diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ff26154..c601a92 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -59,17 +59,30 @@ RATE_LIMITED_ENVS := paseo dev-test
 # Default env when none is passed on the command line.
 ENV ?= paseo
 
+# When this repo is checked out as truapi/hosts/dotli, local make builds should
+# consume the checked-out TrUAPI packages instead of the temporary npm aliases.
+TRUAPI_REPO ?= $(abspath ../..)
+TRUAPI_LOCAL_PACKAGE := $(TRUAPI_REPO)/js/packages/truapi/package.json
+TRUAPI_HOST_LOCAL_PACKAGE := $(TRUAPI_REPO)/js/packages/truapi-host/package.json
+
 # Packages required on a fresh Ubuntu 22.04+ box. The brotli module is split
 # across two packages on noble (filter + static) and both ship a drop-in in
 # /etc/nginx/modules-enabled/ so they auto-load. curl and ca-certificates
 # back certbot's API calls.
 APT_PACKAGES := nginx libnginx-mod-http-brotli-filter libnginx-mod-http-brotli-static certbot python3-certbot-dns-cloudflare rsync ufw curl ca-certificates
 
-.PHONY: build provision provision-prereqs provision-firewall provision-cloudflare-creds provision-cert provision-renewal deploy ci-deploy deploy-nginx render-nginx _require-env _require-env-name
+.PHONY: build link-truapi-local provision provision-prereqs provision-firewall provision-cloudflare-creds provision-cert provision-renewal deploy ci-deploy deploy-nginx render-nginx _require-env _require-env-name
 
-build:
+build: link-truapi-local
 	bun run build
 
+link-truapi-local:
+	@if [ -f "$(TRUAPI_LOCAL_PACKAGE)" ] && [ -f "$(TRUAPI_HOST_LOCAL_PACKAGE)" ]; then \
+		TRUAPI_REPO="$(TRUAPI_REPO)" bun run link:truapi; \
+	else \
+		echo "No local TrUAPI checkout found at $(TRUAPI_REPO); using package manager dependencies."; \
+	fi
+
 # ====================================================================
 # Fresh-server provisioning. Idempotent; safe to re-run.
 #
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2ee0da8..74f7d6f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -154,6 +154,26 @@ bun install
 bun run preview          # Build + serve both apps on localhost:5173
 ```
 
+The TrUAPI packages are installed from temporary npm aliases while the Rust core
+port is in review. To iterate against a local truapi checkout instead, run:
+
+```bash
+bun run link:truapi
+```
+
+When dotli is not checked out under `truapi/hosts/dotli`, point the script at
+the truapi repo:
+
+```bash
+TRUAPI_REPO=/path/to/truapi bun run link:truapi
+```
+
+Return to the package versions recorded in `bun.lock` with:
+
+```bash
+bun run unlink:truapi
+```
+
 Local development uses wildcard subdomains:
 
 - `host-playground.localhost:5173` — resolves `host-playground.dot` via the host
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8947506..3f36ad7 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
     "format:check": "prettier --check \"**/*.{ts,tsx,md}\"",
     "typecheck": "turbo run typecheck",
     "set-version": "bun scripts/set-version.ts",
+    "link:truapi": "bun scripts/link-truapi-local.ts",
+    "unlink:truapi": "bun scripts/unlink-truapi-local.ts",
     "clean": "find . -type d \\( -name node_modules -o -name dist \\) -prune -exec rm -rf {} +"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/scripts/link-truapi-local.ts b/scripts/link-truapi-local.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e9681ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/link-truapi-local.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { existsSync, readFileSync, rmSync } from "node:fs";
+import { dirname, resolve } from "node:path";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+
+const dotliRoot = resolve(dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), "..");
+const truapiRoot = resolve(
+  process.env.TRUAPI_REPO ?? resolve(dotliRoot, "../.."),
+);
+
+const packages = [
+  {
+    name: "@parity/truapi",
+    path: resolve(truapiRoot, "js/packages/truapi"),
+  },
+  {
+    name: "@parity/truapi-host",
+    path: resolve(truapiRoot, "js/packages/truapi-host"),
+  },
+];
+
+function run(args: string[], cwd: string): void {
+  const result = spawnSync("bun", args, { cwd, stdio: "inherit" });
+  if (result.status !== 0) {
+    process.exit(result.status ?? 1);
+  }
+}
+
+function assertPackage(expectedName: string, path: string): void {
+  const packageJsonPath = resolve(path, "package.json");
+  if (!existsSync(packageJsonPath)) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Cannot find ${expectedName} at ${path}. Set TRUAPI_REPO=/path/to/truapi if dotli is not inside the truapi checkout.`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  const packageJson = JSON.parse(readFileSync(packageJsonPath, "utf8")) as {
+    name?: string;
+  };
+  if (packageJson.name !== expectedName) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Expected ${packageJsonPath} to be ${expectedName}, got ${packageJson.name ?? "<missing>"}.`,
+    );
+  }
+}
+
+for (const pkg of packages) {
+  assertPackage(pkg.name, pkg.path);
+  run(["link"], pkg.path);
+}
+
+const packageNames = packages.map((pkg) => pkg.name);
+run(["link", ...packageNames], dotliRoot);
+
+for (const name of ["truapi", "truapi-host"]) {
+  rmSync(resolve(dotliRoot, "packages/ui/node_modules/@parity", name), {
+    force: true,
+    recursive: true,
+  });
+}
diff --git a/scripts/unlink-truapi-local.ts b/scripts/unlink-truapi-local.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..618126f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/unlink-truapi-local.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { rmSync } from "node:fs";
+import { dirname, resolve } from "node:path";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+
+const dotliRoot = resolve(dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), "..");
+const packageNames = ["truapi", "truapi-host"];
+const installRoots = [
+  resolve(dotliRoot, "node_modules/@parity"),
+  resolve(dotliRoot, "packages/ui/node_modules/@parity"),
+];
+
+for (const root of installRoots) {
+  for (const name of packageNames) {
+    rmSync(resolve(root, name), { force: true, recursive: true });
+  }
+}
+
+const result = spawnSync("bun", ["install", "--force"], {
+  cwd: dotliRoot,
+  stdio: "inherit",
+});
+if (result.status !== 0) {
+  process.exit(result.status ?? 1);
+}