diff --git a/dist/platform/elc b/dist/platform/elc
index 0b80847..37a9e73 100755
Binary files a/dist/platform/elc and b/dist/platform/elc differ
diff --git a/el-compiler/src/codegen-js.el b/el-compiler/src/codegen-js.el
index 1a9b03e..7374fe8 100644
--- a/el-compiler/src/codegen-js.el
+++ b/el-compiler/src/codegen-js.el
@@ -896,52 +896,75 @@ fn js_is_top_level_decl(stmt: Map<String, Any>) -> Bool {
 // ── Entry point ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 fn codegen_js(stmts: [Map<String, Any>], source: String) -> String {
+    codegen_js_inner(stmts, source, false, "")
+}
+
+fn codegen_js_bundle(stmts: [Map<String, Any>], source: String, runtime_content: String) -> String {
+    codegen_js_inner(stmts, source, true, runtime_content)
+}
+
+fn codegen_js_inner(stmts: [Map<String, Any>], source: String, bundle_mode: Bool, runtime_content: String) -> String {
     // Reset per-compile state.
     state_set("__js_int_names", "")
     state_set("__js_match_counter", "")
     state_set("__js_async_fns", "")
 
-    // Preamble: inline the runtime via a single import that side-effects
-    // globalThis. The runtime path is resolved relative to the generated
-    // output; users running `elc --target=js` are responsible for ensuring
-    // el_runtime.js is reachable. For self-contained output, the runtime
-    // could be inlined; that is a follow-up.
+    // Preamble: in bundle mode, inline the runtime and wrap in IIFE.
+    // In module mode, emit a single import that side-effects globalThis.
     js_emit_line("// Generated by elc --target=js")
-    js_emit_line("// Runtime: foundation/el/el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.js")
-    js_emit_line("import \"./el_runtime.js\";")
-    js_emit_line("const {")
-    js_emit_line("  println, print, el_str_concat, str_concat, str_eq, str_starts_with, str_ends_with,")
-    js_emit_line("  str_len, int_to_str, str_to_int, str_slice, str_contains, str_replace,")
-    js_emit_line("  str_to_upper, str_to_lower, str_trim, str_index_of, str_split, str_char_at,")
-    js_emit_line("  str_char_code, str_lower, str_upper, el_abs, el_max, el_min,")
-    js_emit_line("  el_list_new, el_list_len, el_list_get, el_list_append, el_list_empty, el_list_clone,")
-    js_emit_line("  list_push, list_join, list_range,")
-    js_emit_line("  el_map_new, el_get_field, el_map_get, el_map_set,")
-    js_emit_line("  http_get, http_post, http_post_json,")
-    js_emit_line("  fs_read, fs_write, fs_list,")
-    js_emit_line("  json_parse, json_stringify, json_get, json_get_string, json_get_int,")
-    js_emit_line("  time_now, time_now_utc, sleep_ms, bool_to_str, exit_program,")
-    js_emit_line("  el_retain, el_release,")
-    js_emit_line("  append, len, get, map_get, map_set,")
-    js_emit_line("  native_list_get, native_list_len, native_list_append, native_list_empty,")
-    js_emit_line("  native_list_clone, native_string_chars, native_int_to_str,")
-    js_emit_line("  args, state_set, state_get, state_del, state_keys, env,")
-    js_emit_line("  dharma_connect, dharma_send, dharma_emit, dharma_field, dharma_activate,")
-    js_emit_line("  engram_node, engram_search, engram_activate,")
-    js_emit_line("  llm_call, llm_call_system,")
-    js_emit_line("  dom_get_element, dom_get_value, dom_set_value, dom_get_text, dom_set_text,")
-    js_emit_line("  dom_set_prop, dom_get_prop, dom_set_style, dom_add_class, dom_remove_class,")
-    js_emit_line("  dom_show, dom_hide, dom_listen, dom_query, dom_query_all, dom_create,")
-    js_emit_line("  dom_append, dom_remove, dom_is_null,")
-    js_emit_line("  dom_set_attr, dom_get_attr, dom_remove_attr, dom_set_html, dom_get_html,")
-    js_emit_line("  dom_get_parent, dom_contains_class, dom_get_checked, dom_set_checked,")
-    js_emit_line("  set_timeout, set_interval, clear_interval,")
-    js_emit_line("  local_storage_get, local_storage_set, local_storage_remove,")
