diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6bd12537..bd08bb37 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -23,3 +23,9 @@ lib/EpdFont/scripts/output/
 # (worktrees, scheduled-task locks, settings.local, scout CLEANUP.md) out.
 .claude/*
 !.claude/skills/
+/managed_components
+/.dummy
+dependencies.lock
+sdkconfig.default
+sdkconfig.defaults
+CMakeLists.txt
diff --git a/platformio.ini b/platformio.ini
index 8080b93a..a17bea75 100644
--- a/platformio.ini
+++ b/platformio.ini
@@ -60,6 +60,48 @@ board_build.flash_mode = dio
 board_build.flash_size = 16MB
 board_build.partitions = partitions.csv
 
+; Shrink the NimBLE footprint for a 1-connection HID host moving 3-6 byte reports.
+; Field-measured: begin() costs ~52 KB with these trims vs ~68 KB with the prebuilt
+; framework defaults — and that 15 KB is the difference between the stack landing
+; above the reader's render shed floor (stable coexistence) and below it (a
+; guaranteed shed/restart flap). Rebuilds the Arduino core libs on first build
+; (slower once, cached after; needs the CMake pin in platformio.local.ini on macOS).
+custom_sdkconfig =
+  CONFIG_BT_NIMBLE_ROLE_PERIPHERAL=n
+  CONFIG_BT_NIMBLE_ROLE_BROADCASTER=n
+  CONFIG_BT_NIMBLE_MAX_CONNECTIONS=1
+  CONFIG_BT_NIMBLE_MAX_CCCDS=2
+  CONFIG_BT_NIMBLE_ATT_PREFERRED_MTU=23
+  CONFIG_BT_NIMBLE_MSYS_1_BLOCK_COUNT=6
+  CONFIG_BT_NIMBLE_MSYS_2_BLOCK_COUNT=6      ; was 24 x 320 B
+  CONFIG_BT_NIMBLE_ACL_BUF_COUNT=6           ; was 24 x 255 B
+  CONFIG_BT_NIMBLE_HCI_EVT_HI_BUF_COUNT=12   ; was 30 x 70 B; only scan bursts need many
+  ; IDF 5.5 sizes the HCI transport pools under TRANSPORT_* names; pin both spellings.
+  CONFIG_BT_NIMBLE_TRANSPORT_ACL_FROM_LL_COUNT=6
+  CONFIG_BT_NIMBLE_TRANSPORT_EVT_COUNT=12
+  CONFIG_BT_NIMBLE_ATT_MAX_PREP_ENTRIES=4    ; was 64; a HID host never does prepared writes
+  CONFIG_BT_CTRL_BLE_MAX_ACT=3               ; was 6; need conn + scan + initiate only
+  CONFIG_BT_CTRL_BLE_ADV_REPORT_FLOW_CTRL_NUM=50   ; was 100; pairing-time scan only
+  CONFIG_BT_CTRL_ADV_DUP_FILT_MAX=10               ; was 30
+  ; Keep the Arduino wrappers for the removed cloud components (below) out of
+  ; the core source list; all other bundled libraries default to enabled.
+  CONFIG_ARDUINO_SELECTIVE_COMPILATION=y
+  CONFIG_ARDUINO_SELECTIVE_RainMaker=n
+  CONFIG_ARDUINO_SELECTIVE_Insights=n
+
+; Drop unused cloud components from the core rebuild. esp_insights/rainmaker
+; require embedded server certs the lib builder can't generate
+; ("https_server.crt.S not found"); this firmware uses none of them.
+custom_component_remove =
+  espressif/esp_insights
+  espressif/esp_rainmaker
+  espressif/esp_diagnostics
+  espressif/esp_diag_data_store
+  espressif/esp_schedule
+  espressif/esp_rcp_update
+  espressif/esp_secure_cert_mgr
+  espressif/cbor
+
 extra_scripts =
   pre:scripts/build_html.py
   pre:scripts/gen_i18n.py
diff --git a/src/activities/Activity.h b/src/activities/Activity.h
index 42e3375b..3aa55e8c 100644
--- a/src/activities/Activity.h
+++ b/src/activities/Activity.h
@@ -48,6 +48,12 @@ class Activity {
   // covered by isReaderActivity()). The Bluetooth settings screen overrides this so
   // pairing/scanning works there. Everywhere else BLE is torn down to free heap.
   virtual bool keepsBluetoothAlive() const { return false; }
+  // True while the activity is doing (or has pending) heap-heavy work that must
+  // finish before the BLE stack (~52 KB) may start. The reader overrides this while
+  // a section build has catch-up work inside its window: restarting BLE mid-build
+  // just re-enters the heap state that forced the shed (observed as a 163 ms
+  // shed -> restart -> shed flap in the field).
