diff --git a/.github/scripts/inject-macos-dmg-installer.sh b/.github/scripts/inject-macos-dmg-installer.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..97d2fda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/inject-macos-dmg-installer.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Inject Gatekeeper installer files into built macOS DMGs.
+# Usage: inject-macos-dmg-installer.sh [dmg-path...]
+# With no args, finds DMGs under src-tauri/target/**/bundle/dmg/
+set -euo pipefail
+
+ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/../.." && pwd)"
+INSTALLER_SRC="$ROOT/src-tauri/macos/Install Grimoire.command"
+HOWTO_SRC="$ROOT/src-tauri/macos/How to install.txt"
+
+if [[ ! -f "$INSTALLER_SRC" ]]; then
+  echo "missing installer: $INSTALLER_SRC" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+if [[ ! -f "$HOWTO_SRC" ]]; then
+  echo "missing howto: $HOWTO_SRC" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; then
+  DMGS=("$@")
+else
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2207
+  DMGS=($(find "$ROOT/src-tauri/target" -type f -path '*/bundle/dmg/*.dmg' ! -name 'rw.*.dmg' 2>/dev/null | sort -u))
+fi
+
+if [[ ${#DMGS[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then
+  echo "No DMGs found to patch." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+inject_one() {
+  local dmg="$1"
+  local work rw mount staging out
+
+  echo "Injecting installer into $(basename "$dmg")…"
+
+  work="$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/grimoire-dmg.XXXXXX")"
+  rw="$work/rw.dmg"
+  staging="$work/mount"
+  out="$work/out.dmg"
+  mkdir -p "$staging"
+
+  # Writable copy with headroom for installer files.
+  hdiutil convert "$dmg" -format UDRW -o "$rw" >/dev/null
+  # Resize: current size + 2MB (hdiutil wants sector counts; -size accepts m).
+  local size_mb
+  size_mb="$(du -sm "$rw" | awk '{print $1 + 2}')"
+  hdiutil resize -size "${size_mb}m" "$rw" >/dev/null
+
+  hdiutil attach "$rw" -readwrite -nobrowse -mountpoint "$staging" >/dev/null
+
+  cp "$INSTALLER_SRC" "$staging/Install Grimoire.command"
+  chmod +x "$staging/Install Grimoire.command"
+  cp "$HOWTO_SRC" "$staging/How to install.txt"
+
+  # Flush before detach.
+  sync
+  hdiutil detach "$staging" >/dev/null
+
+  hdiutil convert "$rw" -format UDZO -imagekey zlib-level=9 -o "$out" >/dev/null
+  mv -f "$out" "$dmg"
+  rm -rf "$work"
+  echo "  ok: $dmg"
+}
+
+for dmg in "${DMGS[@]}"; do
+  if [[ ! -f "$dmg" ]]; then
+    echo "skip missing: $dmg" >&2
+    continue
+  fi
+  inject_one "$dmg"
+done
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-release.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-release.yml
index 79db519..d42721c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-release.yml
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ jobs:
         run: pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
 
       - name: Build and upload to draft release
+        if: matrix.platform != 'macos-latest'
         uses: tauri-apps/tauri-action@v1
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_GITHUB_TOKEN }}
@@ -283,6 +284,43 @@ jobs:
           prerelease: false
           args: ${{ matrix.args }}
 
+      # macOS: build first, inject Gatekeeper installer into the DMG, then upload.
+      - name: Build macOS bundles
+        id: build_mac
+        if: matrix.platform == 'macos-latest'
+        uses: tauri-apps/tauri-action@v1
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        with:
+          args: ${{ matrix.args }}
+
+      - name: Add Gatekeeper installer to macOS DMG
+        if: matrix.platform == 'macos-latest'
+        run: |
+          chmod +x .github/scripts/inject-macos-dmg-installer.sh \
+            "src-tauri/macos/Install Grimoire.command"
+          .github/scripts/inject-macos-dmg-installer.sh
+
+      - name: Upload macOS release assets
+        if: matrix.platform == 'macos-latest'
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          GH_REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
+          TAG: ${{ needs.version-and-release.outputs.tag }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          mapfile -t ASSETS < <(find src-tauri/target -type f \( \
+            -path '*/bundle/dmg/*.dmg' -o \
+            -path '*/bundle/macos/*.tar.gz' \
+          \) ! -name 'rw.*.dmg' | sort -u)
+          if [[ ${#ASSETS[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then
+            echo "No macOS bundle artifacts found to upload" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          printf 'Uploading:\n'
+          printf '  %s\n' "${ASSETS[@]}"
+          gh release upload "${TAG}" "${ASSETS[@]}" --clobber
+
   publish-release:
     name: Publish release
     needs: [version-and-release, build]
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c49bead..2ccab02 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -111,12 +111,16 @@ endif
 # Native production build for the machine you are on.
 build: ensure-frontend clean-dmg-mounts
 	$(TAURI) build $(TAURI_BUILD_FLAGS)
+ifeq ($(HOST_OS),Darwin)
+	.github/scripts/inject-macos-dmg-installer.sh
+endif
 
