diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 75c61f9c..9a3129b6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 	"scripts": {
 		"dev": "vite --config vite.config.ts",
 		"postinstall": "node scripts/postinstall.mjs",
-		"build": "npm run build:platform-native-helpers && tsc && vite build --config vite.config.ts && npm run smoke:electron-main-cjs && electron-builder",
+		"build": "npm run build:platform-native-helpers && tsc && vite build --config vite.config.ts && npm run normalize:electron-main-cjs && npm run smoke:electron-main-cjs && electron-builder",
 		"lint": "biome check .",
 		"lint:fix": "biome check --write .",
 		"format": "biome format --write .",
@@ -30,11 +30,12 @@
 		"build:nvidia-cuda-compositor": "node scripts/build-nvidia-cuda-compositor.mjs",
 		"build:windows-capture": "node scripts/build-windows-capture.mjs",
 		"build:cursor-monitor": "node scripts/build-cursor-monitor.mjs",
-		"build:mac": "npm run build:platform-native-helpers && tsc && vite build --config vite.config.ts && npm run smoke:electron-main-cjs && electron-builder --mac",
-		"build:win": "npm run build:platform-native-helpers && tsc && vite build --config vite.config.ts && npm run smoke:electron-main-cjs && electron-builder --win",
-		"build:linux": "npm run build:platform-native-helpers && tsc && vite build --config vite.config.ts && npm run smoke:electron-main-cjs && electron-builder --linux",
+		"build:mac": "npm run build:platform-native-helpers && tsc && vite build --config vite.config.ts && npm run normalize:electron-main-cjs && npm run smoke:electron-main-cjs && electron-builder --mac",
+		"build:win": "npm run build:platform-native-helpers && tsc && vite build --config vite.config.ts && npm run normalize:electron-main-cjs && npm run smoke:electron-main-cjs && electron-builder --win",
+		"build:linux": "npm run build:platform-native-helpers && tsc && vite build --config vite.config.ts && npm run normalize:electron-main-cjs && npm run smoke:electron-main-cjs && electron-builder --linux",
 		"i18n:check": "node scripts/i18n-check.mjs",
 		"benchmark:export-queues": "node scripts/benchmark-export-queues.mjs",
+		"normalize:electron-main-cjs": "node scripts/normalize-electron-main-cjs.mjs",
 		"smoke:electron-main-cjs": "node scripts/smoke-electron-main-cjs.mjs",
 		"smoke:packaged-binaries": "node scripts/smoke-packaged-binaries.mjs",
 		"checksums:release": "node scripts/write-release-checksums.mjs",
diff --git a/scripts/normalize-electron-main-cjs.mjs b/scripts/normalize-electron-main-cjs.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ca27a2d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/normalize-electron-main-cjs.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+import fs from "node:fs/promises";
+import { pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
+
+const mainBundleUrl = new URL("../dist-electron/main.cjs", import.meta.url);
+
+function convertNamedImports(namedSpec) {
+	return namedSpec.replace(/\s+as\s+/g, ": ");
+}
+
+function convertImportLine(line) {
+	const importFromMatch = line.match(
+		/^([ \t]*)import\s+([^;\n]+?)\s+from\s+(["'][^"']+["'])\s*;?[ \t]*$/,
+	);
+	if (importFromMatch) {
+		const [, indent, rawSpec, moduleLiteral] = importFromMatch;
+		const spec = rawSpec.trim();
+		if (spec.startsWith("* as ")) {
+			return `${indent}const ${spec.slice(5).trim()} = require(${moduleLiteral});`;
+		}
+
+		if (spec.startsWith("{")) {
+			return `${indent}const ${convertNamedImports(spec)} = require(${moduleLiteral});`;
+		}
+
+		const commaIndex = spec.indexOf(",");
+		if (commaIndex >= 0) {
+			const defaultName = spec.slice(0, commaIndex).trim();
+			const namedSpec = spec.slice(commaIndex + 1).trim();
+			return [
+				`${indent}const ${defaultName} = require(${moduleLiteral});`,
+				`${indent}const ${convertNamedImports(namedSpec)} = ${defaultName};`,
+			].join("\n");
+		}
+
+		return `${indent}const ${spec} = require(${moduleLiteral});`;
+	}
+
+	const sideEffectImportMatch = line.match(
+		/^([ \t]*)import\s+(["'][^"']+["'])\s*;?[ \t]*$/,
+	);
+	if (sideEffectImportMatch) {
+		const [, indent, moduleLiteral] = sideEffectImportMatch;
+		return `${indent}require(${moduleLiteral});`;
+	}
+
+	if (/^[ \t]*export\s*\{\s*\}\s*;?[ \t]*$/.test(line)) {
+		return "";
+	}
+
+	return null;
+}
+
+export function normalizeElectronMainCjsSource(source) {
+	let changed = false;
+	const lineBreak = source.includes("\r\n") ? "\r\n" : "\n";
+	const lines = source.split(/\r?\n/);
+	const normalizedLines = [];
+	let firstUnprocessedLine = 0;
+
+	for (const line of lines) {
+		if (/^[ \t]*$/.test(line)) {
+			normalizedLines.push(line);
+			firstUnprocessedLine += 1;
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		const converted = convertImportLine(line);
+		if (converted === null) {
+			break;
+		}
+
+		normalizedLines.push(converted);
+		firstUnprocessedLine += 1;
+		changed = true;
+	}
+
+	if (!changed) {
+		return { source, changed };
+	}
+
+	const normalized = [
+		...normalizedLines,
+		...lines.slice(firstUnprocessedLine),
+	].join(lineBreak);
+
+	return { source: normalized, changed };
+}
+
+export function findElectronMainCjsEsmSyntax(source) {
+	const lines = source.split(/\r?\n/);
+	const matches = [];
+
+	for (let index = 0; index < lines.length; index += 1) {
+		const line = lines[index];
+		if (/^[ \t]*$/.test(line)) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		const converted = convertImportLine(line);
+		if (converted === null) {
+			break;
+		}
+
+		matches.push({
+			line: index + 1,
+			text: line.trim(),
+		});
+	}
+
+	return matches;
+}
+
+export async function normalizeElectronMainCjs(bundleUrl = mainBundleUrl) {
+	let source;
+	try {
+		source = await fs.readFile(bundleUrl, "utf8");
+	} catch (error) {
+		throw new Error(`Unable to read dist-electron/main.cjs: ${error}`);
+	}
+
+	const normalized = normalizeElectronMainCjsSource(source);
+	if (normalized.changed) {
+		await fs.writeFile(bundleUrl, normalized.source, "utf8");
+	}
+
+	return normalized;
+}
+
+const isDirectRun =
+	process.argv[1] && import.meta.url === pathToFileURL(process.argv[1]).href;
+
+if (isDirectRun) {
+	const result = await normalizeElectronMainCjs();
+	const remainingImports = findElectronMainCjsEsmSyntax(result.source);
+	if (remainingImports.length > 0) {
+		const details = remainingImports
+			.map((match) => `line ${match.line}: ${match.text}`)
+			.join("\n");
+		throw new Error(`dist-electron/main.cjs still contains ESM import syntax:\n${details}`);
+	}
+
+	console.log(
+		result.changed
+			? "Electron main CJS normalized: dist-electron/main.cjs"
+			: "Electron main CJS already normalized: dist-electron/main.cjs",
+	);
+}
diff --git a/scripts/smoke-electron-main-cjs.mjs b/scripts/smoke-electron-main-cjs.mjs
index 0586723b..f0e3457f 100644
--- a/scripts/smoke-electron-main-cjs.mjs
+++ b/scripts/smoke-electron-main-cjs.mjs
@@ -1,28 +1,30 @@
-import fs from "node:fs/promises";
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+import {
+	findElectronMainCjsEsmSyntax,
+	normalizeElectronMainCjs,
+} from "./normalize-electron-main-cjs.mjs";
 
