diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index a1a49d8ced41..696eea1fab89 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -215,6 +215,34 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
+      - name: Verify native libraries in APK
+        run: |
+          APK="${{ steps.find_apk.outputs.apk_path }}"
+          echo "Checking APK for required native libraries..."
+
+          NATIVE_LIBS=$(unzip -l "$APK" | grep "lib/arm64-v8a/.*\.so" || true)
+          echo "$NATIVE_LIBS"
+          echo ""
+
+          MISSING=0
+          for LIB in libbass.so libbass_fx.so libbassmix.so; do
+            if echo "$NATIVE_LIBS" | grep -q "$LIB"; then
+              echo "✅ $LIB found"
+            else
+              echo "::error::$LIB is MISSING from the APK — the app will crash at startup (DllNotFoundException)."
+              MISSING=1
+            fi
+          done
+
+          if [ "$MISSING" -ne 0 ]; then
+            echo ""
+            echo "::error::One or more required native libraries are missing. Check that the osu-framework submodule is initialised and the AndroidNativeLibrary glob in osu.Android.props resolves correctly."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          echo ""
+          echo "All required native libraries present ✓"
+
       - name: Upload APK artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
diff --git a/osu.Android.props b/osu.Android.props
index 6c7bb344cde4..316f80e192ef 100644
--- a/osu.Android.props
+++ b/osu.Android.props
@@ -85,17 +85,27 @@
 
   <ItemGroup>
     <!-- Use winnerspiros/osu-framework fork (net10.0-android, optimized) via submodule instead of ppy NuGet package -->
-    <ProjectReference Include="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)submodules\osu-framework\osu.Framework.Android\osu.Framework.Android.csproj" />
+    <ProjectReference Include="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)submodules/osu-framework/osu.Framework.Android/osu.Framework.Android.csproj" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <!-- Include framework native libraries (BASS audio, FFmpeg, etc.) from the submodule.
        When using a NuGet package these are bundled automatically; with a ProjectReference
        they must be declared explicitly or the app crashes at startup with
-       System.DllNotFoundException: bass (or similar). -->
+       System.DllNotFoundException: bass (or similar).
+       Use forward slashes — backslash globs silently match zero files on Linux CI runners,
+       which produces an APK without libbass.so (and the other native libs). -->
   <ItemGroup>
-    <AndroidNativeLibrary Include="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)submodules\osu-framework\osu.Framework.Android\arm64-v8a\*.so" Abi="arm64-v8a" />
+    <AndroidNativeLibrary Include="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)submodules/osu-framework/osu.Framework.Android/arm64-v8a/*.so" Abi="arm64-v8a" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
+  <!-- Fail the build early if libbass.so is missing.
+       A missing libbass.so means the app will crash on startup with DllNotFoundException.
+       This catches silent glob failures (e.g. uninitialised submodule, wrong path). -->
+  <Target Name="ValidateFrameworkNativeLibraries" BeforeTargets="Build">
+    <Error Condition="!Exists('$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)submodules/osu-framework/osu.Framework.Android/arm64-v8a/libbass.so')"
+           Text="libbass.so not found in submodules/osu-framework/osu.Framework.Android/arm64-v8a/. Ensure the osu-framework submodule is initialised: git submodule update --init --recursive" />
+  </Target>
+
   <PropertyGroup>
     <!-- Fody does not handle Android build well, and warns when unchanged.
          Since Realm objects are not declared directly in Android projects, simply disable Fody. -->