diff --git a/changes/fix-macos-helper-deployment-target.md b/changes/fix-macos-helper-deployment-target.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d4b6085a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/fix-macos-helper-deployment-target.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+type: fixed
+area: overlay
+
+- The macOS window-tracking helper is now built for macOS 12.0+, so the overlay attaches to mpv on older systems (previously the helper required the macOS version of the build machine and crashed on e.g. Ventura, leaving the overlay stuck on "Overlay loading").
diff --git a/docs-site/development.md b/docs-site/development.md
index 6ffdc59c..d64e929d 100644
--- a/docs-site/development.md
+++ b/docs-site/development.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ For internal architecture/workflow guidance, use `docs/README.md` at the repo ro
 
 - [Bun](https://bun.sh)
 - A system `lua` interpreter for `bun run test:launcher` / `bun run test:plugin:src`
-- macOS builds compile a Swift helper via `scripts/build-macos-helper.sh` (skip with `SUBMINER_SKIP_MACOS_HELPER_BUILD=1`)
+- macOS builds compile a Swift helper via `scripts/prepare-build-assets.mjs` (skip with `SUBMINER_SKIP_MACOS_HELPER_BUILD=1`)
 
 ## Setup
 
diff --git a/scripts/build-macos-helper.sh b/scripts/build-macos-helper.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 4f66a4b7..00000000
--- a/scripts/build-macos-helper.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,54 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-# Build macOS window tracking helper binary
-
-set -e
-
-SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
-SWIFT_SOURCE="$SCRIPT_DIR/get-mpv-window-macos.swift"
-OUTPUT_DIR="$SCRIPT_DIR/../dist/scripts"
-OUTPUT_BINARY="$OUTPUT_DIR/get-mpv-window-macos"
-OUTPUT_SOURCE_COPY="$OUTPUT_DIR/get-mpv-window-macos.swift"
-
-fallback_to_source() {
-  echo "Falling back to source fallback: $OUTPUT_SOURCE_COPY"
-  mkdir -p "$OUTPUT_DIR"
-  cp "$SWIFT_SOURCE" "$OUTPUT_SOURCE_COPY"
-}
-
-build_swift_helper() {
-  echo "Compiling macOS window tracking helper..."
-  if ! command -v swiftc >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    echo "swiftc not found in PATH; skipping compilation."
-    return 1
-  fi
-
-  if ! swiftc -O "$SWIFT_SOURCE" -o "$OUTPUT_BINARY"; then
-    return 1
-  fi
-
-  chmod +x "$OUTPUT_BINARY"
-  echo "✓ Built $OUTPUT_BINARY"
-  return 0
-}
-
-# Optional skip flag for non-macOS CI/dev environments
-if [[ "${SUBMINER_SKIP_MACOS_HELPER_BUILD:-}" == "1" ]]; then
-  echo "Skipping macOS helper build (SUBMINER_SKIP_MACOS_HELPER_BUILD=1)"
-  fallback_to_source
-  exit 0
-fi
-
-# Only build on macOS
-if [[ "$(uname)" != "Darwin" ]]; then
-  echo "Skipping macOS helper build (not on macOS)"
-  fallback_to_source
-  exit 0
-fi
-
-# Create output directory
-mkdir -p "$OUTPUT_DIR"
-
-# Compile Swift script to binary, fallback to source if unavailable or compilation fails
-if ! build_swift_helper; then
-  fallback_to_source
-fi
diff --git a/scripts/prepare-build-assets.mjs b/scripts/prepare-build-assets.mjs
index fad72b3c..1afc630d 100644
--- a/scripts/prepare-build-assets.mjs
+++ b/scripts/prepare-build-assets.mjs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import fs from 'node:fs';
+import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
@@ -52,6 +53,16 @@ function fallbackToMacosSource() {
   process.stdout.write(`Staged macOS helper source fallback: ${macosHelperSourceCopyPath}\n`);
 }
 
+// Pin the minimum macOS to the app's own floor (Electron's `minos`). Without an
+// explicit target, swiftc stamps the build machine's OS version as the binary's
+// minimum and the helper fails to load on older systems (#213). The arch stays
+// the host's, matching the single-arch app electron-builder packages here.
+const MACOS_HELPER_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = '12.0';
+
+function macosHelperTarget() {
+  return `${os.arch() === 'x64' ? 'x86_64' : 'arm64'}-apple-macos${MACOS_HELPER_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET}`;
+}
+
 function shouldSkipMacosHelperBuild() {
   return process.env.SUBMINER_SKIP_MACOS_HELPER_BUILD === '1';
 }
@@ -72,9 +83,13 @@ function buildMacosHelper() {
   ensureDir(scriptsOutputDir);
 
   try {
-    execFileSync('swiftc', ['-O', macosHelperSourcePath, '-o', macosHelperBinaryPath], {
-      stdio: 'inherit',
-    });
+    execFileSync(
+      'swiftc',
+      ['-O', '-target', macosHelperTarget(), macosHelperSourcePath, '-o', macosHelperBinaryPath],
+      {
+        stdio: 'inherit',
+      },
+    );
     fs.chmodSync(macosHelperBinaryPath, 0o755);
     process.stdout.write(`Built macOS helper: ${macosHelperBinaryPath}\n`);
   } catch (error) {
diff --git a/scripts/prepare-build-assets.test.ts b/scripts/prepare-build-assets.test.ts
index 13f64fe2..d710f8b9 100644
--- a/scripts/prepare-build-assets.test.ts
+++ b/scripts/prepare-build-assets.test.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ test('macOS helper build creates dist scripts directory before swiftc output', (
   const buildFunctionIndex = source.indexOf('function buildMacosHelper()');
   assert.notEqual(buildFunctionIndex, -1);
 
-  const swiftcIndex = source.indexOf("execFileSync('swiftc'", buildFunctionIndex);
+  const swiftcIndex = source.indexOf("'swiftc'", buildFunctionIndex);
   assert.notEqual(swiftcIndex, -1);
 
   const ensureDirIndex = source.lastIndexOf('ensureDir(scriptsOutputDir)', swiftcIndex);
@@ -18,3 +18,10 @@ test('macOS helper build creates dist scripts directory before swiftc output', (
     'buildMacosHelper must create dist/scripts before swiftc writes the helper binary',
   );
 });
+
+// Regression guard for #213: an untargeted swiftc stamps the build machine's OS
+// version as the helper's minimum, so released builds refuse to load on older macOS.
+test('macOS helper is compiled with an explicit deployment target', () => {
+  assert.match(source, /-target/);
+  assert.match(source, /apple-macos\$\{MACOS_HELPER_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET\}/);
+});