diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2a82ef1..9825741 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+- `play build`: an absolute `--dir` / `play.build.dir` stays absolute (it was taken as a folder under the project and lost its leading slash); a `gradlew` without the exec bit (committed from Windows) is made executable with a note to commit the mode. The desktop release signs by key path only.
+
 ## 0.8.59 · 2026-10-29
 
 - `mcp --http`: a `tools/call` that accepts `text/event-stream` gets SSE keepalive comments every 20 s and then its result, so long calls survive proxies that cut silent responses. The public server's App Store search keeps one budget of 20 calls a minute (Apple's limit).
diff --git a/cli/lib/gradle.ts b/cli/lib/gradle.ts
index 9d868bc..8d14617 100644
--- a/cli/lib/gradle.ts
+++ b/cli/lib/gradle.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 // properties through ORG_GRADLE_PROJECT_* variables, so passwords never appear on a command line), and read
 // package / versionCode / versionName back from the built AAB (its manifest is protocol buffers, aapt2 format).
 import { existsSync, readdirSync, readFileSync, statSync } from 'node:fs';
-import { join, relative } from 'node:path';
+import { join, relative, resolve } from 'node:path';
 import type { AndroidSigning } from './credentials';
 import * as rt from './rt';
 import { zipEntries, zipRead } from './zip';
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ export function pickGradle(root: string, cfg: PlayBuildConfig = {}): GradleTarge
     : ['capacitor.config.ts', 'capacitor.config.json', 'capacitor.config.js'].some(f => existsSync(join(root, f))) ? 'capacitor'
     : (() => { try { const p = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(root, 'package.json'), 'utf8')); return !!(p.dependencies?.['react-native'] ?? p.devDependencies?.['react-native']); } catch { return false; } })() ? 'react-native'
     : 'native';
-  const dirs = cfg.dir ? [join(root, cfg.dir)] : [join(root, 'android'), root];
+  // resolve, not join: an absolute play.build.dir / --dir stays absolute (join made /Users/... a folder under the root)
+  const dirs = cfg.dir ? [resolve(root, cfg.dir)] : [join(root, 'android'), root];
   let dir = dirs.find(isGradleDir);
   if (!dir) throw new Error(`no Gradle project (settings.gradle) in ${dirs.map(d => relative(root, d) || '.').join(' or ')}: set play.build.dir${framework === 'capacitor' ? ' (or npx cap add android)' : ''}`);
   const unity = existsSync(join(dir, 'launcher')) && existsSync(join(dir, 'unityLibrary'));
diff --git a/cli/lib/web-assets.ts b/cli/lib/web-assets.ts
index 638b669..83d0179 100644
--- a/cli/lib/web-assets.ts
+++ b/cli/lib/web-assets.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 // The comparison (webStaleness) and the capacitor config reading (webDirOf) are pure.
 import { createHash } from 'node:crypto';
 import { existsSync, readdirSync, readFileSync, statSync } from 'node:fs';
-import { dirname, join, relative, sep } from 'node:path';
+import { dirname, join, relative, resolve, sep } from 'node:path';
 import type { ShipConfig } from './config';
 import { log, warn } from './log';
 import { pump } from './runner';
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ export function capacitorCandidates(root: string): string[] {
  */
 export function capacitorProject(root: string, hint?: string): CapProject | null {
   if (hint) {
-    for (let d = join(root, hint); ; d = dirname(d)) {
+    for (let d = resolve(root, hint); ; d = dirname(d)) {
       const rel = relative(root, d);
       if (rel.startsWith('..')) break;
       const c = capAt(root, rel.split(sep).join('/'));
diff --git a/cli/play/build.ts b/cli/play/build.ts
index 01e9155..cf87d69 100644
--- a/cli/play/build.ts
+++ b/cli/play/build.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 // Before Gradle runs, the app module's build file must read -PversionCode / -PversionName in defaultConfig (a literal
 // or an env var keeps the AAB at that value; android.injected.version.* does not override it for bundleRelease): a
 // warning with the exact line to use. After the build, an AAB whose versionCode is not the planned one is a hard stop.
-import { copyFileSync, existsSync, mkdirSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { chmodSync, copyFileSync, existsSync, mkdirSync, statSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { join, relative } from 'node:path';
 import { androidSigning } from '../lib/credentials';
 import type { Ctx } from '../lib/ctx';
@@ -108,6 +108,11 @@ export async function run(ctx: Ctx): Promise<void> {
   shipPhase('build', `${plan.task}, versionCode ${code || '?'}`);
   const started = Date.now();
   mkdirSync(out, { recursive: true });
+  // a gradlew committed from Windows has no exec bit: macOS / Linux then say "Executable not found: ./gradlew"
+  if (hasWrapper && process.platform !== 'win32') {
+    const w = join(t.dir, 'gradlew');
+    if ((statSync(w).mode & 0o111) === 0) { chmodSync(w, statSync(w).mode | 0o755); log(TAG, `${relative(root, w)} had no exec bit (committed from Windows?): made it executable; commit it with git update-index --chmod=+x`); }
+  }
   const p = rt.spawn(argv, { cwd, stdout: 'pipe', stderr: 'pipe', env: { ...process.env, ...androidSdkEnv(sdk), ...signingEnv(signing) } });
   const lines: string[] = [];
   const each = (line: string): void => {
diff --git a/tests/gradle-dir.test.ts b/tests/gradle-dir.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ebb5836
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/gradle-dir.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import { expect, test } from 'bun:test';
+import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { join, resolve } from 'node:path';
+import { pickGradle } from '../cli/lib/gradle';
+
+test('an absolute play.build.dir / --dir stays absolute (it lost its leading slash under the root)', () => {
+  const base = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'gdir-'));
+  try {
+    const root = join(base, 'store'), android = join(base, 'other', 'apps', 'native', 'android');
+    mkdirSync(root, { recursive: true }); mkdirSync(join(android, 'app'), { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(join(android, 'settings.gradle'), "include ':app'\n");
+    expect(resolve(pickGradle(root, { dir: android }).dir)).toBe(resolve(android));
+    expect(resolve(pickGradle(root, { dir: '../other/apps/native/android' }).dir)).toBe(resolve(android));
+  } finally { rmSync(base, { recursive: true, force: true }); }
+});