diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index bfd5672..203b6db 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ juce_add_plugin(GelykEQ
     BUNDLE_ID                   com.gelyk.eq
     JucePlugin_Name             "Gelyk EQ"
     JucePlugin_Desc             "A minimalist cyber/neon multiband equalizer"
+
+    # Never link libcurl or WebKitGTK. Gelyk does no networking and has no
+    # embedded browser, so both optional Linux dependency groups stay off.
+    # (juce_add_plugin leaves these unset = off, this is just explicit.)
+    NEEDS_CURL                  FALSE
+    NEEDS_WEB_BROWSER           FALSE
 )
 
 juce_generate_juce_header(GelykEQ)
@@ -106,7 +112,68 @@ target_compile_definitions(GelykEQ PRIVATE JUCE_MODULE_AVAILABLE_juce_dsp=1)
 # Otherwise juce_gui_extra's WebBrowserComponent pulls in WebKitGTK + GTK dev
 # headers (webkit2gtk, gtk, jsc, libsoup), which would break headless builds
 # like Arch/Artix where those aren't installed.
-target_compile_definitions(GelykEQ PRIVATE JUCE_WEB_BROWSER=0)
+#
+# JUCE_USE_CURL is the matching kill switch for juce_core: with it left at its
+# Linux default of 1, juce_core #includes <curl/curl.h> and compiles
+# juce_Network_curl.cpp, so libcurl *development headers* become a hard build
+# requirement even though nothing links libcurl (NEEDS_CURL is FALSE above).
+# Gelyk never uses URL/WebInputStream, so switching it off costs nothing.
+#
+# Native file dialogs are not a problem either: JUCE 8's Linux FileChooser
+# shells out to zenity/kdialog via ChildProcess instead of linking GTK, and
+# Gelyk never opens one.
+target_compile_definitions(GelykEQ PRIVATE
+    JUCE_WEB_BROWSER=0
+    JUCE_USE_CURL=0
+)
+
+# --- Linux / BSD only ---------------------------------------------------
+# The remaining Linux requirements are genuinely needed (X11 windowing, ALSA
+# and FreeType/fontconfig for juce_graphics text), but they arrive as several
+# separate -dev packages on Arch/Artix. Fail early with a useful hint instead
+# of JUCE's raw pkg-config error. Nothing below pulls in GTK/WebKitGTK/curl.
+if(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Linux" OR CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME MATCHES ".*BSD")
+    find_package(PkgConfig REQUIRED)
+    foreach(gelyk_dep alsa freetype2 fontconfig)
+        pkg_check_modules(GELYK_HAS_${gelyk_dep} QUIET ${gelyk_dep})
+        if(NOT GELYK_HAS_${gelyk_dep}_FOUND)
+            message(FATAL_ERROR
+                "Missing required Linux development package: '${gelyk_dep}'.\n"
+                "  Arch/Artix:   alsa-lib freetype2 fontconfig libx11\n"
+                "  Debian/Ubuntu: libasound2-dev libfreetype6-dev libfontconfig1-dev libx11-dev\n"
+                "  These are JUCE's own requirements (X11 windowing, ALSA, font rendering),\n"
+                "  not Gelyk's. No GTK, WebKitGTK, libcurl or file-selector package is needed.")
+        endif()
+    endforeach()
+
+    # X11's multi-monitor/DPI extensions are dlsym()ed at runtime by JUCE, so
+    # their headers are optional. Probe instead of hard-failing on distros that
+    # ship just libX11 + libXext (libXrandr/Xinerama/Xcursor are separate
+    # packages there). Only libX11's own headers are truly required.
+    include(CheckIncludeFileCXX)
+    set(gelyk_x11_optional
+        "JUCE_USE_XRANDR|X11/extensions/Xrandr.h"
+        "JUCE_USE_XINERAMA|X11/extensions/Xinerama.h"
+        "JUCE_USE_XSHM|X11/extensions/XShm.h"
+        "JUCE_USE_XCURSOR|X11/Xcursor/Xcursor.h"
+    )
+
+    set(gelyk_x11_defines)
+    foreach(gelyk_opt IN LISTS gelyk_x11_optional)
+        string(REPLACE "|" ";" gelyk_parts "${gelyk_opt}")
+        list(GET gelyk_parts 0 gelyk_define)
+        list(GET gelyk_parts 1 gelyk_header)
+        check_include_file_cxx("${gelyk_header}" GELYK_HAVE_${gelyk_define})
+        # A failed check leaves the variable empty rather than 0, which would
+        # end up as -DJUCE_USE_XCURSOR="" and break the preprocessor.
+        if(NOT GELYK_HAVE_${gelyk_define})
+            set(GELYK_HAVE_${gelyk_define} 0)
+        endif()
+        list(APPEND gelyk_x11_defines ${gelyk_define}=${GELYK_HAVE_${gelyk_define}})
+    endforeach()
+
+    target_compile_definitions(GelykEQ PRIVATE ${gelyk_x11_defines})
+endif()
 
