diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index adf20a9..971bf5f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -141,13 +141,13 @@ jobs:
         npm install
         npm run build
         popd
-        NO_FIRMWARE_BIN=true cargo check --verbose
+        cargo check --verbose
     - name: Run tests
       run: |
-        NO_FIRMWARE_BIN=true cargo test --verbose
+        cargo test --verbose
     - name: Run clippy
       run: |
-        NO_FIRMWARE_BIN=true cargo clippy --verbose
+        cargo clippy --verbose
 
   installer_gui_check:
     # we test the GUI installer separately to:
@@ -173,9 +173,9 @@ jobs:
     # fmt --all runs on all workspace packages so this is handled by
     # check_and_test above
     - name: Check
-      run: NO_FIRMWARE_BIN=true cargo check --package installer-gui --verbose
+      run: cargo check --package installer-gui --verbose
     - name: Run clippy
-      run: NO_FIRMWARE_BIN=true cargo clippy --package installer-gui --verbose
+      run: cargo clippy --package installer-gui --verbose
 
   test_daemon_frontend:
     needs: files_changed
@@ -227,12 +227,12 @@ jobs:
         shell: bash
         run: |
           cd installer
-          NO_FIRMWARE_BIN=true cargo check --verbose
+          cargo check --verbose
       - name: cargo test
         shell: bash
         run: |
           cd installer
-          NO_FIRMWARE_BIN=true cargo test --verbose --no-default-features
+          cargo test --verbose --no-default-features
 
   build_rayhunter_check:
     if: needs.files_changed.outputs.daemon_changed == 'true'
diff --git a/installer/build.rs b/installer/build.rs
index b9d9c5e..77db885 100644
--- a/installer/build.rs
+++ b/installer/build.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 use std::path::Path;
-use std::process::exit;
 
 fn main() {
-    println!("cargo::rerun-if-env-changed=NO_FIRMWARE_BIN");
     println!("cargo::rerun-if-env-changed=FIRMWARE_PROFILE");
     let profile = std::env::var("FIRMWARE_PROFILE").unwrap_or_else(|_| {
         // Default to firmware-devel for debug builds, firmware for release builds
@@ -26,24 +24,19 @@ fn main() {
 
 fn set_binary_var(include_dir: &Path, var: &str, file: &str) {
     println!("cargo::rerun-if-env-changed={var}");
-    if std::env::var_os("NO_FIRMWARE_BIN").is_some() {
-        let out_dir = std::env::var("OUT_DIR").unwrap();
-        std::fs::create_dir_all(&out_dir).unwrap();
-        let blank = Path::new(&out_dir).join("blank");
-        std::fs::write(&blank, []).unwrap();
-        println!("cargo::rustc-env={var}={}", blank.display());
+    if std::env::var_os(var).is_some() {
         return;
     }
-    if std::env::var_os(var).is_none() {
-        let binary = include_dir.join(file);
-        println!("cargo::rerun-if-changed={}", binary.display());
-        if !binary.exists() {
-            println!(
-                "cargo::error=Firmware binary {file} not present at {}",
-                binary.display()
-            );
-            exit(0);
-        }
+    let binary = include_dir.join(file);
+    println!("cargo::rerun-if-changed={}", binary.display());
+    if binary.exists() {
         println!("cargo::rustc-env={var}={}", binary.display());
+    } else {
+        println!(
+            "cargo::warning=Firmware binary {file} not present at {}; \
+             installers that need it will fail",
+            binary.display()
+        );
+        println!("cargo::rustc-env={var}=");
     }
 }
diff --git a/installer/src/files.rs b/installer/src/files.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84934aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/installer/src/files.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#[cfg(debug_assertions)]
+macro_rules! get_file {
+    ($var:literal) => {{
+        let path = env!($var);
+        match ::std::fs::read(path) {
+            Ok(bytes) => bytes.leak() as &'static [u8],
+            Err(e) => panic!("Failed to read file for {}: {}", $var, e),
+        }
+    }};
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(debug_assertions))]
+macro_rules! get_file {
+    ($var:literal) => {{
+        const _: () = assert!(
+            !env!($var).is_empty(),
+            concat!($var, " was not bundled at build time"),
+        );
+        include_bytes!(env!($var)) as &'static [u8]
+    }};
+}
+
+pub(crate) use get_file;
diff --git a/installer/src/lib.rs b/installer/src/lib.rs
index 69859d6..be64dcc 100644
--- a/installer/src/lib.rs
+++ b/installer/src/lib.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ use env_logger::Env;
 use anyhow::bail;
 
