diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/windows-drivers.yml b/.gitea/workflows/windows-drivers.yml
index 4c8a12f..fdaec36 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/windows-drivers.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/windows-drivers.yml
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ jobs:
         run: ../../../scripts/ci/provision-windows-wdk.ps1
       - name: cargo build wdk-probe (windows-drivers-rs)
         run: cargo build -p wdk-probe -v
-      - name: Inspect the produced DLL's /INTEGRITYCHECK bit
+      - name: Inspect /INTEGRITYCHECK (before) — expect FORCE_INTEGRITY set by wdk-build
         run: |
           # explicit --target (.cargo/config.toml) -> output under the triple subdir.
           $dll = "target\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\debug\wdk_probe.dll"
@@ -139,11 +139,9 @@ jobs:
           $b = [IO.File]::ReadAllBytes($dll)
           $pe = [BitConverter]::ToInt32($b, 0x3c)
           $dllchar = [BitConverter]::ToUInt16($b, $pe + 0x5e)   # OptionalHeader.DllCharacteristics
-          $forceIntegrity = ($dllchar -band 0x0080) -ne 0       # IMAGE_DLLCHARACTERISTICS_FORCE_INTEGRITY
           Write-Host ("wdk_probe.dll built OK ({0:N0} bytes)" -f (Get-Item $dll).Length)
-          Write-Host ("DllCharacteristics = 0x{0:X4}; FORCE_INTEGRITY(/INTEGRITYCHECK) = $forceIntegrity" -f $dllchar)
-          if ($forceIntegrity) {
-            Write-Host '==> /INTEGRITYCHECK IS set -> self-signed load needs the flag suppressed or the PE bit cleared (M0 task).'
-          } else {
-            Write-Host '==> /INTEGRITYCHECK NOT set -> a self-signed driver should load with no PE patch.'
-          }
+          Write-Host ("BEFORE: DllCharacteristics = 0x{0:X4}; FORCE_INTEGRITY = {1}" -f $dllchar, (($dllchar -band 0x0080) -ne 0))
+      - name: Clear FORCE_INTEGRITY (self-signed-load fix) + verify
+        # wdk-build sets /INTEGRITYCHECK unconditionally -> a self-signed driver won't load. Clear the PE
+        # bit deterministically (the reusable packaging step; signing/.cat happen later for real drivers).
+        run: ../clear-force-integrity.ps1 -Path target\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\debug\wdk_probe.dll
diff --git a/packaging/windows/clear-force-integrity.ps1 b/packaging/windows/clear-force-integrity.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98a0f7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/windows/clear-force-integrity.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+# Clear the PE FORCE_INTEGRITY bit (IMAGE_DLLCHARACTERISTICS_FORCE_INTEGRITY = 0x0080) from a driver DLL.
+#
+# windows-drivers-rs / wdk-build links UMDF drivers with /INTEGRITYCHECK (sets the bit) UNCONDITIONALLY
+# (wdk-build configure_binary_build → cargo::rustc-cdylib-link-arg=/INTEGRITYCHECK; no opt-out). With the
+# bit set, Windows Code Integrity refuses to load a binary whose signature doesn't chain to a Microsoft
+# root (errors 3004/3089) — so a SELF-SIGNED driver won't load. Clearing the bit (then re-signing) lets a
+# self-signed driver load under Secure Boot — the same recipe the punktfunk gamepad drivers use, here as a
+# deterministic, idempotent, reusable step instead of a hand-run patch.
+#
+# Order in the packaging flow: cargo build -> THIS -> signtool (sign .dll) -> Inf2Cat (.cat) -> sign .cat.
+# (Clearing AFTER signing would invalidate the signature; clear FIRST, then sign.)
+#
+# DllCharacteristics lives at OptionalHeader+0x46 = (e_lfanew + 24) + 0x46 = e_lfanew + 0x5E for both PE32
+# and PE32+ (the fields up to it share offsets).
+[CmdletBinding()]
+param([Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Path)
+$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+
+if (-not (Test-Path $Path)) { throw "clear-force-integrity: file not found: $Path" }
+$b = [IO.File]::ReadAllBytes($Path)
+if ($b.Length -lt 0x40 -or $b[0] -ne 0x4D -or $b[1] -ne 0x5A) { throw "not a PE (no 'MZ'): $Path" }
+$pe = [BitConverter]::ToInt32($b, 0x3C)
+if ($pe -le 0 -or $pe + 0x60 -ge $b.Length -or $b[$pe] -ne 0x50 -or $b[$pe + 1] -ne 0x45) {
+  throw "no 'PE\0\0' signature at e_lfanew=$pe in $Path"
+}
+$off = $pe + 0x5E
+$FORCE_INTEGRITY = 0x0080
+$dllchar = [BitConverter]::ToUInt16($b, $off)
+
+if (($dllchar -band $FORCE_INTEGRITY) -eq 0) {
+  Write-Host ("clear-force-integrity: already clear (DllCharacteristics=0x{0:X4}) — no change: $Path" -f $dllchar)
+} else {
+  $new = [uint16]($dllchar -band (-bnot $FORCE_INTEGRITY))
+  [BitConverter]::GetBytes($new).CopyTo($b, $off)
+  [IO.File]::WriteAllBytes($Path, $b)
+  Write-Host ("clear-force-integrity: cleared FORCE_INTEGRITY 0x{0:X4} -> 0x{1:X4} in $Path" -f $dllchar, $new)
+}
+
+# Verify on disk (re-read) — the assertion.
+$v = [BitConverter]::ToUInt16([IO.File]::ReadAllBytes($Path), $off)
+if (($v -band $FORCE_INTEGRITY) -ne 0) { throw ("FORCE_INTEGRITY still set after clear (0x{0:X4})" -f $v) }
+Write-Host ("clear-force-integrity: verified DllCharacteristics=0x{0:X4}, FORCE_INTEGRITY clear." -f $v)