -638,7 +638,7 @@ Add one or more `[[upstream]]` entries to `~/.config/labby/config.toml`.
 
 Set bearer-token env vars named by `bearer_token_env` in `~/.labby/.env` or the process environment.
 
-### 3. Start `lab`
+### 3. Start `labby`
 
 For local stdio clients:
 
@@ -652,21 +652,27 @@ For network MCP clients:
 labby serve
 ```
 
-### 4. Point the client at `lab`, not the upstreams
+### 4. Point the client at `labby`, not the upstreams
 
 Example `.mcp.json` for stdio:
 
 ```json
 {
   "mcpServers": {
-    "lab": {
+    "labby": {
       "command": "labby",
-      "args": ["serve"]
+      "args": ["mcp"]
     }
   }
 }
 ```
 
+This is the local stdio bridge: the client does not need an HTTP URL. If a
+`labby serve` daemon is already running, `labby mcp` forwards the session to
+that daemon; otherwise it starts a standalone local gateway. See the
+[transport guide](../surfaces/TRANSPORT.md#local-bridge-to-the-running-daemon)
+for explicit-target and fallback behavior.
+
 Example HTTP MCP endpoint:
 
 ```text
diff --git a/docs/surfaces/TRANSPORT.md b/docs/surfaces/TRANSPORT.md
index 2dc5b3e71..1f233fa4b 100644
--- a/docs/surfaces/TRANSPORT.md
+++ b/docs/surfaces/TRANSPORT.md
@@ -21,6 +21,52 @@ labby mcp
 Stdio is intended for local editor and desktop clients. Protocol messages use
 stdin/stdout; logs must never be written to stdout.
 
+### Local bridge to the running daemon
+
+Use `labby mcp` when the MCP client can launch a local command but should use
+the same gateway state as a long-running `labby serve` daemon. The client talks
+to `labby mcp` over stdin/stdout, so the client configuration does not need an
+HTTP URL:
+
+```json
+{
+  "mcpServers": {
+    "labby": {
+      "command": "labby",
+      "args": ["mcp"]
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Start the daemon once, either in a terminal or as the installed user service:
+
+```bash
+labby serve --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8765
+```
+
+When `labby mcp` starts, it probes the local daemon. If one is reachable, it
+becomes a transparent stdio-to-MCP bridge: tools, resources, prompts,
+notifications, cancellation, and task responses are forwarded to the daemon.
+The bridge does not create a second gateway manager, upstream pool, or OAuth
+state, so the local client sees the same configuration and connections as the
+web UI and HTTP clients.
+
+If no explicit remote target is configured and no daemon is found, `labby mcp`
+starts a standalone local gateway instead. This is useful for a fully local
+setup, but it has its own configuration and runtime state. To require one
+specific daemon and prevent that standalone fallback, set `LABBY_SERVER_URL`:
+
+```bash
+LABBY_SERVER_URL=http://127.0.0.1:8765 labby mcp
+```
+
+Explicit targets fail closed when they are invalid, unreachable, unauthorized,
+or not a compatible Labby daemon. For a daemon on another host, use an HTTPS
+`LABBY_SERVER_URL` and the daemon's matching `LABBY_MCP_HTTP_TOKEN`; use the
+HTTP MCP endpoint directly when the client cannot launch local commands. The
+full target and token rules are in [Environment](../runtime/ENV.md#remote-gateway-cli-usage).
+
 ## Streamable HTTP
 
 Run:
diff --git a/packages/labby-mcp/README.md b/packages/labby-mcp/README.md
index 992b007f4..f76f2fc46 100644
--- a/packages/labby-mcp/README.md
+++ b/packages/labby-mcp/README.md
@@ -223,7 +223,13 @@ labby mcp
 `labby serve` starts the hosted HTTP runtime: `/v1` product APIs, `/mcp`
 streamable HTTP MCP, auth routes, OAuth relay endpoints, and static Labby web
 assets when an export is available. `labby mcp` is the stdio MCP entrypoint for
-local MCP clients.
+local MCP clients. A client configured to launch `labby mcp` does not need an
+HTTP URL: when a `labby serve` daemon is reachable, the stdio process becomes a
+transparent bridge to that daemon and uses its gateway configuration, upstream
+connections, and OAuth state. If no daemon is found and no explicit target is
+set, it starts a standalone local gateway instead. See the
+[local bridge guide](./docs/surfaces/TRANSPORT.md#local-bridge-to-the-running-daemon)
+for client configuration and `LABBY_SERVER_URL` fail-closed behavior.
 
