diff --git a/.github/workflows/check.yml b/.github/workflows/check.yml
index 94278b6d..f41ced47 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check.yml
@@ -549,6 +549,7 @@ jobs:
           - name: macOS arm64
             os: macos-15
             target: aarch64-apple-darwin
+            xcode: '26.3'
             extension: ''
             archive: zip
           - name: Windows x86_64
@@ -571,12 +572,23 @@ jobs:
         ${{ matrix.target == 'x86_64-pc-windows-msvc' && '-C target-feature=+crt-static'
             || contains(matrix.target, '-apple-') && '-Clink-arg=-ObjC'
             || '' }}
+      # The runner's default Xcode 16.4 links WebRTC's NSString category away
+      # even with -ObjC, while a 26 linker, matching the 26.0 SDK the archive
+      # was built with, keeps it. DEVELOPER_DIR picks the newer Xcode for every
+      # tool without touching the machine-wide xcode-select.
+      DEVELOPER_DIR: >-
+        ${{ matrix.xcode && format('/Applications/Xcode_{0}.app/Contents/Developer', matrix.xcode) || '' }}
+      # Unset, cc targets the selected SDK, so Xcode 26 would build the C and
+      # C++ objects for macOS 26 while rustc stamps the binary 11.0. Pin both
+      # to the 11.0 floor earlier releases shipped with.
+      MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET: ${{ matrix.xcode && '11.0' || '' }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
       - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
         with:
           targets: ${{ matrix.target }}
-      # The image is part of the key, because on this leg it is the compiler.
+      # The toolchain is part of the key: the image on Linux, where it is the
+      # compiler, and the Xcode on macOS, where it is the linker and the SDK.
       # `rust-cache` keys on the runner's rustc, which is no longer the one that
       # builds here, and it declines to save when an exact key hit came back: a
       # `target/` filled by the old runner build therefore survives under this
@@ -586,7 +598,7 @@ jobs:
       # its own entry, and bumping the pin rotates the cache with it.
       - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
         with:
-          key: release-${{ matrix.target }}${{ matrix.image && format('-{0}', matrix.image) || '' }}
+          key: release-${{ matrix.target }}${{ matrix.image && format('-{0}', matrix.image) || '' }}${{ matrix.xcode && format('-xcode{0}', matrix.xcode) || '' }}
       # The same entry the check job saves, on the same key. Without it all
       # three platform legs re-download 24 MB that one job already fetched and
       # stored on this commit, and the fetch script no-ops on a hit.
@@ -657,7 +669,19 @@ jobs:
         shell: bash
         run: |
           binary=target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/codetrial
-          # Collect the output so grep cannot give otool SIGPIPE under pipefail.
+          # Prove the build used the Xcode DEVELOPER_DIR names, not the default.
+          [[ $(xcrun --find ld) == "$DEVELOPER_DIR"/* ]] \
+            || { echo "ld is not from $DEVELOPER_DIR" >&2; exit 1; }
+          # Collect the output so awk and grep cannot give otool SIGPIPE under
+          # pipefail.
+          load=$(otool -l "$binary")
+          minos=$(awk '$1 == "minos" { print $2 }' <<< "$load")
+          [[ $minos == "$MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET" ]] \
+            || { echo "minos is $minos, want $MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET" >&2; exit 1; }
+          # Launching proves dyld accepts the binary on this macOS 15 runner.
+          # --help returns before any WebRTC code runs, so it says nothing
+          # about the categories; the otool match below does.
+          "$binary" --help >/dev/null
           objc=$(otool -oV "$binary")
           grep -Eq '^[[:space:]]*name[[:space:]].*[[:space:]]stringForAbslStringView:$' <<< "$objc" \
             || { echo 'WebRTC NSString category is missing' >&2; exit 1; }
@@ -913,4 +937,3 @@ jobs:
           # deletes above are for.
           gh release edit "$staged" --tag "$tag" --target "$GITHUB_SHA" --draft=false
           published=true
-