 mod connection;
+mod files;
+pub(crate) use files::*;
+
 mod moxee;
 #[cfg(not(target_os = "android"))]
 mod orbic;
diff --git a/installer/src/orbic.rs b/installer/src/orbic.rs
index a7b13a3..4c4c020 100644
--- a/installer/src/orbic.rs
+++ b/installer/src/orbic.rs
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ async fn force_debug_mode() -> Result<ADBUSBDevice> {
 }
 
 async fn setup_rootshell(adb_device: &mut ADBUSBDevice) -> Result<()> {
-    let rootshell_bin = include_bytes!(env!("FILE_ROOTSHELL"));
+    let rootshell_bin = crate::get_file!("FILE_ROOTSHELL");
 
     install_file(adb_device, "/bin/rootshell", rootshell_bin).await?;
     tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ async fn setup_rootshell(adb_device: &mut ADBUSBDevice) -> Result<()> {
 }
 
 async fn setup_rayhunter(mut adb_device: ADBUSBDevice, reset_config: bool) -> Result<ADBUSBDevice> {
-    let rayhunter_daemon_bin = include_bytes!(env!("FILE_RAYHUNTER_DAEMON"));
+    let rayhunter_daemon_bin = crate::get_file!("FILE_RAYHUNTER_DAEMON");
 
     adb_at_syscmd(
         &mut adb_device,
@@ -172,9 +172,9 @@ async fn setup_rayhunter(mut adb_device: ADBUSBDevice, reset_config: bool) -> Re
         install_config(&mut conn, "orbic", reset_config).await?;
         install_wifi_tools(
             &mut conn,
-            include_bytes!(env!("FILE_WPA_SUPPLICANT")),
-            include_bytes!(env!("FILE_WPA_CLI")),
-            include_bytes!(env!("FILE_IW")),
+            crate::get_file!("FILE_WPA_SUPPLICANT"),
+            crate::get_file!("FILE_WPA_CLI"),
+            crate::get_file!("FILE_IW"),
         )
         .await?;
     }
diff --git a/installer/src/orbic_network.rs b/installer/src/orbic_network.rs
index 359a371..5d2e118 100644
--- a/installer/src/orbic_network.rs
+++ b/installer/src/orbic_network.rs
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ async fn wait_for_telnet(admin_ip: &str) -> Result<()> {
 
 async fn setup_rayhunter(admin_ip: &str, reset_config: bool, data_dir: &str) -> Result<()> {
     let addr = SocketAddr::from_str(&format!("{admin_ip}:{TELNET_PORT}"))?;
-    let rayhunter_daemon_bin = include_bytes!(env!("FILE_RAYHUNTER_DAEMON"));
+    let rayhunter_daemon_bin = crate::get_file!("FILE_RAYHUNTER_DAEMON");
 
     // Remount filesystem as read-write to allow modifications
     // This is really only necessary for the Moxee Hotspot
@@ -250,9 +250,9 @@ async fn setup_rayhunter(admin_ip: &str, reset_config: bool, data_dir: &str) ->
 
     install_wifi_tools(
         &mut conn,
-        include_bytes!(env!("FILE_WPA_SUPPLICANT")),
-        include_bytes!(env!("FILE_WPA_CLI")),
-        include_bytes!(env!("FILE_IW")),
+        crate::get_file!("FILE_WPA_SUPPLICANT"),
+        crate::get_file!("FILE_WPA_CLI"),
+        crate::get_file!("FILE_IW"),
     )
     .await?;
 
diff --git a/installer/src/pinephone.rs b/installer/src/pinephone.rs
index dae9d8c..53bb939 100644
--- a/installer/src/pinephone.rs
+++ b/installer/src/pinephone.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ pub async fn install() -> Result<()> {
     run_command_expect(&mut adb, "mount -o remount,rw /", "exit code 0").await?;
     run_command_expect(&mut adb, "mkdir -p /data/rayhunter", "exit code 0").await?;
 