 ### Manage Upstream MCP Gateways
 
@@ -543,8 +549,8 @@ provider tools. It does not install ACP adapters or mount ACP-specific state.
 
 Release Please maintains the version/changelog pull request and creates the
 stable tag plus draft GitHub release when that pull request merges. Publishing
-the release triggers the heavy GitHub-hosted x86_64 workflows. They build Linux
-and Windows archives with checksums, build and scan the GHCR image, build and
+the release triggers the heavy GitHub-hosted workflows. They build Linux,
+macOS, and Windows archives with checksums, build and scan the GHCR image, build and
 smoke the Incus image, publish the npm launcher, and publish Labby's
 `server.json` metadata to the official MCP Registry.
 
diff --git a/packages/labby-mcp/lib/platform.js b/packages/labby-mcp/lib/platform.js
index aeb676d64..b6464ce23 100644
--- a/packages/labby-mcp/lib/platform.js
+++ b/packages/labby-mcp/lib/platform.js
@@ -23,7 +23,17 @@ function targetFor(platform = process.platform, arch = process.arch) {
     };
   }
 
-  throw new Error(`Unsupported platform ${platform}/${arch}. Supported targets: linux/x64, win32/x64.`);
+  if (platform === "darwin" && arch === "arm64") {
+    return {
+      asset: "lab-aarch64-apple-darwin.tar.gz",
+      binary: "labby",
+      archiveType: "tar.gz",
+    };
+  }
+
+  throw new Error(
+    `Unsupported platform ${platform}/${arch}. Supported targets: linux/x64, darwin/arm64, win32/x64.`,
+  );
 }
 
 function releaseVersion(env = process.env) {
diff --git a/packages/labby-mcp/scripts/check-package.js b/packages/labby-mcp/scripts/check-package.js
index b101ca647..27bb5232c 100644
--- a/packages/labby-mcp/scripts/check-package.js
+++ b/packages/labby-mcp/scripts/check-package.js
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ function supportedTargets(platform) {
   const tuples = [
     ["linux", "x64"],
     ["win32", "x64"],
-    ["darwin", "x64"],
+    ["darwin", "arm64"],
     ["linux", "ppc64"],
   ];
   const targets = [];
diff --git a/packages/labby-mcp/test/platform.test.js b/packages/labby-mcp/test/platform.test.js
index 86088cee7..71e607027 100644
--- a/packages/labby-mcp/test/platform.test.js
+++ b/packages/labby-mcp/test/platform.test.js
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ test("maps supported platforms to release assets", () => {
     binary: "labby.exe",
     archiveType: "zip",
   });
+  assert.deepEqual(targetFor("darwin", "arm64"), {
+    asset: "lab-aarch64-apple-darwin.tar.gz",
+    binary: "labby",
+    archiveType: "tar.gz",
+  });
 });
 
 test("rejects unsupported platforms", () => {
diff --git a/scripts/install.sh b/scripts/install.sh
index 25fb92403..ca7b0b825 100755
--- a/scripts/install.sh
+++ b/scripts/install.sh
@@ -53,7 +53,13 @@ target_triple() {
                 *) fail "unsupported platform ${os}/${arch}; supported: Linux/x86_64" ;;
             esac
             ;;
-        *) fail "unsupported platform ${os}/${arch}; supported: Linux/x86_64" ;;
+        Darwin)
+            case "$arch" in
+                arm64) echo "aarch64-apple-darwin" ;;
+                *) fail "unsupported platform ${os}/${arch}; supported: macOS/arm64" ;;
+            esac
+            ;;
+        *) fail "unsupported platform ${os}/${arch}; supported: Linux/x86_64 and macOS/arm64" ;;
     esac
 }