diff --git a/native/scripts/build.js b/native/scripts/build.js
index b436871ac..f7841f717 100644
--- a/native/scripts/build.js
+++ b/native/scripts/build.js
@@ -98,4 +98,26 @@ const destPath = path.join(addonDir, destFilename);
 
 fs.copyFileSync(sourcePath, destPath);
 console.log(`Installed: ${destPath}`);
+
+// Also copy into the npm platform package so `require('@singularity-forge/engine-<platform>')`
+// works when the package is symlinked into node_modules during local development.
+if (!isDev) {
+  const platformPackageMap = {
+    "darwin-arm64": "darwin-arm64",
+    "darwin-x64": "darwin-x64",
+    "linux-x64": "linux-x64-gnu",
+    "linux-arm64": "linux-arm64-gnu",
+    "win32-x64": "win32-x64-msvc",
+  };
+  const npmSuffix = platformPackageMap[platformTag];
+  if (npmSuffix) {
+    const npmPackageDir = path.join(nativeRoot, "npm", npmSuffix);
+    const npmDest = path.join(npmPackageDir, "forge_engine.node");
+    if (fs.existsSync(npmPackageDir)) {
+      fs.copyFileSync(sourcePath, npmDest);
+      console.log(`Installed npm package binary: ${npmDest}`);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 console.log("Build complete.");
diff --git a/packages/native/package.json b/packages/native/package.json
index faa52c435..6805f8409 100644
--- a/packages/native/package.json
+++ b/packages/native/package.json
@@ -88,5 +88,12 @@
   "files": [
     "dist"
   ],
+  "optionalDependencies": {
+    "@singularity-forge/engine-darwin-arm64": ">=2.75.0",
+    "@singularity-forge/engine-darwin-x64": ">=2.75.0",
+    "@singularity-forge/engine-linux-x64-gnu": ">=2.75.0",
+    "@singularity-forge/engine-linux-arm64-gnu": ">=2.75.0",
+    "@singularity-forge/engine-win32-x64-msvc": ">=2.75.0"
+  },
   "license": "MIT"
 }
diff --git a/scripts/link-workspace-packages.cjs b/scripts/link-workspace-packages.cjs
index e84c7eacc..fe735146e 100644
--- a/scripts/link-workspace-packages.cjs
+++ b/scripts/link-workspace-packages.cjs
@@ -87,3 +87,37 @@ for (const dir of packageDirs) {
 
 if (linked > 0) process.stderr.write(`  Linked ${linked} workspace package${linked !== 1 ? 's' : ''}\n`)
 if (copied > 0) process.stderr.write(`  Copied ${copied} workspace package${copied !== 1 ? 's' : ''} (symlinks unavailable)\n`)
+
+// Platform-specific native engine packages live under native/npm/<suffix>/, not packages/.
+// Wire them into node_modules/@singularity-forge/ so native.ts can require() them without
+// a registry install. Only link platforms where the binary (forge_engine.node) is present.
+const nativeNpmDir = join(root, 'native', 'npm')
+const engineSuffixes = ['darwin-arm64', 'darwin-x64', 'linux-x64-gnu', 'linux-arm64-gnu', 'win32-x64-msvc']
+for (const suffix of engineSuffixes) {
+  const source = join(nativeNpmDir, suffix)
+  const binaryPath = join(source, 'forge_engine.node')
+  if (!existsSync(source) || !existsSync(binaryPath)) continue
+
+  const target = join(scopeDir, `engine-${suffix}`)
+  if (existsSync(target)) {
+    try {
+      const stat = lstatSync(target)
+      if (stat.isSymbolicLink()) {
+        const linkTarget = readlinkSync(target)
+        if (resolve(join(scopeDir, linkTarget)) === source || linkTarget === source) continue
+        unlinkSync(target)
+      } else {
+        continue
+      }
+    } catch {
+      continue
+    }
+  }
+
+  try {
+    symlinkSync(source, target, 'junction')
+    process.stderr.write(`  Linked native engine: @singularity-forge/engine-${suffix}\n`)
+  } catch {
+    try { cpSync(source, target, { recursive: true }) } catch { /* non-fatal */ }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/sf/sf-db.ts b/src/resources/extensions/sf/sf-db.ts
index 8c42ca7e7..2ead0f580 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/sf/sf-db.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/sf/sf-db.ts
@@ -1860,7 +1860,7 @@ function rowToSlice(row: Record<string, unknown>): SliceRow {
     title: row["title"] as string,
     status: row["status"] as string,
     risk: row["risk"] as string,
-    depends: JSON.parse((row["depends"] as string) || "[]"),
+    depends: safeParseJsonArray<string>(row["depends"]),
     demo: (row["demo"] as string) ?? "",
     created_at: row["created_at"] as string,
     completed_at: (row["completed_at"] as string) ?? null,
@@ -1943,6 +1943,16 @@ export interface TaskRow {
   verification_status?: string;
 }
 
+function safeParseJsonArray<T = unknown>(raw: unknown, fallback: T[] = []): T[] {
+  if (typeof raw !== "string" || raw.trim() === "") return fallback;
+  try {
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(raw);
+    return Array.isArray(parsed) ? (parsed as T[]) : fallback;
+  } catch {
+    return fallback;
+  }
+}
+
 function parseTaskArrayColumn(raw: unknown): string[] {
   if (typeof raw !== "string" || raw.trim() === "") return [];
 
@@ -2112,18 +2122,18 @@ function rowToMilestone(row: Record<string, unknown>): MilestoneRow {
     id: row["id"] as string,
     title: row["title"] as string,
     status: row["status"] as string,
-    depends_on: JSON.parse((row["depends_on"] as string) || "[]"),
+    depends_on: safeParseJsonArray<string>(row["depends_on"]),
     created_at: row["created_at"] as string,
     completed_at: (row["completed_at"] as string) ?? null,
     vision: (row["vision"] as string) ?? "",
-    success_criteria: JSON.parse((row["success_criteria"] as string) || "[]"),
-    key_risks: JSON.parse((row["key_risks"] as string) || "[]"),
-    proof_strategy: JSON.parse((row["proof_strategy"] as string) || "[]"),
+    success_criteria: safeParseJsonArray<string>(row["success_criteria"]),
+    key_risks: safeParseJsonArray<{ risk: string; whyItMatters: string }>(row["key_risks"]),
+    proof_strategy: safeParseJsonArray<{ riskOrUnknown: string; retireIn: string; whatWillBeProven: string }>(row["proof_strategy"]),
     verification_contract: (row["verification_contract"] as string) ?? "",
     verification_integration: (row["verification_integration"] as string) ?? "",
     verification_operational: (row["verification_operational"] as string) ?? "",
     verification_uat: (row["verification_uat"] as string) ?? "",
-    definition_of_done: JSON.parse((row["definition_of_done"] as string) || "[]"),
+    definition_of_done: safeParseJsonArray<string>(row["definition_of_done"]),
     requirement_coverage: (row["requirement_coverage"] as string) ?? "",
     boundary_map_markdown: (row["boundary_map_markdown"] as string) ?? "",
     vision_meeting: parseVisionMeeting(row["vision_meeting_json"]),