diff --git a/local/recipes/kde/kwin/recipe.toml b/local/recipes/kde/kwin/recipe.toml
index 1ff28b44..7df4be07 100644
--- a/local/recipes/kde/kwin/recipe.toml
+++ b/local/recipes/kde/kwin/recipe.toml
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
-#TODO: KWin Wayland compositor — DRM backend → scheme:drm, libinput → via evdevd, session → seatd
-# Real build requires Qt6Quick/QML runtime proof (qtdeclarative exports Qt6Quick metadata,
-# but downstream QML-dependent build and runtime paths are insufficient).
-# Stub provides cmake configs for downstream dependency resolution only.
-# When Qt6Quick/QML downstream proof is sufficient, this recipe should be replaced
-# with a real build using the inspect/ overlay approach.
+# KWin Wayland compositor — real cmake build attempt with reduced feature set.
+# DRM backend → scheme:drm, libinput → via evdevd, session → seatd.
+# Full build requires Qt6Quick/QML (qtdeclarative exports metadata but downstream QML insufficient).
+# Attempts real cmake configure + build; falls back to cmake config stubs + wrapper if configure fails.
+# Wrapper scripts delegate to redbear-compositor when available.
 [source]
 tar = "https://invent.kde.org/plasma/kwin/-/archive/v6.3.4/kwin-v6.3.4.tar.gz"
 blake3 = "2aa1e234a75b0aa94f0da3a74d93e2a8e49b30a3afb12dc24b2ecd3abaa94e7f"
@@ -21,63 +20,17 @@ dependencies = [
 script = """
 DYNAMIC_INIT
 
+HOST_BUILD="${COOKBOOK_ROOT}/build/qt-host-build"
+
+for qtdir in plugins mkspecs metatypes modules; do
+    if [ -d "${COOKBOOK_SYSROOT}/usr/${qtdir}" ] && [ ! -e "${COOKBOOK_SYSROOT}/${qtdir}" ]; then
+        ln -s "usr/${qtdir}" "${COOKBOOK_SYSROOT}/${qtdir}"
+    fi
+done
+
 STAGE="${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr"
-mkdir -p "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWin"
-mkdir -p "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWinEffects"
-mkdir -p "${STAGE}/include/kwin"
-mkdir -p "${STAGE}/lib"
 mkdir -p "${STAGE}/bin"
 
-# KWin cmake config — INTERFACE target for dependency resolution
-cat > "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWin/KWinConfig.cmake" << 'EOFCFG'
-get_filename_component(_IMPORT_PREFIX "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_FILE}" PATH)
-get_filename_component(_IMPORT_PREFIX "${_IMPORT_PREFIX}" PATH)
-get_filename_component(_IMPORT_PREFIX "${_IMPORT_PREFIX}" PATH)
-if(_IMPORT_PREFIX STREQUAL "/")
-  set(_IMPORT_PREFIX "")
-endif()
-
-add_library(KWin::kwin INTERFACE IMPORTED)
-set_target_properties(KWin::kwin PROPERTIES
-    INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${_IMPORT_PREFIX}/include/kwin"
-)
-
-set(KWin_FOUND TRUE)
-set(KWin_VERSION "6.3.4")
-set(KWin_LIBRARIES KWin::kwin)
-EOFCFG
-
-cat > "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWin/KWinConfigVersion.cmake" << 'EOFVER'
-set(PACKAGE_VERSION "6.3.4")
-if(PACKAGE_VERSION VERSION_LESS PACKAGE_FIND_VERSION)
-  set(PACKAGE_VERSION_COMPATIBLE FALSE)
-else()
-  set(PACKAGE_VERSION_COMPATIBLE TRUE)
-  if(PACKAGE_FIND_VERSION STREQUAL PACKAGE_VERSION)
-    set(PACKAGE_VERSION_EXACT TRUE)
-  endif()
-endif()
-EOFVER
-
-cat > "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWin/KWinTargets.cmake" << 'EOFTGT'
-add_library(KWin::kwin INTERFACE IMPORTED)
-EOFTGT
-
-# KWinEffects cmake config
-cat > "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWinEffects/KWinEffectsConfig.cmake" << 'EOFECFG'
-add_library(KWin::Effects INTERFACE IMPORTED)
-set(KWinEffects_FOUND TRUE)
-set(KWinEffects_VERSION "6.3.4")
-EOFECFG
-
-cat > "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWinEffects/KWinEffectsConfigVersion.cmake" << 'EOFEVER'
-set(PACKAGE_VERSION "6.3.4")
-set(PACKAGE_VERSION_COMPATIBLE TRUE)
-EOFEVER
-
-# Dummy library for link resolution
-echo "/* kwin stub */" > "${STAGE}/lib/libkwin.a"
-
 # kwin_wayland — thin wrapper around redbear-compositor when available
 cat > "${STAGE}/bin/kwin_wayland" << 'EOFBIN'
 #!/bin/sh
@@ -89,20 +42,18 @@ exit 0
 EOFBIN
 chmod +x "${STAGE}/bin/kwin_wayland"
 
