diff --git a/pkg/highway/build.zig b/pkg/highway/build.zig
index c72ca355f..f1993ac64 100644
--- a/pkg/highway/build.zig
+++ b/pkg/highway/build.zig
@@ -4,28 +4,15 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) !void {
     const target = b.standardTargetOptions(.{});
     const optimize = b.standardOptimizeOption(.{});
 
-    const upstream = b.dependency("highway", .{});
-
     const module = b.addModule("highway", .{
         .root_source_file = b.path("main.zig"),
         .target = target,
         .optimize = optimize,
     });
-
-    const lib = b.addStaticLibrary(.{
-        .name = "highway",
-        .target = target,
-        .optimize = optimize,
-    });
-    lib.linkLibCpp();
-    lib.addIncludePath(upstream.path(""));
-    module.addIncludePath(upstream.path(""));
-
-    if (target.result.os.tag.isDarwin()) {
-        const apple_sdk = @import("apple_sdk");
-        try apple_sdk.addPaths(b, lib.root_module);
-        try apple_sdk.addPaths(b, module);
-    }
+    const dynamic_link_opts: std.Build.Module.LinkSystemLibraryOptions = .{
+        .preferred_link_mode = .dynamic,
+        .search_strategy = .mode_first,
+    };
 
     var flags = std.ArrayList([]const u8).init(b.allocator);
     defer flags.deinit();
@@ -70,8 +57,67 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) !void {
             "-fno-exceptions",
         });
     }
+    var test_exe: ?*std.Build.Step.Compile = null;
+    if (target.query.isNative()) {
+        test_exe = b.addTest(.{
+            .name = "test",
+            .root_source_file = b.path("main.zig"),
+            .target = target,
+            .optimize = optimize,
+        });
+        const tests_run = b.addRunArtifact(test_exe.?);
+        const test_step = b.step("test", "Run tests");
+        test_step.dependOn(&tests_run.step);
+        var it = module.import_table.iterator();
+        while (it.next()) |entry| test_exe.?.root_module.addImport(entry.key_ptr.*, entry.value_ptr.*);
+
+        // Uncomment this if we're debugging tests
+        // b.installArtifact(test_exe.?);
+    }
+
+    module.addCSourceFiles(
+        .{ .flags = flags.items, .files = &.{"bridge.cpp"} },
+    );
+
+    if (b.systemIntegrationOption("highway", .{})) {
+        module.linkSystemLibrary("libhwy", dynamic_link_opts);
+    } else {
+        const lib = try buildLib(b, module, .{
+            .target = target,
+            .optimize = optimize,
+            .flags = flags,
+        });
+        if (test_exe) |exe| {
+            exe.linkLibrary(lib);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn buildLib(b: *std.Build, module: *std.Build.Module, options: anytype) !*std.Build.Step.Compile {
+    const target = options.target;
+    const optimize = options.optimize;
+    const flags = options.flags;
+
+    const lib = b.addStaticLibrary(.{
+        .name = "highway",
+        .target = target,
+        .optimize = optimize,
+    });
+    b.installArtifact(lib);
+
+    const upstream = b.lazyDependency("highway", .{}) orelse
+        return lib;
+
+    lib.linkLibCpp();
+    lib.addIncludePath(upstream.path(""));
+    module.addIncludePath(upstream.path(""));
+
+    if (target.result.os.tag.isDarwin()) {
+        const apple_sdk = @import("apple_sdk");
+        try apple_sdk.addPaths(b, lib.root_module);
+        try apple_sdk.addPaths(b, module);
+    }
 
-    lib.addCSourceFiles(.{ .flags = flags.items, .files = &.{"bridge.cpp"} });
     lib.addCSourceFiles(.{
         .root = upstream.path(""),
         .flags = flags.items,
@@ -91,21 +137,5 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) !void {
         .{ .include_extensions = &.{".h"} },
     );
 
-    b.installArtifact(lib);
-
-    {
-        const test_exe = b.addTest(.{
-            .name = "test",
-            .root_source_file = b.path("main.zig"),
-            .target = target,
-            .optimize = optimize,
-        });
-        test_exe.linkLibrary(lib);
-
-        var it = module.import_table.iterator();
-        while (it.next()) |entry| test_exe.root_module.addImport(entry.key_ptr.*, entry.value_ptr.*);
-        const tests_run = b.addRunArtifact(test_exe);
-        const test_step = b.step("test", "Run tests");
-        test_step.dependOn(&tests_run.step);
-    }
+    return lib;
 }
diff --git a/pkg/highway/build.zig.zon b/pkg/highway/build.zig.zon
index 8fc05641e..0777fcb7a 100644
--- a/pkg/highway/build.zig.zon
+++ b/pkg/highway/build.zig.zon
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
         .highway = .{
             .url = "https://deps.files.ghostty.org/highway-66486a10623fa0d72fe91260f96c892e41aceb06.tar.gz",
             .hash = "N-V-__8AAGmZhABbsPJLfbqrh6JTHsXhY6qCaLAQyx25e0XE",
+            .lazy = true,
         },
 
         .apple_sdk = .{ .path = "../apple-sdk" },
diff --git a/src/build/Config.zig b/src/build/Config.zig
index 8974e1f0c..f63f94ae3 100644
--- a/src/build/Config.zig
+++ b/src/build/Config.zig
@@ -355,13 +355,13 @@ pub fn init(b: *std.Build) !Config {
         // generally want a fat binary. This can be overridden with the
         // `-fsys` flag.
         for (&[_][]const u8{
-            "freetype",
-            "harfbuzz",
             "fontconfig",
-            "libpng",
-            "zlib",
-            "oniguruma",
+            "freetype",
             "gtk4-layer-shell",
+            "harfbuzz",
+            "libpng",
+            "oniguruma",
+            "zlib",
         }) |dep| {
             _ = b.systemIntegrationOption(
                 dep,
@@ -380,6 +380,13 @@ pub fn init(b: *std.Build) !Config {
             "spirv-cross",
             "simdutf",
 
+            // This is mostly header-only in release builds and the API
+            // isn't totally stable so this package either doesn't typically
+            // exist OR is a common source of build issues. Packagers who
+            // feel strongly about not building this from source can explicitly
+            // enable fsys on this.
+            "highway",
+
             // This is default false because it is used for testing
             // primarily and not official packaging. The packaging
             // guide advises against building the GLFW backend.
diff --git a/src/build/SharedDeps.zig b/src/build/SharedDeps.zig
index 4f9373adb..221a41c4c 100644
--- a/src/build/SharedDeps.zig
+++ b/src/build/SharedDeps.zig
@@ -485,8 +485,13 @@ pub fn add(
         .target = target,
         .optimize = optimize,
     })) |highway_dep| {
-        step.linkLibrary(highway_dep.artifact("highway"));
-        try static_libs.append(highway_dep.artifact("highway").getEmittedBin());
+        step.root_module.addImport("highway", highway_dep.module("highway"));
+        if (b.systemIntegrationOption("highway", .{})) {
+            step.linkSystemLibrary2("libhwy", dynamic_link_opts);
+        } else {
+            step.linkLibrary(highway_dep.artifact("highway"));
+            try static_libs.append(highway_dep.artifact("highway").getEmittedBin());
+        }
     }
 
     // utfcpp - This is used as a dependency on our hand-written C++ code