diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci-dev.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/ci-dev.yaml
index 3478420..cbe555e 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci-dev.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci-dev.yaml
@@ -24,35 +24,25 @@ jobs:
           apt-get update -qq
           apt-get install -y gcc libcurl4-openssl-dev
 
-      # Gen2: compile the bootstrap C source into a working elc binary
-      - name: Build elc from bootstrap (gen2)
+      # Seed: use the committed linux-amd64 binary as the bootstrap
+      - name: Bootstrap from committed linux binary (seed)
         run: |
-          # -Wl,--allow-multiple-definition: elc-bootstrap.c and el_runtime.c both define
-          # is_digit/is_whitespace; bootstrap predates the text-processing primitives commit
-          gcc -O2 \
-            -I el-compiler/runtime \
-            dist/elc-bootstrap.c \
-            el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.c \
-            -lcurl -lssl -lcrypto -lpthread -lm \
-            -Wl,--allow-multiple-definition \
-            -o dist/elc-gen2
-          chmod +x dist/elc-gen2
-          echo "gen2 elc built"
-          dist/elc-gen2 --version || true
+          chmod +x dist/platform/elc-linux-amd64
+          echo "seed elc (committed linux-amd64 binary)"
+          dist/platform/elc-linux-amd64 --version || true
 
-      # Gen3: use gen2 to compile the El compiler from its own El source (self-host)
-      - name: Self-host compile El compiler with gen2 (gen3)
+      # Gen2: use seed to self-host compile the El compiler
+      - name: Self-host compile El compiler (gen2)
         run: |
-          mkdir -p dist/platform
-          dist/elc-gen2 elc-cli.el > dist/elc-gen3.c
+          dist/platform/elc-linux-amd64 elc-cli.el > dist/elc-gen2.c
           gcc -O2 \
             -I el-compiler/runtime \
-            dist/elc-gen3.c \
+            dist/elc-gen2.c \
             el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.c \
             -lcurl -lssl -lcrypto -lpthread -lm \
             -o dist/platform/elc
           chmod +x dist/platform/elc
-          echo "gen3 (self-hosted) elc built"
+          echo "gen2 (self-hosted) elc built"
           dist/platform/elc --version || true
 
       - name: Run tests - text
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci-stage.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/ci-stage.yaml
index 94c6b60..12ad316 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci-stage.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci-stage.yaml
@@ -34,35 +34,25 @@ jobs:
           apt-get update -qq
           apt-get install -y gcc libcurl4-openssl-dev
 
-      # Gen2: compile the bootstrap C source into a working elc binary
-      - name: Build elc from bootstrap (gen2)
+      # Seed: use the committed linux-amd64 binary as the bootstrap
+      - name: Bootstrap from committed linux binary (seed)
         run: |
-          # -Wl,--allow-multiple-definition: elc-bootstrap.c and el_runtime.c both define
-          # is_digit/is_whitespace; bootstrap predates the text-processing primitives commit
-          gcc -O2 \
-            -I el-compiler/runtime \
-            dist/elc-bootstrap.c \
-            el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.c \
-            -lcurl -lssl -lcrypto -lpthread -lm \
-            -Wl,--allow-multiple-definition \
-            -o dist/elc-gen2
-          chmod +x dist/elc-gen2
-          echo "gen2 elc built"
-          dist/elc-gen2 --version || true
+          chmod +x dist/platform/elc-linux-amd64
+          echo "seed elc (committed linux-amd64 binary)"
+          dist/platform/elc-linux-amd64 --version || true
 
-      # Gen3: use gen2 to compile the El compiler from its own El source (self-host)
-      - name: Self-host compile El compiler with gen2 (gen3)
+      # Gen2: use seed to self-host compile the El compiler
+      - name: Self-host compile El compiler (gen2)
         run: |
-          mkdir -p dist/platform
-          dist/elc-gen2 elc-cli.el > dist/elc-gen3.c
+          dist/platform/elc-linux-amd64 elc-cli.el > dist/elc-gen2.c
           gcc -O2 \
             -I el-compiler/runtime \
-            dist/elc-gen3.c \
+            dist/elc-gen2.c \
             el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.c \
             -lcurl -lssl -lcrypto -lpthread -lm \
             -o dist/platform/elc
           chmod +x dist/platform/elc
-          echo "gen3 (self-hosted) elc built"
+          echo "gen2 (self-hosted) elc built"
           dist/platform/elc --version || true
 
       - name: Run tests - text
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/sdk-release.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/sdk-release.yaml
index 33106d1..075eb2c 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/sdk-release.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/sdk-release.yaml
@@ -34,35 +34,26 @@ jobs:
           apt-get update -qq
           apt-get install -y gcc libcurl4-openssl-dev
 
-      # Gen2: compile the bootstrap C source into a working elc binary
-      - name: Build elc from bootstrap (gen2)
+      # Seed: use the committed linux-amd64 binary as the bootstrap
+      - name: Bootstrap from committed linux binary (seed)
         run: |
-          # -Wl,--allow-multiple-definition: elc-bootstrap.c and el_runtime.c both define
-          # is_digit/is_whitespace; bootstrap predates the text-processing primitives commit
-          gcc -O2 \
-            -I el-compiler/runtime \
-            dist/elc-bootstrap.c \
-            el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.c \
-            -lcurl -lssl -lcrypto -lpthread -lm \
-            -Wl,--allow-multiple-definition \
-            -o dist/elc-gen2
-          chmod +x dist/elc-gen2
-          echo "gen2 elc built"
-          dist/elc-gen2 --version || true
+          chmod +x dist/platform/elc-linux-amd64
+          echo "seed elc (committed linux-amd64 binary)"
+          dist/platform/elc-linux-amd64 --version || true
 
-      # Gen3: use gen2 to compile the El compiler from its own El source (self-host)
-      - name: Self-host compile El compiler with gen2 (gen3)
+      # Gen2: use seed to self-host compile the El compiler
+      - name: Self-host compile El compiler (gen2)
         run: |
           mkdir -p dist/platform
-          dist/elc-gen2 elc-cli.el > dist/elc-gen3.c
+          dist/platform/elc-linux-amd64 elc-cli.el > dist/elc-gen2.c
           gcc -O2 \
             -I el-compiler/runtime \
-            dist/elc-gen3.c \
+            dist/elc-gen2.c \
             el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.c \
             -lcurl -lssl -lcrypto -lpthread -lm \
             -o dist/platform/elc
           chmod +x dist/platform/elc
-          echo "gen3 (self-hosted) elc built"
+          echo "gen2 (self-hosted) elc built"
           dist/platform/elc --version || true
 
       # Build elb binary