+  virtual bool deferBluetoothStart() const { return false; }
   // Ask the activity to make its next render a full ghost-cleanup (HALF) refresh rather
   // than a fast/partial one. Used after drawing a transient popup over grayscale content
   // (e.g. the "BT Connecting..." popup over a reader page) so it clears without ghosting.
diff --git a/src/activities/ActivityManager.cpp b/src/activities/ActivityManager.cpp
index 6ded5478..4fb5c9c2 100644
--- a/src/activities/ActivityManager.cpp
+++ b/src/activities/ActivityManager.cpp
@@ -271,6 +271,10 @@ bool ActivityManager::bluetoothShouldBeActive() const {
   return std::any_of(stackActivities.begin(), stackActivities.end(), wants) || wants(currentActivity);
 }
 
+bool ActivityManager::bluetoothStartDeferred() const {
+  return currentActivity && currentActivity->deferBluetoothStart();
+}
+
 bool ActivityManager::skipLoopDelay() const { return currentActivity && currentActivity->skipLoopDelay(); }
 
 ScreenshotInfo ActivityManager::getScreenshotInfo() const {
diff --git a/src/activities/ActivityManager.h b/src/activities/ActivityManager.h
index 02855305..647d6d0d 100644
--- a/src/activities/ActivityManager.h
+++ b/src/activities/ActivityManager.h
@@ -106,6 +106,12 @@ class ActivityManager {
   // True if BLE should be resident for the current context: any reader (page-turner
   // input) or the Bluetooth settings screen (pairing) is on the stack.
   bool bluetoothShouldBeActive() const;
+  // True while the CURRENT activity is mid heap-heavy work that must complete before
+  // NimBLE may start (see Activity::deferBluetoothStart). Current only, not the
+  // stack: a reader stacked under a menu has its loop() paused, so its build never
+  // advances — a stack-wide check would hold BLE off for as long as the menu stays
+  // open.
+  bool bluetoothStartDeferred() const;
   bool skipLoopDelay() const;
   ScreenshotInfo getScreenshotInfo() const;
 
diff --git a/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.cpp b/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.cpp
index ed4f9860..605b730a 100644
--- a/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.cpp
+++ b/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.cpp
@@ -292,8 +292,7 @@ void EpubReaderActivity::loop() {
   // Skip while the render mutex is busy so we never delay a pending render; re-check
   // isBuilding() under the lock since render() may have just finished it.
   if (section && section->isBuilding() && !RenderLock::peek() &&
-      static_cast<int>(section->pageCount) < section->currentPage + BUILD_WINDOW_AHEAD &&
-      buildTickHeapGate()) {
+      static_cast<int>(section->pageCount) < section->currentPage + BUILD_WINDOW_AHEAD && buildTickHeapGate()) {
     RenderLock lock;
     // Re-check under the lock: render() (which also holds the RenderLock) may have finalized the
     // build between the outer isBuilding() check and acquiring the lock here, in which case
diff --git a/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.h b/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.h
index f086fa7b..e40c9af1 100644
--- a/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.h
+++ b/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.h
@@ -89,13 +89,16 @@ class EpubReaderActivity final : public Activity {
   // background tick with the BLE stack resident). The tick is deferrable work:
   // page-turn transients free up between turns and the build resumes; the render
   // path still builds the page it actually needs regardless of this floor.
-  static constexpr size_t BACKGROUND_BUILD_MIN_FREE_HEAP = 32 * 1024;
-  // Fragmentation floor for the same gate: a tick passed the free-heap floor at
-  // 34.7 KB free but the largest block was ~11 KB, and a parse allocation inside the
-  // tick aborted anyway. Free heap says how much memory exists; maxAlloc says whether
-  // any single allocation can actually have it. 16 KB also keeps the advance-table
-  // batch path (16 KB scratch) viable during builds.