-    js_emit_line("  window_location, window_redirect, window_on_load,")
-    js_emit_line("  console_log,")
-    js_emit_line("  window_set, window_get, native_js, native_js_call,")
-    js_emit_line("} = globalThis.__el;")
-    js_emit_blank()
+    if bundle_mode {
+        js_emit_line("// Bundle mode: runtime inlined, no import statement needed.")
+        js_emit_line("// Drop directly into a <script> tag.")
+        js_emit_line(";(function() {")
+        js_emit_line("\"use strict\";")
+        // Inline the runtime content verbatim (already read from el_runtime.js).
+        // Strip the final ES export lines -- they use `export` syntax which is
+        // not valid inside an IIFE. The globalThis.__el assignment is what matters.
+        js_emit_line(js_strip_es_exports(runtime_content))
+        js_emit_line("")
+    } else {
+        js_emit_line("// Runtime: foundation/el/el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.js")
+        js_emit_line("import \"./el_runtime.js\";")
+    }
+    // In module mode: destructure all builtins off globalThis.__el so call
+    // sites stay flat (println(x) not el.println(x)).
+    // In bundle mode: function declarations from the inlined runtime are
+    // already in scope within the IIFE -- no destructure needed.
+    if !bundle_mode {
+        js_emit_line("const {")
+        js_emit_line("  println, print, el_str_concat, str_concat, str_eq, str_starts_with, str_ends_with,")
+        js_emit_line("  str_len, int_to_str, str_to_int, str_slice, str_contains, str_replace,")
+        js_emit_line("  str_to_upper, str_to_lower, str_trim, str_index_of, str_split, str_char_at,")
+        js_emit_line("  str_char_code, str_lower, str_upper, el_abs, el_max, el_min,")
+        js_emit_line("  el_list_new, el_list_len, el_list_get, el_list_append, el_list_empty, el_list_clone,")
+        js_emit_line("  list_push, list_join, list_range,")
+        js_emit_line("  el_map_new, el_get_field, el_map_get, el_map_set,")
+        js_emit_line("  http_get, http_post, http_post_json,")
+        js_emit_line("  fs_read, fs_write, fs_list,")
+        js_emit_line("  json_parse, json_stringify, json_get, json_get_string, json_get_int,")
+        js_emit_line("  time_now, time_now_utc, sleep_ms, bool_to_str, exit_program,")
+        js_emit_line("  el_retain, el_release,")
+        js_emit_line("  append, len, get, map_get, map_set,")
+        js_emit_line("  native_list_get, native_list_len, native_list_append, native_list_empty,")
+        js_emit_line("  native_list_clone, native_string_chars, native_int_to_str,")
+        js_emit_line("  args, state_set, state_get, state_del, state_keys, env,")
+        js_emit_line("  dharma_connect, dharma_send, dharma_emit, dharma_field, dharma_activate,")
+        js_emit_line("  engram_node, engram_search, engram_activate,")
+        js_emit_line("  llm_call, llm_call_system,")
+        js_emit_line("  dom_get_element, dom_get_value, dom_set_value, dom_get_text, dom_set_text,")
+        js_emit_line("  dom_set_prop, dom_get_prop, dom_set_style, dom_add_class, dom_remove_class,")
+        js_emit_line("  dom_show, dom_hide, dom_listen, dom_query, dom_query_all, dom_create,")
+        js_emit_line("  dom_append, dom_remove, dom_is_null,")
+        js_emit_line("  dom_set_attr, dom_get_attr, dom_remove_attr, dom_set_html, dom_get_html,")
+        js_emit_line("  dom_get_parent, dom_contains_class, dom_get_checked, dom_set_checked,")
+        js_emit_line("  set_timeout, set_interval, clear_interval,")
+        js_emit_line("  local_storage_get, local_storage_set, local_storage_remove,")
+        js_emit_line("  window_location, window_redirect, window_on_load,")
+        js_emit_line("  console_log,")
+        js_emit_line("  window_set, window_get, native_js, native_js_call,")
+        js_emit_line("} = globalThis.__el;")
+        js_emit_blank()
+    }
 
