diff --git a/scripts/claude-player-server.sh b/scripts/claude-player-server.sh
index 8c35bac5..52e23ae4 100755
--- a/scripts/claude-player-server.sh
+++ b/scripts/claude-player-server.sh
@@ -28,17 +28,41 @@ PROJECT_DIR="$(dirname "$SCRIPT_DIR")"
 : "${CP_LOG_FILE:=}"
 
 # Pure-headless mode — no Wayland needed. JSON-Lines speaks to stdout.
-flatpak run --user \
-    --env=CP_SEED="$CP_SEED" \
-    --env=CP_PLAYERS="$CP_PLAYERS" \
-    --env=CP_CLAUDE_SLOT="$CP_CLAUDE_SLOT" \
-    --env=CP_MAP_SIZE="$CP_MAP_SIZE" \
-    --env=CP_MAP_TYPE="$CP_MAP_TYPE" \
-    --env=CP_OMNISCIENT="$CP_OMNISCIENT" \
-    --env=CP_TIMEOUT_SEC="$CP_TIMEOUT_SEC" \
-    --env=CP_LOG_FILE="$CP_LOG_FILE" \
-    org.godotengine.Godot \
-    --path "$PROJECT_DIR/src/game" \
-    --headless \
-    --rendering-method gl_compatibility \
-    res://engine/scenes/headless/claude_player_main.tscn
+#
+# Linux uses flatpak Godot (matches the rest of the apricot pipeline).
+# macOS uses the locally-installed `godot` binary (Homebrew); a parallel
+# flatpak runtime just for this harness is silly when native Godot 4
+# works directly. Env-var passthrough is automatic for the native path.
+export CP_SEED CP_PLAYERS CP_CLAUDE_SLOT CP_MAP_SIZE CP_MAP_TYPE \
+    CP_OMNISCIENT CP_TIMEOUT_SEC CP_LOG_FILE
+
+case "$(uname -s)" in
+    Darwin)
+        GODOT_BIN="${GODOT_BIN:-godot}"
+        if ! command -v "$GODOT_BIN" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "ERROR: no godot binary on PATH (set GODOT_BIN or 'brew install godot')." >&2
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        exec "$GODOT_BIN" \
+            --path "$PROJECT_DIR/src/game" \
+            --headless \
+            --rendering-method gl_compatibility \
+            res://engine/scenes/headless/claude_player_main.tscn
+        ;;
+    *)
+        exec flatpak run --user \
+            --env=CP_SEED="$CP_SEED" \
+            --env=CP_PLAYERS="$CP_PLAYERS" \
+            --env=CP_CLAUDE_SLOT="$CP_CLAUDE_SLOT" \
+            --env=CP_MAP_SIZE="$CP_MAP_SIZE" \
+            --env=CP_MAP_TYPE="$CP_MAP_TYPE" \
+            --env=CP_OMNISCIENT="$CP_OMNISCIENT" \
+            --env=CP_TIMEOUT_SEC="$CP_TIMEOUT_SEC" \
+            --env=CP_LOG_FILE="$CP_LOG_FILE" \
+            org.godotengine.Godot \
+            --path "$PROJECT_DIR/src/game" \
+            --headless \
+            --rendering-method gl_compatibility \
+            res://engine/scenes/headless/claude_player_main.tscn
+        ;;
+esac