diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index cf1cf715e..8eb47b0a1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 env:
-  PRELOAD_CACHE_VERSION: v1
+  PRELOAD_CACHE_VERSION: v2
 
 jobs:
   build:
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ jobs:
           D=app/src/main/assets/linuxfs
           mkdir -p "$D"
           aarch64-linux-gnu-g++ -shared -fPIC -O2 -Wall -Wno-attributes -Wno-nonnull-compare \
-            -pthread -std=c++17 -static-libstdc++ -static-libgcc \
+            -pthread -std=c++17 -static-libstdc++ -static-libgcc -Wl,--exclude-libs,ALL \
             -o "$D/libfakeinput.so" app/src/main/cpp/fakeinput_steam.cpp -ldl
           aarch64-linux-gnu-strip --strip-unneeded "$D/libfakeinput.so"
           aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc -shared -fPIC -O2 -Wall -pthread \
@@ -270,6 +270,12 @@ jobs:
           for sym in open openat ioctl read close poll ppoll select stat fstat access scandir; do
             grep -qx "$sym" <<<"$FAKE" || { echo "::error::libfakeinput.so does not export $sym"; exit 1; }
           done
+          # The static C++ runtime stays private: every session process preloads this library,
+          # and an exported personality routine takes over other programs' unwinding (shadPS4
+          # aborted in pthread_exit).
+          if grep -qxE '__gxx_personality_v0|__cxa_throw|_Unwind_Resume' <<<"$FAKE"; then
+            echo "::error::libfakeinput.so exports the C++ runtime"; exit 1
+          fi
           SESSION=$(syms "$D/libblsession.so")
           for sym in socket bind getsockname setsockopt statfs statvfs; do
             grep -qx "$sym" <<<"$SESSION" || { echo "::error::libblsession.so does not export $sym"; exit 1; }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/frontend/Library.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/frontend/Library.kt
index 96610d0cf..273972ada 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/frontend/Library.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/frontend/Library.kt
@@ -289,7 +289,9 @@ object Library {
             "-C", "Dolphin.General.HotkeysRequireFocus=False", "-C", "Dolphin.Input.BackgroundInput=True",
             "-e", guestPath,
         )
-        "cemu" -> listOf("-g", guestPath)
+        // Full screen (LaunchSettings.cpp -f); the settings seed keeps the Getting Started
+        // dialog away (bannerlator-pad-defaults).
+        "cemu" -> listOf("-f", "-g", guestPath)
         // Full screen (CLI.cpp --fullscreen); the guide button leaves it for melonDS's menus and
         // comes back (HK_FullscreenToggle, bannerlator-pad-defaults).
         "melonds" -> listOf("-f", guestPath)
diff --git a/tools/build_local.sh b/tools/build_local.sh
index 09040662f..6673e469c 100755
--- a/tools/build_local.sh
+++ b/tools/build_local.sh
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ docker run --rm --platform linux/amd64 \
         d=app/src/main/assets/linuxfs
         mkdir -p "$d"
         aarch64-linux-gnu-g++ -shared -fPIC -O2 -Wall -Wno-attributes -Wno-nonnull-compare \
-            -pthread -std=c++17 -static-libstdc++ -static-libgcc \
+            -pthread -std=c++17 -static-libstdc++ -static-libgcc -Wl,--exclude-libs,ALL \
             -o "$d/libfakeinput.so" app/src/main/cpp/fakeinput_steam.cpp -ldl
         aarch64-linux-gnu-strip --strip-unneeded "$d/libfakeinput.so"
         aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc -shared -fPIC -O2 -Wall -pthread \
diff --git a/tools/linuxfs/desktop/droiddeck-desktop b/tools/linuxfs/desktop/droiddeck-desktop
index 55adbdf07..6820a9dce 100644
--- a/tools/linuxfs/desktop/droiddeck-desktop
+++ b/tools/linuxfs/desktop/droiddeck-desktop
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ if [ -n "${BL_DEBUG_DIR:-}" ]; then
   echo "== droiddeck-desktop $(date -u '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S UTC') renderer=$WLR_RENDERER"
 fi
 export WLR_BACKENDS=wayland
+# The app's compositor draws no wl_pointer cursor surfaces, so a cursor wlroots hands to its
+# parent ("hardware" cursor on the wayland backend) never shows - on the GPU renderers the whole
+# cursor was missing. Draw it into the desktop's own frames instead.
+export WLR_NO_HARDWARE_CURSORS=${WLR_NO_HARDWARE_CURSORS:-1}
 mkdir -p "$HOME/.config/labwc" "$HOME/.config/lxqt"
 # Our defaults for labwc and the panel, refreshed every session. What a user changes in the
 # panel's own settings lands in panel.conf and is kept; only rc.xml and autostart are ours.
diff --git a/tools/linuxfs/overlay/usr/local/bin/bannerlator-pad-defaults b/tools/linuxfs/overlay/usr/local/bin/bannerlator-pad-defaults
index 5b254a223..adba13d6a 100755
--- a/tools/linuxfs/overlay/usr/local/bin/bannerlator-pad-defaults
+++ b/tools/linuxfs/overlay/usr/local/bin/bannerlator-pad-defaults
@@ -717,8 +717,36 @@ CEMU_XML = """<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 """
 
 
+# Cemu's settings, so its Getting Started dialog (shown while settings.xml is missing, and whose
+# folder picker cannot reach ROMs) never blocks a launch: the Wii U games folder, Vulkan
+# (Graphic api 1), and audio through Cubeb (the only backend on Linux; api 3) on the default
+# device for both the TV and the GamePad speaker - some titles play everything through the
+# GamePad - at full volume (Cemu's own default is 20 %). Keys from config/CemuConfig.cpp.
+CEMU_SETTINGS = """<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<content>
+    <mlc_path></mlc_path>
+    <GamePaths>
+        <Entry>{games}</Entry>
+    </GamePaths>
+    <Graphic>
+        <api>1</api>
+    </Graphic>
+    <Audio>
+        <api>3</api>
+        <TVVolume>100</TVVolume>
+        <PadVolume>100</PadVolume>
+        <TVDevice>default</TVDevice>
+        <PadDevice>default</PadDevice>
+    </Audio>
+</content>
+"""
+
+
 def cemu():
     seed(os.path.join(CONFIG, "Cemu/controllerProfiles/controller0.xml"), CEMU_XML, "Cemu")
+    games = system_folder(["wiiu", "wii u"], "wiiu")
+    seed(os.path.join(CONFIG, "Cemu/settings.xml"), CEMU_SETTINGS.format(games=games), "Cemu",
+         done=f"games in {games}, Vulkan, Cubeb audio on the default device")
 
 
 # melonDS 1.x: raw SDL joystick indices. The session's pad has the kernel's Xbox 360 layout