     // Pre-registration pass: scan all FnDefs for @async decorators so that
     // forward calls to @async functions get `await` even if the callee is
@@ -1010,6 +1033,41 @@ fn codegen_js(stmts: [Map<String, Any>], source: String) -> String {
         js_emit_line("main();")
     }
 
+    // Close IIFE in bundle mode.
+    if bundle_mode {
+        js_emit_line("")
+        js_emit_line("})();")
+    }
+
     // Return empty string — output was streamed via println
     ""
 }
+
+// Strip ES module export statements from runtime content for IIFE embedding.
+// The runtime ends with `export { ... }` and `export { __el as default }` lines
+// that are invalid inside an IIFE. We strip everything from the first top-level
+// `export {` line onward.
+//
+// Also strips `import` statements at the top if any (though el_runtime.js has none).
+fn js_strip_es_exports(content: String) -> String {
+    let lines: [String] = str_split(content, "\n")
+    let n: Int = native_list_len(lines)
+    let out: [String] = native_list_empty()
+    let i = 0
+    while i < n {
+        let line: String = native_list_get(lines, i)
+        let trimmed: String = str_trim(line)
+        // Stop at top-level `export {` or `export default`
+        if str_starts_with(trimmed, "export {") {
+            let i = n
+        } else {
+            if str_starts_with(trimmed, "export default") {
+                let i = n
+            } else {
+                let out = native_list_append(out, line)
+            }
+        }
+        let i = i + 1
+    }
+    str_join(out, "\n")
+}
diff --git a/el-compiler/src/compiler.el b/el-compiler/src/compiler.el
index fef934b..48eaf1b 100644
--- a/el-compiler/src/compiler.el
+++ b/el-compiler/src/compiler.el
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ fn compile(source: String) -> String {
     codegen(stmts, source)
 }
 
-// compile_js — full pipeline (JS target): source string -> JS source string
+// compile_js — full pipeline (JS target, module mode): source string -> JS source string
 fn compile_js(source: String) -> String {
     let tokens: [Map<String, Any>] = lex(source)
     let stmts: [Map<String, Any>] = parse(tokens)
@@ -38,6 +38,20 @@ fn compile_js(source: String) -> String {
     codegen_js(stmts, source)
 }
 
+// compile_js_with_bundle — JS target in bundle mode.
+// Reads el_runtime.js from runtime_path and inlines it inside an IIFE.
+fn compile_js_with_bundle(source: String, runtime_path: String) -> String {
+    let tokens: [Map<String, Any>] = lex(source)
+    let stmts: [Map<String, Any>] = parse(tokens)
+    el_release(tokens)
+    let runtime_content: String = fs_read(runtime_path)
+    if str_eq(runtime_content, "") {
+        println("el-compiler: warning: --bundle: could not read runtime at " + runtime_path)
+        println("el-compiler: warning: bundle output will be incomplete")
+    }
+    codegen_js_bundle(stmts, source, runtime_content)
+}
+
 // compile_dispatch — pick a backend based on the requested target.
 //   tgt = "c"  | "js"
 // (The parameter is named `tgt` because `target` is a reserved keyword
@@ -48,6 +62,12 @@ fn compile_dispatch(tgt: String, source: String) -> String {
     compile(source)
 }
 
