diff --git a/.github/workflows/codra-cli-release.yml b/.github/workflows/codra-cli-release.yml
index aae1ff1..0b1ff83 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codra-cli-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codra-cli-release.yml
@@ -143,6 +143,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Validate npm pack contents
         working-directory: packages/codra-npm-cli
         env:
+          CODRA_USE_ARTIFACTS: '1'
+          CODRA_ARTIFACTS_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}/packages/codra-npm-cli/artifacts
+          CODRA_ALLOW_PARTIAL_BINARIES: ${{ needs.resolve-matrix.outputs.allow_partial }}
           CODRA_EXPECT_PLATFORMS: ${{ needs.resolve-matrix.outputs.expect_all_pack == '1' && needs.resolve-matrix.outputs.expected_platforms || '' }}
         run: npm run pack:dry
 
@@ -152,6 +155,7 @@ jobs:
           CODRA_USE_ARTIFACTS: '1'
           CODRA_ARTIFACTS_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}/packages/codra-npm-cli/artifacts
           CODRA_ALLOW_PARTIAL_BINARIES: ${{ needs.resolve-matrix.outputs.allow_partial }}
+          CODRA_EXPECT_PLATFORMS: ${{ needs.resolve-matrix.outputs.expect_all_pack == '1' && needs.resolve-matrix.outputs.expected_platforms || '' }}
         run: npm pack
 
       - name: Upload npm tarball artifact
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1c2fe9a..0303749 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@ node_modules
 .DS_Store
 *.log
 
+# Local secrets (never commit)
+.env
+.env.*
+!.env.example
+
 # Rust
 target/
 **/*.rs.bk
diff --git a/packages/codra-npm-cli/scripts/pack-dry-run.js b/packages/codra-npm-cli/scripts/pack-dry-run.js
index c3beee2..7fe010a 100644
--- a/packages/codra-npm-cli/scripts/pack-dry-run.js
+++ b/packages/codra-npm-cli/scripts/pack-dry-run.js
@@ -31,6 +31,26 @@ function expectedNativePaths() {
   return [];
 }
 
+function packagingEnv(expectedNative) {
+  const env = { ...process.env };
+  const passthrough = [
+    'CODRA_USE_ARTIFACTS',
+    'CODRA_ARTIFACTS_DIR',
+    'CODRA_ALLOW_PARTIAL_BINARIES',
+    'CODRA_EXPECT_PLATFORMS',
+    'CODRA_EXPECT_ALL_PLATFORMS',
+  ];
+  for (const key of passthrough) {
+    if (process.env[key] !== undefined) {
+      env[key] = process.env[key];
+    }
+  }
+  if (!env.CODRA_USE_ARTIFACTS && expectedNative.length > 0) {
+    env.CODRA_USE_ARTIFACTS = '1';
+  }
+  return env;
+}
+
 function main() {
   const expectedNative = expectedNativePaths();
 
@@ -39,12 +59,7 @@ function main() {
     encoding: 'utf8',
     stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
     shell: true,
-    env: {
-      ...process.env,
-      CODRA_USE_ARTIFACTS:
-        process.env.CODRA_USE_ARTIFACTS ||
-        (expectedNative.length > 0 ? '1' : process.env.CODRA_USE_ARTIFACTS),
-    },
+    env: packagingEnv(expectedNative),
   });
 
   const lines = output.split('\n');
diff --git a/packages/codra-npm-cli/scripts/prepack.js b/packages/codra-npm-cli/scripts/prepack.js
index 15917a3..06517e1 100644
--- a/packages/codra-npm-cli/scripts/prepack.js
+++ b/packages/codra-npm-cli/scripts/prepack.js
@@ -33,13 +33,67 @@ function shouldUseArtifacts() {
   return TARGET_ARTIFACTS.some((name) => fs.existsSync(path.join(dir, name)));
 }
 
+function installedNativePlatformKeys() {
+  const nativeRoot = path.join(packageRoot, 'bin', 'native');
+  if (!fs.existsSync(nativeRoot)) {
+    return [];
+  }
+
+  return fs.readdirSync(nativeRoot).filter((key) => {
+    const name = key.startsWith('win32') ? 'codra.exe' : 'codra';
+    return fs.existsSync(path.join(nativeRoot, key, name));
+  });
+}
+
+function shouldSkipArtifactRebuild() {
+  if (!shouldUseArtifacts()) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  const installed = installedNativePlatformKeys();
+  if (installed.length === 0) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  // CI already ran build:from-artifacts; avoid a strict second pass during partial dry runs.
+  if (process.env.CODRA_ALLOW_PARTIAL_BINARIES === '1') {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  return false;
+}
+
+function packagingEnv() {
+  const env = { ...process.env };
+  const keys = [
+    'CODRA_USE_ARTIFACTS',
+    'CODRA_ARTIFACTS_DIR',
+    'CODRA_ALLOW_PARTIAL_BINARIES',
+    'CODRA_EXPECT_PLATFORMS',
+    'CODRA_EXPECT_ALL_PLATFORMS',
+  ];
+  for (const key of keys) {
+    if (process.env[key] !== undefined) {
+      env[key] = process.env[key];
+    }
+  }
+  return env;
+}
+
 function main() {
+  if (shouldSkipArtifactRebuild()) {
+    console.log(
+      `[prepack] skip rebuild (${installedNativePlatformKeys().join(', ')} already in bin/native/)`,
+    );
+    return;
+  }
+
   const script = shouldUseArtifacts()
     ? path.join(__dirname, 'build-platform-binaries.js')
     : path.join(__dirname, 'build.js');
 
   console.log(`[prepack] running ${path.basename(script)}`);
-  execSync(`node "${script}"`, { cwd: packageRoot, stdio: 'inherit' });
+  execSync(`node "${script}"`, { cwd: packageRoot, stdio: 'inherit', env: packagingEnv() });
 }
 
 main();
\ No newline at end of file