diff --git a/scripts/ci-workflow.spec.ts b/scripts/ci-workflow.spec.ts
index 1040b5f18b..e30512816e 100644
--- a/scripts/ci-workflow.spec.ts
+++ b/scripts/ci-workflow.spec.ts
@@ -671,15 +671,20 @@ describe('CI workflow', () => {
     expect(uploadIndex).toBeGreaterThan(benchmarkIndex)
   })
 
-  it('generates metadata before the Wine Host TypeScript compile and retains its heap budget', () => {
+  it('splits the Wine Host TypeScript compile and retains its heap budget', () => {
     const wineGates = readFileSync(resolve(root, 'scripts/wine-windows-gates.sh'), 'utf8')
 
-    expect(wineGates).toContain(
-      'wine_node "$scratch/logs/host-tsc.log" --max-old-space-size=4096 "$tsc_js" -b tsconfig.host.json --pretty false',
+    const references = wineGates.indexOf(
+      'wine_node "$scratch/logs/host-references.log" --import tsx/esm scripts/compile-referenced-projects.ts host',
+    )
+    const aggregate = wineGates.indexOf(
+      'wine_node "$scratch/logs/host-tsc.log" --max-old-space-size=4096 "$tsc_js" -p tsconfig.host.json --pretty false',
     )
     const metadata = wineGates.indexOf('wine_node "$scratch/logs/host-typert.log" --import tsx/esm scripts/generate-typert.ts')
     expect(metadata).toBeGreaterThan(-1)
-    expect(metadata).toBeLessThan(wineGates.indexOf('wine_node "$scratch/logs/host-tsc.log"'))
+    expect(references).toBeGreaterThan(metadata)
+    expect(aggregate).toBeGreaterThan(references)
+    expect(wineGates).not.toContain('-b tsconfig.host.json')
   })
 
   it('cancels superseded master runs without changing the post-merge job inventory', () => {
diff --git a/scripts/wine-windows-gates.sh b/scripts/wine-windows-gates.sh
index 785d6b1d2d..3e2c0ef291 100755
--- a/scripts/wine-windows-gates.sh
+++ b/scripts/wine-windows-gates.sh
@@ -243,12 +243,17 @@ grep -q '^smoke: win32 x64' "$scratch/logs/smoke.log" || { echo 'wine-windows-ga
 
 # ---- the two blocking surfaces, concurrently ------------------------------
 # The build mirrors the root build:lib:host and build:lib:client scripts:
-# generate metadata, compile and bundle the Host face, bundle apps/desktop from
-# the Host lib/ outputs, then compile and bundle the Client face.
+# generate metadata, compile the Host package projects, type-check the Host
+# aggregate program, bundle the Host face, bundle apps/desktop from the Host
+# lib/ outputs, then compile and bundle the Client face. The Host compile is two
+# invocations because that is how the supported build splits it; a single
+# `tsc -b` holds the reference graph and the aggregate program in one process
+# and exceeds the heap the Host face is budgeted.
 # Both statuses are captured so one failure cannot hide the other's result.
 build_gate() {
   wine_node "$scratch/logs/host-typert.log" --import tsx/esm scripts/generate-typert.ts || return $?
-  wine_node "$scratch/logs/host-tsc.log" --max-old-space-size=4096 "$tsc_js" -b tsconfig.host.json --pretty false || return $?
+  wine_node "$scratch/logs/host-references.log" --import tsx/esm scripts/compile-referenced-projects.ts host || return $?
+  wine_node "$scratch/logs/host-tsc.log" --max-old-space-size=4096 "$tsc_js" -p tsconfig.host.json --pretty false || return $?
   wine_node "$scratch/logs/host-tsdown.log" "$tsdown_js" --env.DSH_BUILD_FACE host || return $?
   (cd apps/desktop && wine_node "$scratch/logs/desktop-tsdown.log" "../../$tsdown_js") || return $?
   wine_node "$scratch/logs/client-tsc.log" "$tsc_js" -b tsconfig.client.json --pretty false || return $?