+// compile_dispatch_bundle — like compile_dispatch but bundle mode for JS.
+fn compile_dispatch_bundle(tgt: String, source: String, runtime_path: String) -> String {
+    if str_eq(tgt, "js") { return compile_js_with_bundle(source, runtime_path) }
+    compile(source)
+}
+
 // Detect a `--target=<lang>` flag in argv and return the target.
 // Returns "c" if none specified or unrecognized.
 fn detect_target(argv: [String]) -> String {
@@ -91,6 +111,32 @@ fn detect_emit_header(argv: [String]) -> Bool {
     return false
 }
 
+// Detect --bundle flag in argv.
+fn detect_bundle(argv: [String]) -> Bool {
+    let n: Int = native_list_len(argv)
+    let i = 0
+    while i < n {
+        let a: String = native_list_get(argv, i)
+        if str_eq(a, "--bundle") { return true }
+        let i = i + 1
+    }
+    return false
+}
+
+// Resolve the runtime path for --bundle mode.
+// Looks for el_runtime.js next to the source file first;
+// if not found there, looks next to the elc binary itself.
+// Returns "" if not found anywhere (caller emits a warning).
+fn resolve_runtime_path(src_path: String) -> String {
+    let src_dir: String = dirname_of(src_path)
+    let candidate: String = src_dir + "/el_runtime.js"
+    let existing: String = fs_read(candidate)
+    if !str_eq(existing, "") {
+        return candidate
+    }
+    return ""
+}
+
 // Reconstruct an El type annotation string from a parsed type node.
 fn type_node_to_el(t: Map<String, Any>) -> String {
     let k: String = t["kind"]
@@ -251,10 +297,12 @@ fn resolve_imports(src_path: String) -> String {
 
 // main — CLI entry point.
 //
-//   elc <source.el>                            # emit C to stdout
-//   elc --target=js <source.el>                # emit JS to stdout
-//   elc --target=c  <source.el> <out.c>        # write C to file
-//   elc --target=js <source.el> <out.js>       # write JS to file
+//   elc <source.el>                               # emit C to stdout
+//   elc --target=js <source.el>                   # emit JS (module) to stdout
+//   elc --target=js --bundle <source.el>          # emit self-contained JS (IIFE) to stdout
+//   elc --target=c  <source.el> <out.c>           # write C to file
+//   elc --target=js <source.el> <out.js>          # write JS to file
+//   elc --target=js --bundle <source.el> <out.js> # write bundled JS to file
 fn main() -> Void {
     let argv: [String] = args()
     // Use `tgt` not `target`: `target` is a reserved keyword in the lexer
@@ -262,10 +310,11 @@ fn main() -> Void {
     // because the function-name position has no token-class restriction.
     let tgt: String = detect_target(argv)
     let do_emit_header: Bool = detect_emit_header(argv)
+    let do_bundle: Bool = detect_bundle(argv)
     let positional: [String] = strip_flags(argv)
     let argc: Int = native_list_len(positional)
     if argc < 1 {
-        println("el-compiler: usage: elc [--target=c|js] [--emit-header] <source.el> [<output>]")
+        println("el-compiler: usage: elc [--target=c|js] [--bundle] [--emit-header] <source.el> [<output>]")
         exit(1)
     }
     let src_path: String = native_list_get(positional, 0)
@@ -283,7 +332,13 @@ fn main() -> Void {
     }
 
     let source: String = resolve_imports(src_path)
-    let out: String = compile_dispatch(tgt, source)
+    let out: String = ""
+    if do_bundle {
+        let runtime_path: String = resolve_runtime_path(src_path)
+        let out = compile_dispatch_bundle(tgt, source, runtime_path)
+    } else {
+        let out = compile_dispatch(tgt, source)
+    }
     if argc >= 2 {
         let out_path: String = native_list_get(positional, 1)
         let ok: Bool = fs_write(out_path, out)