diff --git a/packaging/freebsd/package.sh b/packaging/freebsd/package.sh
index 80f3cf33..2dc8ee9c 100755
--- a/packaging/freebsd/package.sh
+++ b/packaging/freebsd/package.sh
@@ -14,17 +14,29 @@ set -euo pipefail
 LINUX="$ROOT/packaging/linux"
 APP_ID=ai.storyteller.deckcraft
 
-if [[ "${1:-}" != "--skip-build" ]]; then
-  (cd "$ROOT" && cargo build --release --locked -p deckcraft -p deckcraft-cli)
+TARGET_ARGS=()
+BIN="$CARGO_TARGET_DIR/release"
+# Cross builds (CARGO_BUILD_TARGET from the release workflow) land under target/<triple>/release.
+if [[ -n "${CARGO_BUILD_TARGET:-}" ]]; then
+  TARGET_ARGS=(--target "$CARGO_BUILD_TARGET")
+  BIN="$CARGO_TARGET_DIR/$CARGO_BUILD_TARGET/release"
 fi
 
-ARCH="$(uname -m)"
-case "$ARCH" in
-  amd64) ARCH=x86_64 ;;
-  arm64) ARCH=aarch64 ;;
-  *) ;;
-esac
-BIN="$CARGO_TARGET_DIR/release"
+if [[ "${1:-}" != "--skip-build" ]]; then
+  (cd "$ROOT" && cargo build --release --locked "${TARGET_ARGS[@]}" -p deckcraft -p deckcraft-cli)
+fi
+
+if [[ -n "${CARGO_BUILD_TARGET:-}" ]]; then
+  # The target triple, not the build host's uname, names the arch of a cross build.
+  if [[ "$CARGO_BUILD_TARGET" == aarch64-unknown-freebsd ]]; then ARCH=aarch64; else ARCH=x86_64; fi
+else
+  ARCH="$(uname -m)"
+  case "$ARCH" in
+    amd64) ARCH=x86_64 ;;
+    arm64) ARCH=aarch64 ;;
+    *) ;;
+  esac
+fi
 NAME="deckcraft-$VERSION-freebsd-$ARCH"
 WORK="$CARGO_TARGET_DIR/freebsd-package"
 STAGE="$WORK/$NAME"
@@ -41,6 +53,6 @@ cp -R "$ROOT/assets/app-icon/hicolor" "$STAGE/share/icons/"
 copy_docs "$STAGE/share/doc/deckcraft"
 
 tar -C "$WORK" -czf "$DIST/$NAME.tar.gz" "$NAME"
-"$STAGE/bin/deckcraft-cli" --version
+if [[ -z "${CARGO_BUILD_TARGET:-}" ]]; then "$STAGE/bin/deckcraft-cli" --version; fi # a cross-built binary cannot run on the build host
 echo "wrote $DIST/$NAME.tar.gz"
 ls -lh "$DIST/$NAME.tar.gz"