-  static constexpr size_t BACKGROUND_BUILD_MIN_MAX_ALLOC = 16 * 1024;
+  // Calibrated BETWEEN the measured states: steady reading with BLE resident runs at
+  // ~29.4 KB free / ~16.4 KB largest block (ticks are safe there — a 2-page parse
+  // transient is a few KB), while the field crash happened at 34.7 KB free with an
+  // ~11 KB largest block. A first cut at 32 KB/16 KB sat just ABOVE the healthy
+  // steady state, guaranteeing a pointless BLE shed the moment any build work was
+  // pending (the maxAlloc floor fired on a 12-byte shortfall).
+  static constexpr size_t BACKGROUND_BUILD_MIN_FREE_HEAP = 26 * 1024;
+  // Fragmentation floor for the same gate: free heap says how much memory exists;
+  // maxAlloc says whether any single allocation can actually have it.
+  static constexpr size_t BACKGROUND_BUILD_MIN_MAX_ALLOC = 13 * 1024;
   // Gate for a background build tick: true when the heap can take parse allocations.
   // When BLE is what's squeezing the heap, sheds it (build-pending deferral in the
   // lifecycle then holds restarts off until the window is caught up) instead of
@@ -149,6 +152,15 @@ class EpubReaderActivity final : public Activity {
   void loop() override;
   void render(RenderLock&& lock) override;
   bool isReaderActivity() const override { return true; }
+  // Hold BLE off only while the background build has catch-up work pending inside
+  // its window (same condition loop() uses to tick it). Gating on isBuilding() alone
+  // would hold BLE off for the rest of the chapter — a windowed build stays
+  // "building" until the reader walks the whole spine. Unlocked read, same pattern
+  // as the background-build check in loop().
+  bool deferBluetoothStart() const override {
+    return section && section->isBuilding() &&
+           static_cast<int>(section->pageCount) < section->currentPage + BUILD_WINDOW_AHEAD;
+  }
   void requestGhostCleanup() override { pagesUntilFullRefresh = 1; }
   ScreenshotInfo getScreenshotInfo() const override;
   CrossPointPosition getCurrentPosition() const;
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index ce7ba38c..3bafc59c 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -511,6 +511,18 @@ void updateBluetoothLifecycle() {
   static uint32_t recoveryTeardownMs = 0;
   if (bleinput::lifecyclePaused()) recoveryTeardownMs = millis();
   if (wanted && !BleHid.isRunning() && bleinput::lifecyclePaused()) return;
+  // Never start while the reader has build catch-up work pending: restarting into a
+  // pending build just re-enters the heap state that forced the shed (field: a
+  // 163 ms shed -> restart -> shed flap at a chapter watermark). Builds tick fast;
+  // the deferral clears itself within seconds and no popup is warranted.
+  if (wanted && !BleHid.isRunning() && activityManager.bluetoothStartDeferred()) {
+    static uint32_t lastBuildDeferLogMs = 0;
+    if (millis() - lastBuildDeferLogMs > 10000) {
+      lastBuildDeferLogMs = millis();
+      LOG_INF("BLELC", "start deferred: section build in progress heap=%u", ESP.getFreeHeap());
+    }
+    return;
+  }
   static constexpr uint32_t BLE_RESTART_COOLDOWN_MS = 30 * 1000;
   const bool inCooldown = recoveryTeardownMs != 0 && millis() - recoveryTeardownMs < BLE_RESTART_COOLDOWN_MS;
   // Heap gate: NimBLE needs ~57 KB, and the section-build pre-flight needs 40 KB free
@@ -560,7 +572,7 @@ void updateBluetoothLifecycle() {
     // observed in the field as the gate passing at 116 KB free and begin() then
     // landing on 44 KB, where the session ground down and aborted. Defer to the next
     // tick; the gate re-evaluates against the settled heap.
-    if (ESP.getFreeHeap() < startFloor || bleinput::lifecyclePaused()) {
+    if (ESP.getFreeHeap() < startFloor || activityManager.bluetoothStartDeferred() || bleinput::lifecyclePaused()) {
       LOG_INF("BLELC", "start aborted under render lock: heap %u floor %u", ESP.getFreeHeap(), (unsigned)startFloor);
       return;
     }