diff --git a/local/scripts/build-redbear.sh b/local/scripts/build-redbear.sh
index 9e435e11ee..59ed39fc4b 100755
--- a/local/scripts/build-redbear.sh
+++ b/local/scripts/build-redbear.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ PROJECT_ROOT="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)"
 # REDBEAR_VERSION (which tracks the OS release derived from the git branch).
 # Starts at 1.0 and is bumped AUTOMATICALLY on every change by the pre-commit
 # git hook (local/scripts/bump-build-version.sh); do not edit the minor by hand.
-BUILD_REDBEAR_VERSION="1.5"
+BUILD_REDBEAR_VERSION="1.6"
 
 # ── Colorized output ──────────────────────────────────
 # Enabled only on a TTY with NO_COLOR unset, so redirected build logs and CI
@@ -865,7 +865,14 @@ if [ "$NO_CACHE" != "1" ]; then
     # any driver/acpi/base edit). For a genuine relibc *C-ABI* break — a libc
     # struct/inline baked into a compiled consumer, which is rare — force a full
     # clean rebuild with `--no-cache`.
-    ABI_CRITICAL_PKGS="base redoxfs userutils bootstrap"
+    # base-initfs builds the STATIC boot-critical binaries baked into the initfs
+    # (init, logd, ramfs, randd, zerod, acpid, pcid, vesad, fbcond, …). It is a
+    # `custom` recipe whose content-hash cache does NOT track the boot-ABI crates
+    # (relibc/libredox/syscall/redox-scheme), so a boot-ABI change leaves it
+    # "cached" with stale binaries — pid1 `init` then dies at boot with a bogus
+    # "memory allocation failed" (ABI skew), never reaching login. It must relink
+    # alongside base/redoxfs/userutils whenever the boot ABI changes.
+    ABI_CRITICAL_PKGS="base base-initfs redoxfs userutils bootstrap"
     _boot_abi_changed=0
     [ "$relibc_rebuilding" = "1" ] && _boot_abi_changed=1
     [ "$USERSPACE_RUNTIME_STALE" = "1" ] && _boot_abi_changed=1
@@ -1060,9 +1067,9 @@ if [ "$CONFIG" = "redbear-full" ]; then
     # configure fails ("Could not find a package configuration file provided by
     # Qt6Qml"), aborting the whole build. Pre-cook the Qt stack IN ORDER, before
     # sddm/kwin, so every Qt6 CMake package is cached in the sysroot first.
-    PRECOOK_PKGS="relibc base redoxfs userutils icu llvm21 libclc mesa libdrm libepoxy redox-drm lcms2 libdisplay-info libxcvt qtbase qtshadertools qtdeclarative qtsvg qtwayland sddm redbear-compositor redbear-greeter"
+    PRECOOK_PKGS="relibc base redoxfs userutils base-initfs icu llvm21 libclc mesa libdrm libepoxy redox-drm lcms2 libdisplay-info libxcvt qtbase qtshadertools qtdeclarative qtsvg qtwayland sddm redbear-compositor redbear-greeter"
 else
-    PRECOOK_PKGS="relibc base redoxfs userutils icu"
+    PRECOOK_PKGS="relibc base redoxfs userutils base-initfs icu"
 fi
 # NB: base/redoxfs/userutils are added to the pre-cook set so the boot-ABI
 # "relink ONLY the static initfs-critical binaries" invalidation above