diff --git a/examples/js_dsl/mod.test.ts b/examples/js_dsl/mod.test.ts
index 505bd95..128d389 100644
--- a/examples/js_dsl/mod.test.ts
+++ b/examples/js_dsl/mod.test.ts
@@ -407,6 +407,51 @@ describe("class materialization", () => {
 	it("rejects cross-class static factory binding during materialization", () => {
 		expect(() => mod.Point.create.call(mod.Buffer, 1, 2)).toThrow();
 	});
+
+	it("preserves normal nested construction inside subclass constructors", () => {
+		// Same-class materialization may call a JS subclass constructor via the preferred
+		// receiver constructor. A nested normal `new` inside that constructor must not
+		// inherit the internal materialization marker, otherwise it skips native wrapping.
+		let nested: InstanceType<typeof mod.FactoryResource> | undefined;
+		class DerivedFactoryResource extends mod.FactoryResource {
+			constructor() {
+				super();
+				nested = new mod.FactoryResource();
+			}
+		}
+
+		const resource = DerivedFactoryResource.withByte(5);
+
+		expect(resource).toBeInstanceOf(DerivedFactoryResource);
+		expect(resource.getByte()).toEqual(5);
+		expect(nested?.getByte()).toEqual(0);
+	});
+
+	it("does not run cross-class constructors during failed materialization", () => {
+		const initBefore = mod.getFactoryResourceInitCount();
+		const deinitBefore = mod.getFactoryResourceDeinitCount();
+
+		expect(() => mod.Point.create.call(mod.FactoryResource, 1, 2)).toThrow();
+
+		expect(mod.getFactoryResourceInitCount()).toEqual(initBefore);
+		expect(mod.getFactoryResourceDeinitCount()).toEqual(deinitBefore);
+	});
+
+	it("rejects non-zapi constructors during materialization", () => {
+		function FakePoint() {}
+
+		expect(() => mod.Point.create.call(FakePoint, 1, 2)).toThrow();
+	});
+
+	it("deinitializes returned native resources when materialization fails", () => {
+		const initBefore = mod.getFactoryResourceInitCount();
+		const deinitBefore = mod.getFactoryResourceDeinitCount();
+
+		expect(() => mod.FactoryResource.withByte.call(mod.Point, 7)).toThrow();
+
+		expect(mod.getFactoryResourceInitCount()).toEqual(initBefore + 1);
+		expect(mod.getFactoryResourceDeinitCount()).toEqual(deinitBefore + 1);
+	});
 });
 
 // Section 15: Getters and Setters
diff --git a/src/js/class_runtime.zig b/src/js/class_runtime.zig
index 7af0b03..7e1373f 100644
--- a/src/js/class_runtime.zig
+++ b/src/js/class_runtime.zig
@@ -85,26 +85,48 @@ pub fn registerClass(comptime T: type, env: napi.Env, ctor: napi.Value) !void {
     try env.addEnvCleanupHook(State.Entry, entry, State.cleanupHook);
 }
 
+/// Per-thread marker set by `materializeClassInstance` to tell the generated
+/// constructor "this `new` call comes from the DSL — don't allocate a placeholder,
+/// I'll wrap with the real object after `napi_new_instance` returns."
+/// Compared by identity against `internalCtorMarkerPtr(T)`.
+threadlocal var materialize_target: ?*const anyopaque = null;
+
+pub fn isMaterializing(comptime T: type) bool {
+    return materialize_target == @as(?*const anyopaque, @ptrCast(internalCtorMarkerPtr(T)));
+}
+
+pub fn hasPendingMaterialization() bool {
+    return materialize_target != null;
+}
+
+pub fn consumeMaterialization(comptime T: type) bool {
+    if (!isMaterializing(T)) return false;
+    materialize_target = null;
+    return true;
+}
+
 pub fn materializeClassInstance(comptime T: type, env: napi.Env, instance: T, preferred_ctor: ?napi.Value) !napi.Value {
     const ctor = preferred_ctor orelse try getConstructor(T, env);
-    const internal_arg = try env.createExternal(@ptrCast(internalCtorMarkerPtr(T)), null, null);
-    var raw_args = [_]napi.c.napi_value{internal_arg.value};
+
+    const obj_ptr = try std.heap.c_allocator.create(T);
+    errdefer destroyNativeObject(T, obj_ptr);
+    obj_ptr.* = instance;
+
+    const prev = materialize_target;
+    materialize_target = @ptrCast(internalCtorMarkerPtr(T));
+    defer materialize_target = prev;
 
     var js_instance_raw: napi.c.napi_value = null;
     try napi.status.check(napi.c.napi_new_instance(
         env.env,
         ctor.value,
-        1,
-        &raw_args,
+        0,
+        null,
         &js_instance_raw,
     ));
 
     const js_instance = napi.Value{ .env = env.env, .value = js_instance_raw };
-    const placeholder = try env.removeWrapChecked(T, js_instance, typeTag(T));
-    destroyInternalPlaceholder(T, placeholder);
-
-    const obj_ptr = try std.heap.c_allocator.create(T);
-    obj_ptr.* = instance;
+    if (materialize_target != null) return error.InvalidMaterializationConstructor;
 
     try wrapTaggedObject(T, env, js_instance, obj_ptr, null);
     return js_instance;
diff --git a/src/js/wrap_class.zig b/src/js/wrap_class.zig
index 7b10cef..b694f84 100644
--- a/src/js/wrap_class.zig
+++ b/src/js/wrap_class.zig
@@ -366,6 +366,17 @@ pub fn wrapClass(comptime T: type) type {
                         return null;
                     };
 
+                    // Fast path: materializeClassInstance is creating this instance.
+                    // Skip the placeholder alloc/wrap — materialize will wrap directly
+                    // with the real native pointer after napi_new_instance returns.
+                    if (class_runtime.consumeMaterialization(T)) {
+                        return this_arg;
+                    }
+                    if (class_runtime.hasPendingMaterialization()) {
+                        e.throwTypeError("", "Invalid materialization constructor") catch {};
+                        return null;
+                    }
+
                     if (actual_argc == 1) {
                         const internal_arg = napi.Value{ .env = raw_env, .value = raw_args[0] };
                         if ((internal_arg.typeof() catch null) == .external) {