diff --git a/dist/README.md b/dist/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5e0470d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# `:dist`
+
+No source code. Aggregates `:core + :ecs + :binding` into one shaded JAR via
+`com.gradleup.shadow`.
+
+```bash
+./gradlew :dist:shadowJar
+# → dist/build/libs/async-<version>.jar
+```
+
+Drop that JAR in your Hytale server's `mods/` directory. That's the only
+artifact a consumer ever needs — the per-module split exists for testability
+and codebase hygiene, not deployment cherry-picking.
diff --git a/dist/build.gradle.kts b/dist/build.gradle.kts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8014d1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/build.gradle.kts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+plugins {
+    `java-library`
+    alias(libs.plugins.shadow)
+}
+
+dependencies {
+    api(project(":core"))
+    api(project(":ecs"))
+    api(project(":binding"))
+}
+
+java {
+    toolchain { languageVersion.set(JavaLanguageVersion.of(25)) }
+}
+
+tasks.withType<JavaCompile>().configureEach { options.release.set(24) }
+
+tasks {
+    shadowJar {
+        archiveBaseName.set("async")
+        archiveClassifier.set("")
+        mergeServiceFiles()
+    }
+    // Regular jar stays enabled so composite builds (examples/) can consume project(":dist") directly.
+    build { dependsOn(shadowJar) }
+}