diff --git a/install-scripts/hyprwire.sh b/install-scripts/hyprwire.sh
index 4958688..1daf57e 100755
--- a/install-scripts/hyprwire.sh
+++ b/install-scripts/hyprwire.sh
@@ -12,10 +12,33 @@ if [ -z "${HYPRWIRE_TAG:-}" ]; then
 fi
 if [ -n "${HYPRWIRE_TAG:-}" ]; then tag="$HYPRWIRE_TAG"; fi
 
-# Dry-run support
+# Dry-run support + shim controls
 DO_INSTALL=1
-if [ "$1" = "--dry-run" ] || [ "${DRY_RUN}" = "1" ] || [ "${DRY_RUN}" = "true" ]; then
+FORCE_SHIM=0
+NO_SHIM=0
+
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  case "$arg" in
+    --dry-run)
+      DO_INSTALL=0
+      ;;
+    # Force the compatibility shim used on Debian 13 (trixie) toolchains.
+    # This is intentionally distro-named so it's obvious what it does for most users.
+    --build-trixie|--force-shim)
+      FORCE_SHIM=1
+      ;;
+    # For testing/sid (or any toolchain that supports std::vector::append_range), allow opting out.
+    --no-shim)
+      NO_SHIM=1
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+if [ "${DRY_RUN}" = "1" ] || [ "${DRY_RUN}" = "true" ]; then
   DO_INSTALL=0
+fi
+
+if [ $DO_INSTALL -eq 0 ]; then
   echo "${NOTE} DRY RUN: install step will be skipped."
 fi
 
@@ -48,30 +71,71 @@ fi
 if git clone --recursive -b "$tag" https://github.com/hyprwm/hyprwire.git; then
   cd hyprwire || exit 1
 
-  # Temporary compatibility shim for compilers/libstdc++ without std::vector::append_range
-  cat > append_range_compat.hpp <<'EOF'
+  # Decide whether we need the append_range compatibility shim.
+  # On Debian 13 (trixie), libstdc++ typically lacks std::vector::append_range, so we patch.
+  # On newer toolchains (testing/sid), prefer building upstream unmodified.
+  NEED_SHIM=0
+  if [ "$NO_SHIM" -eq 1 ]; then
+    NEED_SHIM=0
+  elif [ "$FORCE_SHIM" -eq 1 ]; then
+    NEED_SHIM=1
+  else
+    CXX_TEST="${CXX:-c++}"
+    TMPD="$(mktemp -d)"
+    cat >"$TMPD/append_range_test.cpp" <<'EOF'
+#include <vector>
+int main() {
+  std::vector<unsigned char> v;
+  v.append_range(std::vector<unsigned char>{1,2,3});
+  return 0;
+}
+EOF
+    if "$CXX_TEST" -std=c++23 -c "$TMPD/append_range_test.cpp" -o /dev/null >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+      NEED_SHIM=0
+    else
+      NEED_SHIM=1
+    fi
+    rm -rf "$TMPD"
+  fi
+
+  if [ "$NEED_SHIM" -eq 1 ]; then
+    echo "${NOTE} Applying append_range compatibility shim (use --no-shim to disable; --build-trixie to force)."
+
+    # Temporary compatibility shim for toolchains where libstdc++ lacks std::vector::append_range (C++23 library feature).
+    # Note: append_range in upstream accepts temporaries (e.g. encodeVarInt(...) returns a temporary vector). To support that,
+    # we bind the expression to a named auto&& first.
+    cat > append_range_compat.hpp <<'EOF'
 #pragma once
 #include <iterator>
-#define APPEND_RANGE(vec, ...) (vec).insert((vec).end(), std::begin(__VA_ARGS__), std::end(__VA_ARGS__))
+
+// Append any begin/end range to a container, supporting temporaries by binding to auto&&.
+#define APPEND_RANGE(vec, ...) do { \
+  auto&& _r = (__VA_ARGS__); \
+  (vec).insert((vec).end(), std::begin(_r), std::end(_r)); \
+} while(0)
 EOF
-# Replace X.append_range(Y) -> APPEND_RANGE(X, Y) only where it appears
-PATCH_FILES=$(grep -RIl --exclude-dir=.git 'append_range\(' . || true)
-if [ -n "$PATCH_FILES" ]; then
-  # Replace LHS .append_range(arg...) with APPEND_RANGE(LHS, arg...)
-  # LHS: identifiers and common member/ptr chains (this->obj, ns::obj.member)
-  echo "$PATCH_FILES" | xargs -r sed -ri 's/([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_:\->\.]+)\s*\.\s*append_range\s*\(/APPEND_RANGE(\1, /g'
-  # Show any remaining occurrences
-  REMAIN=$(grep -RIn --exclude-dir=.git '\.\s*append_range\s*\(' $PATCH_FILES || true)
-  if [ -n "$REMAIN" ]; then
-    echo "[WARN] Some append_range() calls remain unpatched:" >&2
-    echo "$REMAIN" >&2
+
+    # Replace X.(.|->)append_range(Y) -> APPEND_RANGE(X, Y) only where it appears
+    PATCH_FILES=$(grep -RIl --exclude-dir=.git -F 'append_range(' . || true)
+    if [ -n "$PATCH_FILES" ]; then
+      # LHS: identifiers and common member/ptr chains (this->obj, ns::obj.member)
+      echo "$PATCH_FILES" | xargs -r sed -ri 's/([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_:>.\-]+)\s*(\.|->)\s*append_range\s*\(/APPEND_RANGE(\1, /g'
+      # Show any remaining occurrences
+      REMAIN=$(grep -RIn --exclude-dir=.git -E '(\.|->)[[:space:]]*append_range[[:space:]]*\(' $PATCH_FILES || true)
+      if [ -n "$REMAIN" ]; then
+        echo "[WARN] Some append_range() calls remain unpatched:" >&2
+        echo "$REMAIN" >&2
+      fi
+    fi
+
+    # Absolute path for forced include
+    APPEND_HDR="$(pwd)/append_range_compat.hpp"
+
+    cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=23 -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-include ${APPEND_HDR}"
+  else
+    echo "${NOTE} Toolchain supports std::vector::append_range; building hyprwire without shim."
+    cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=23
   fi
-fi
-
-# Absolute path for forced include
-APPEND_HDR="$(pwd)/append_range_compat.hpp"
-
-cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=23 -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-include ${APPEND_HDR}"
   cmake --build build -j "$(nproc 2>/dev/null || getconf _NPROCESSORS_CONF)"
   if [ $DO_INSTALL -eq 1 ]; then
     if sudo cmake --install build 2>&1 | tee -a "$MLOG" ; then