 target_compile_options(GelykEQ PRIVATE
     $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:AppleClang,Clang>:-Wall -Wextra>
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d874196..ed00b83 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -138,22 +138,50 @@ make            # configure + build
 make install    # copy into ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins and codesign
 ```
 
-### Linux / Artix note (no GTK or WebKitGTK headers required)
+### Linux / Artix note (no GTK, WebKitGTK, curl or GTK file selector needed)
 
-The plugin **does not depend on GTK or WebKitGTK developer headers**, so it
-builds cleanly on minimal/headless-flavored distros such as **Artix** - no
-`webkit2gtk`, `gtk3`-devel, `libsoup` or `jsc` packages needed.
-
-This is guaranteed in `CMakeLists.txt`:
+Gelyk builds on minimal/headless-flavored distros such as **Artix** without any
+of the usual JUCE baggage: no `webkit2gtk`, `gtk3`, `libsoup`, `jsc`, `libcurl`
+or file-selector development packages. This is pinned in `CMakeLists.txt`:
 
 ```cmake
-target_compile_definitions(GelykEQ PRIVATE JUCE_WEB_BROWSER=0)
+NEEDS_CURL        FALSE   # juce_add_plugin: never link libcurl
+NEEDS_WEB_BROWSER FALSE   # juce_add_plugin: never link WebKitGTK
+
+target_compile_definitions(GelykEQ PRIVATE
+    JUCE_WEB_BROWSER=0
+    JUCE_USE_CURL=0
+)
 ```
 
-JUCE's Linux `FileChooser` in JUCE 8 no longer links GTK either - it shells out
-to `zenity`/`kdialog` at runtime, and Gelyk never opens a native file dialog.
-Disabling `JUCE_WEB_BROWSER` removes the WebKitGTK-backed `WebBrowserComponent`
-(which Gelyk does not use), eliminating the entire GTK/WebKit include chain.
+- **`JUCE_WEB_BROWSER=0`** removes `WebBrowserComponent` from the compile, which
+  is the only thing in `juce_gui_extra` that `#include`s `<gtk/gtk.h>`,
+  `<webkit2/webkit2.h>`, `<jsc/jsc.h>` and `<libsoup/soup.h>`.
+- **`JUCE_USE_CURL=0`** matters just as much. JUCE's Linux default is `1`, which
+  makes `juce_core` `#include <curl/curl.h>` and compile `juce_Network_curl.cpp`.
+  Nothing would *link* libcurl (`NEEDS_CURL` is `FALSE`), but its **headers**
+  would still be a hard requirement. Gelyk never touches `URL`/`WebInputStream`,
+  so nothing is lost.
+- **File dialogs are not a GTK dependency.** JUCE 8's Linux `FileChooser` shells
+  out to `zenity`/`kdialog` at runtime, and Gelyk never opens a native file
+  dialog anyway.
+- X11's multi-monitor/DPI extensions (`Xrandr`, `Xinerama`, `Xshm`, `Xcursor`)
+  are `dlsym()`ed at runtime by JUCE, so their headers are treated as optional:
+  `CMakeLists.txt` probes for each and sets `JUCE_USE_XRANDR` / `JUCE_USE_XINERAMA`
+  / `JUCE_USE_XSHM` / `JUCE_USE_XCURSOR` accordingly. A distro carrying just
+  `libX11` still builds, minus multi-monitor reporting.
+
+What *is* still required is JUCE's own Linux baseline, checked at configure time
+with a helpful error instead of a raw pkg-config failure:
+
+| pkg-config | Arch / Artix            | Debian / Ubuntu                |
+|------------|-------------------------|--------------------------------|
+| `alsa`     | `alsa-lib`              | `libasound2-dev`               |
+| `freetype2`| `freetype2`             | `libfreetype6-dev`             |
+| `fontconfig` | `fontconfig`          | `libfontconfig1-dev`           |
+| X11 headers| `libx11` (`libxext` for `Xshm`) | `libx11-dev` (`libxext-dev`) |
+
+None of them drag in GTK.
 
 > If you ever do need native file dialogs at runtime (outside Gelyk), install
 > `zenity` or `kdialog`.