-    let rayhunter_daemon_bin = include_bytes!(env!("FILE_RAYHUNTER_DAEMON"));
+    let rayhunter_daemon_bin = crate::get_file!("FILE_RAYHUNTER_DAEMON");
     adb.write_file("/data/rayhunter/rayhunter-daemon", rayhunter_daemon_bin)
         .await?;
     adb.write_file(
diff --git a/installer/src/tmobile.rs b/installer/src/tmobile.rs
index 2891f3f..4c77770 100644
--- a/installer/src/tmobile.rs
+++ b/installer/src/tmobile.rs
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ async fn run_install(admin_ip: String, admin_password: String) -> Result<()> {
     )
     .await?;
 
-    let rayhunter_daemon_bin = include_bytes!(env!("FILE_RAYHUNTER_DAEMON"));
+    let rayhunter_daemon_bin = crate::get_file!("FILE_RAYHUNTER_DAEMON");
     telnet_send_file(
         addr,
         "/data/rayhunter/rayhunter-daemon",
diff --git a/installer/src/tplink.rs b/installer/src/tplink.rs
index 8873dc4..0fcda3a 100644
--- a/installer/src/tplink.rs
+++ b/installer/src/tplink.rs
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ async fn tplink_run_install(
 
     install_config(&mut conn, "tplink", reset_config).await?;
 
-    let rayhunter_daemon_bin = include_bytes!(env!("FILE_RAYHUNTER_DAEMON"));
+    let rayhunter_daemon_bin = crate::get_file!("FILE_RAYHUNTER_DAEMON");
 
     telnet_send_file(
         addr,
diff --git a/installer/src/uz801.rs b/installer/src/uz801.rs
index 7ad0321..559635b 100644
--- a/installer/src/uz801.rs
+++ b/installer/src/uz801.rs
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ async fn install_rayhunter_files(adb_device: &mut ADBUSBDevice) -> Result<()> {
     adb_device.shell_command(&["mount", "-o", "remount,rw", "/system"], &mut buf)?;
 
     // Install rayhunter daemon binary with verification
-    let rayhunter_daemon_bin = include_bytes!(env!("FILE_RAYHUNTER_DAEMON"));
+    let rayhunter_daemon_bin = crate::get_file!("FILE_RAYHUNTER_DAEMON");
     install_file(
         adb_device,
         "/data/rayhunter/rayhunter-daemon",
diff --git a/installer/src/wingtech.rs b/installer/src/wingtech.rs
index 2a1725e..afd1f76 100644
--- a/installer/src/wingtech.rs
+++ b/installer/src/wingtech.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ pub async fn install(
     Args {
         admin_ip,
         admin_password,
-        ..
     }: Args,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     wingtech_run_install(admin_ip, admin_password).await
@@ -105,7 +104,7 @@ async fn wingtech_run_install(admin_ip: String, admin_password: String) -> Resul
     )
     .await?;
 
-    let rayhunter_daemon_bin = include_bytes!(env!("FILE_RAYHUNTER_DAEMON"));
+    let rayhunter_daemon_bin = crate::get_file!("FILE_RAYHUNTER_DAEMON");
     telnet_send_file(
         addr,
         "/data/rayhunter/rayhunter-daemon",
diff --git a/scripts/build-dev.sh b/scripts/build-dev.sh
index 0588813..a313093 100755
--- a/scripts/build-dev.sh
+++ b/scripts/build-dev.sh
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@ build_wifi_tools() {
     fi
 
     if ! command -v arm-linux-musleabihf-gcc &> /dev/null; then
-        echo "Error: arm-linux-musleabihf-gcc not found."
+        echo "Warning: Skipping building WiFi tools due to missing C crosscompiler."
+        echo "arm-linux-musleabihf-gcc not found."
         echo "Install with: brew install FiloSottile/musl-cross/musl-cross"
-        echo "(Required because the installer bundles wpa_supplicant, wpa_cli, and iw for orbic-family devices.)"
-        exit 1
+        return
     fi
 
     echo "Building WiFi tools..."