diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..22001ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+.PHONY: help build-macos build-linux
+
+help:
+	@echo "Story Kit – cross-platform build targets"
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "  make build-macos    Build native macOS release binary"
+	@echo "  make build-linux    Build static Linux x86_64 release binary (requires cross + Docker)"
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "Prerequisites:"
+	@echo "  build-macos: Rust stable toolchain, pnpm"
+	@echo "  build-linux: cargo install cross   AND   Docker Desktop running"
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "Output:"
+	@echo "  macOS : target/release/story-kit-server"
+	@echo "  Linux : target/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/release/story-kit-server"
+
+## Build a native macOS release binary.
+## The frontend is compiled by build.rs (pnpm build) and embedded via rust-embed.
+## Verify dynamic deps afterwards: otool -L target/release/story-kit-server
+build-macos:
+	cargo build --release
+
+## Build a fully static Linux x86_64 binary using the musl libc target.
+## cross (https://github.com/cross-rs/cross) handles the Docker-based cross-compilation.
+## Install cross:  cargo install cross
+## The resulting binary has zero dynamic library dependencies (ldd reports "not a dynamic executable").
+build-linux:
+	cross build --release --target x86_64-unknown-linux-musl
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4920adc..538e106 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -27,6 +27,55 @@ cargo build --release
 ./target/release/story-kit-server
 ```
 
+## Cross-Platform Distribution
+
+Story Kit ships as a **single self-contained binary** with the React frontend embedded via
+`rust-embed`. No Rust toolchain, Node.js, or extra libraries are required on the target machine.
+
+### macOS
+
+```bash
+# Native build – no extra tools required beyond Rust + pnpm
+make build-macos
+# Output: target/release/story-kit-server
+
+# Verify only system frameworks are linked (Security.framework, libSystem.B.dylib, etc.)
+otool -L target/release/story-kit-server
+```
+
+### Linux (static x86_64, zero dynamic deps)
+
+The Linux build uses the `x86_64-unknown-linux-musl` target to produce a fully static binary.
+
+**Prerequisites:**
+
+```bash
+# Install cross – a Rust cross-compilation tool backed by Docker
+cargo install cross
+
+# Ensure Docker Desktop (or Docker Engine) is running
+```
+
+**Build:**
+
+```bash
+make build-linux
+# Output: target/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/release/story-kit-server
+
+# Verify the binary is statically linked
+file target/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/release/story-kit-server
+# Expected: ELF 64-bit LSB executable, x86-64, statically linked
+
+ldd target/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/release/story-kit-server
+# Expected: not a dynamic executable
+```
+
+**Running on any Linux x86_64 machine:**
+
+```bash
+# No Rust, Node, glibc, or any other library needed – just copy and run
+./story-kit-server
+```
 
 ## Testing
 
diff --git a/server/src/http/assets.rs b/server/src/http/assets.rs
index 6868146..b35d638 100644
--- a/server/src/http/assets.rs
+++ b/server/src/http/assets.rs
@@ -65,3 +65,49 @@ pub fn embedded_file(Path(path): Path<String>) -> Response {
 pub fn embedded_index() -> Response {
     serve_embedded("index.html")
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use poem::http::StatusCode;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn non_asset_path_spa_fallback_or_not_found() {
+        // Non-asset paths fall back to index.html for SPA client-side routing.
+        // In release builds (with embedded dist/) this returns 200.
+        // In debug builds without a built frontend dist/ it returns 404.
+        let response = serve_embedded("__nonexistent_spa_route__.html");
+        assert!(
+            response.status() == StatusCode::OK || response.status() == StatusCode::NOT_FOUND,
+            "unexpected status: {}",
+            response.status()
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn missing_asset_path_prefix_returns_not_found() {
+        // assets/ prefix: no SPA fallback – returns 404 if the file does not exist
+        let response = serve_embedded("assets/__nonexistent__.js");
+        assert_eq!(response.status(), StatusCode::NOT_FOUND);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn serve_embedded_does_not_panic_on_empty_path() {
+        // Empty path normalises to index.html; OK in release, 404 in debug without dist/
+        let response = serve_embedded("");
+        assert!(
+            response.status() == StatusCode::OK || response.status() == StatusCode::NOT_FOUND,
+            "unexpected status: {}",
+            response.status()
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn embedded_assets_struct_is_iterable() {
+        // Verifies that rust-embed compiled the EmbeddedAssets struct correctly.
+        // In debug builds without a built frontend dist/ directory the iterator is empty; that is
+        // expected.  In release builds it will contain all bundled frontend files.
+        let _files: Vec<_> = EmbeddedAssets::iter().collect();
+        // No assertion needed – the test passes as long as it compiles and does not panic.
+    }
+}