 # --- macOS -------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 build-mac: ensure-frontend ensure-mac-targets clean-dmg-mounts
 ifeq ($(HOST_OS),Darwin)
 	$(TAURI) build $(TAURI_BUILD_FLAGS) --target $(MAC_TARGET)
+	.github/scripts/inject-macos-dmg-installer.sh
 else
 	$(error macOS builds require a Darwin host (got $(HOST_OS)))
 endif
@@ -125,6 +129,7 @@ build-mac-arm: ensure-frontend clean-dmg-mounts
 ifeq ($(HOST_OS),Darwin)
 	@$(RUSTUP) target add $(MAC_ARM_TARGET)
 	$(TAURI) build $(TAURI_BUILD_FLAGS) --target $(MAC_ARM_TARGET)
+	.github/scripts/inject-macos-dmg-installer.sh
 else
 	$(error macOS builds require a Darwin host (got $(HOST_OS)))
 endif
@@ -133,6 +138,7 @@ build-mac-intel: ensure-frontend clean-dmg-mounts
 ifeq ($(HOST_OS),Darwin)
 	@$(RUSTUP) target add $(MAC_INTEL_TARGET)
 	$(TAURI) build $(TAURI_BUILD_FLAGS) --target $(MAC_INTEL_TARGET)
+	.github/scripts/inject-macos-dmg-installer.sh
 else
 	$(error macOS builds require a Darwin host (got $(HOST_OS)))
 endif
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 43ad747..461cf2a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@ Windows releases include both:
 
 Both write `%APPDATA%\grimoire\config.json` only when that file does not already exist, so upgrades keep an existing library path.
 
+### macOS install (unsigned builds)
+
+Release DMGs are not Apple-notarized yet. Gatekeeper may say Grimoire is “damaged.” Open the DMG and double-click **Install Grimoire.command** (right-click → Open if needed). That clears quarantine, installs to Applications, and launches the app.
 ## Library layout
 
 When you choose a library folder, Grimoire writes:
diff --git a/src-tauri/macos/How to install.txt b/src-tauri/macos/How to install.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4baa058
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src-tauri/macos/How to install.txt	
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+How to install Grimoire (macOS)
+================================
+
+If macOS says Grimoire is “damaged and can’t be opened”, that is Gatekeeper
+blocking an unsigned download. It is not a corrupt file.
+
+Recommended:
+  1. Open this disk image
+  2. Double-click “Install Grimoire.command”
+     (If macOS blocks the script: right-click it → Open → Open)
+  3. The installer clears Gatekeeper quarantine, copies Grimoire to
+     Applications, and launches it
+
+Manual alternative (Terminal):
+  xattr -cr /Applications/Grimoire.app
+
+After you have an Apple Developer account, signed + notarized builds will not
+need this step.
diff --git a/src-tauri/macos/Install Grimoire.command b/src-tauri/macos/Install Grimoire.command
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..cc7ff6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src-tauri/macos/Install Grimoire.command	
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Install Grimoire for macOS without an Apple Developer certificate.
+# Clears Gatekeeper quarantine (the "damaged and can't be opened" message),
+# copies the app to /Applications, and launches it.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+clear_quarantine() {
+  local path="$1"
+  if [[ -e "$path" ]]; then
+    xattr -cr "$path" 2>/dev/null || true
+  fi
+}
+
+here="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+# Allow Terminal to run this .command even when the DMG is quarantined.
+clear_quarantine "$0"
+clear_quarantine "$here"
+
+app_src=""
+if [[ -d "$here/Grimoire.app" ]]; then
+  app_src="$here/Grimoire.app"
+else
+  echo "Could not find Grimoire.app next to this installer." >&2
+  echo "Open the Grimoire .dmg, then double-click \"Install Grimoire.command\" inside it." >&2
+  read -r -p "Press Return to close…" _
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+dest="/Applications/Grimoire.app"
+
+echo "Installing Grimoire…"
+echo "  from: $app_src"
+echo "  to:   $dest"
+echo
+
+clear_quarantine "$app_src"
+
+if [[ -d "$dest" ]]; then
+  echo "Removing previous install…"
+  rm -rf "$dest"
+fi
+
+# ditto preserves bundle metadata better than cp -R on macOS.
+ditto "$app_src" "$dest"
+clear_quarantine "$dest"
+
+echo
+echo "Installed. Opening Grimoire…"
+open "$dest"
+
+echo
+echo "Done. You can eject the disk image."
+read -r -p "Press Return to close…" _