 const mainBundleUrl = new URL("../dist-electron/main.cjs", import.meta.url);
-const mainBundlePath = mainBundleUrl.pathname;
+const mainBundlePath = fileURLToPath(mainBundleUrl);
 
-let source;
-try {
-	source = await fs.readFile(mainBundleUrl, "utf8");
-} catch (error) {
-	throw new Error(`Unable to read dist-electron/main.cjs: ${error}`);
-}
-
-const esmImportPattern = /^[ \t]*import\s+(?:(?:[\w*{][^\n;]*?)\s+from\s+)?["'][^"']+["'];?/gm;
-const matches = [...source.matchAll(esmImportPattern)].map((match) => ({
-	line: source.slice(0, match.index).split(/\r?\n/).length,
-	text: match[0].trim(),
-}));
+const { source } = await normalizeElectronMainCjs(mainBundleUrl);
+const matches = findElectronMainCjsEsmSyntax(source);
 
 if (matches.length > 0) {
 	const details = matches.map((match) => `line ${match.line}: ${match.text}`).join("\n");
 	throw new Error(`dist-electron/main.cjs contains ESM import syntax:\n${details}`);
 }
 
-if (/\bimport\.meta\b/.test(source)) {
-	throw new Error("dist-electron/main.cjs contains import.meta syntax");
+const checkResult = spawnSync(process.execPath, ["--check", mainBundlePath], {
+	encoding: "utf8",
+});
+
+if (checkResult.status !== 0) {
+	const details = [checkResult.stdout, checkResult.stderr].filter(Boolean).join("\n");
+	throw new Error(
+		`dist-electron/main.cjs does not parse as CommonJS:${details ? `\n${details}` : ""}`,
+	);
 }
 
 console.log(`Electron main CJS smoke passed: ${mainBundlePath}`);
diff --git a/vite.config.ts b/vite.config.ts
index 5fce54bb..64614cdb 100644
--- a/vite.config.ts
+++ b/vite.config.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,29 @@
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
 import path from "node:path";
 import react from "@vitejs/plugin-react";
-import { defineConfig } from "vite";
+import { defineConfig, type Plugin } from "vite";
 import electron from "vite-plugin-electron/simple";
 
+function electronMainCjsGuardPlugin(): Plugin {
+	return {
+		name: "recordly-electron-main-cjs-guard",
+		closeBundle() {
+			const scriptPath = path.resolve(__dirname, "scripts/smoke-electron-main-cjs.mjs");
+			const result = spawnSync(process.execPath, [scriptPath], {
+				cwd: __dirname,
+				encoding: "utf8",
+			});
+
+			if (result.status !== 0) {
+				const details = [result.stdout, result.stderr].filter(Boolean).join("\n");
+				throw new Error(
+					`Electron main CJS smoke failed after Vite build.${details ? `\n${details}` : ""}`,
+				);
+			}
+		},
+	};
+}
+
 // https://vitejs.dev/config/
 export default defineConfig({
 	plugins: [
@@ -26,6 +47,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
 							},
 						},
 					},
+					plugins: [electronMainCjsGuardPlugin()],
 				},
 			},
 			preload: {