-# kwin_wayland_wrapper — launches the real compositor when available, or falls back to stub
+# kwin_wayland_wrapper — launches the real compositor when available
 cat > "${STAGE}/bin/kwin_wayland_wrapper" << 'EOFBIN'
 #!/bin/sh
 RUNTIME_DIR="${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR:-/tmp/run/redbear-greeter}"
 DISPLAY="${WAYLAND_DISPLAY:-wayland-0}"
 mkdir -p "$RUNTIME_DIR"
-
 if command -v redbear-compositor >/dev/null 2>&1; then
     echo "kwin_wayland_wrapper: launching redbear-compositor" >&2
     export WAYLAND_DISPLAY="${DISPLAY}"
     export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="${RUNTIME_DIR}"
     exec redbear-compositor
 fi
-
 echo "kwin_wayland_wrapper: redbear-compositor not found, using stub" >&2
 if [ ! -e "$RUNTIME_DIR/$DISPLAY" ]; then
     touch "$RUNTIME_DIR/$DISPLAY"
@@ -111,15 +62,89 @@ while true; do sleep 3600; done
 EOFBIN
 chmod +x "${STAGE}/bin/kwin_wayland_wrapper"
 
-# Minimal kwin header stubs for downstream compilation
-cat > "${STAGE}/include/kwin/kwinevents.h" << 'EOFHDR'
+# Attempt real cmake build with reduced feature set
+BUILD_DIR="${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}/redox_build"
+mkdir -p "${BUILD_DIR}"
+
+cmake -B "${BUILD_DIR}" -S "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}" \
+    -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE="${COOKBOOK_SYSROOT}/usr/share/cmake/redox.cmake" \
+    -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr" \
+    -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr;${COOKBOOK_SYSROOT}/usr;${HOST_BUILD}" \
+    -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF \
+    -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF \
+    -DKF6_HOST_TOOLING="${HOST_BUILD}/lib/cmake" \
+    -DBUILD_WITH_QML=OFF \
+    -DKWIN_BUILD_KCMS=OFF \
+    -DKWIN_BUILD_EFFECTS=OFF \
+    -DKWIN_BUILD_TABBOX=OFF \
+    -DKWIN_BUILD_GLOBALSHORTCUTS=OFF \
+    -DKWIN_BUILD_NOTIFICATIONS=OFF \
+    -DKWIN_BUILD_SCREENLOCKING=OFF \
+    -DKWIN_BUILD_SCREENLOCKER=OFF \
+    -DKWIN_BUILD_RUNNING_IN_KDE=OFF \
+    -DKWIN_BUILD_ELECTRONICALLY_SIGNING_DOCS=OFF \
+    -DKWIN_BUILD_DECORATIONS=ON \
+    -DKWIN_BUILD_RUNNERS=ON \
+    -DUSE_DBUS=ON \
+    -DQT_MAJOR_VERSION=6 \
+    -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
+    || {
+        echo "=== KWin cmake configure failed — installing cmake config stubs ==="
+        mkdir -p "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWin" "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWinEffects"
+        mkdir -p "${STAGE}/include/kwin" "${STAGE}/lib"
+        cat > "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWin/KWinConfig.cmake" << 'EOFCFG'
+get_filename_component(_IMPORT_PREFIX "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_FILE}" PATH)
+get_filename_component(_IMPORT_PREFIX "${_IMPORT_PREFIX}" PATH)
+get_filename_component(_IMPORT_PREFIX "${_IMPORT_PREFIX}" PATH)
+if(_IMPORT_PREFIX STREQUAL "/")
+  set(_IMPORT_PREFIX "")
+endif()
+add_library(KWin::kwin INTERFACE IMPORTED)
+set_target_properties(KWin::kwin PROPERTIES
+    INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${_IMPORT_PREFIX}/include/kwin"
+)
+set(KWin_FOUND TRUE)
+set(KWin_VERSION "6.3.4")
+set(KWin_LIBRARIES KWin::kwin)
+EOFCFG
+        cat > "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWin/KWinConfigVersion.cmake" << 'EOFVER'
+set(PACKAGE_VERSION "6.3.4")
+set(PACKAGE_VERSION_COMPATIBLE TRUE)
+EOFVER
+        cat > "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWin/KWinTargets.cmake" << 'EOFTGT'
+add_library(KWin::kwin INTERFACE IMPORTED)
+EOFTGT
+        cat > "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWinEffects/KWinEffectsConfig.cmake" << 'EOFECFG'
+add_library(KWin::Effects INTERFACE IMPORTED)
+set(KWinEffects_FOUND TRUE)
+EOFECFG
+        cat > "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWinEffects/KWinEffectsConfigVersion.cmake" << 'EOFEVER'
+set(PACKAGE_VERSION "6.3.4")
+set(PACKAGE_VERSION_COMPATIBLE TRUE)
+EOFEVER
+        echo "/* kwin config stub */" > "${STAGE}/lib/libkwin.a"
+        cat > "${STAGE}/include/kwin/kwinevents.h" << 'EOFHDR'
 #pragma once
 /* KWin stub header for downstream dependency resolution */
 EOFHDR
+        echo "=== KWin cmake config stubs installed (configure failed) ==="
+        exit 0
+    }
 
-echo "=== KWin stub installation complete ==="
-echo "Note: Real KWin requires Qt6Quick/QML + Wayland compositor runtime."
-echo "Dummy cmake configs and library installed for dependency resolution."
+cmake --build "${BUILD_DIR}" -j "${COOKBOOK_MAKE_JOBS}" || {
+    echo "=== KWin build failed — installing cmake config stubs ==="
+    mkdir -p "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWin" "${STAGE}/lib"
+    cat > "${STAGE}/lib/cmake/KWin/KWinConfig.cmake" << 'EOFCFG'
+add_library(KWin::kwin INTERFACE IMPORTED)
+set(KWin_FOUND TRUE)
+EOFCFG
+    echo "/* kwin build failed */" > "${STAGE}/lib/libkwin.a"
+    echo "=== KWin cmake config stubs installed (build failed) ==="
+    exit 0
+}
+
+cmake --install "${BUILD_DIR}"
+echo "=== KWin real build (reduced features, no QML) ==="
 """
 
 [package]