diff --git a/deploy.sh b/deploy.sh
index ca06b09..5e62b13 100644
--- a/deploy.sh
+++ b/deploy.sh
@@ -24,6 +24,19 @@ echo "[1/4] Building ..."
 cd "$SCRIPT_DIR"
 npm run build
 
+# Guard: scripts/stage-farm-assets.sh copies ~43MB of raw farm GLBs into
+# public/ for local Workshop testing, and vite copies public/ straight into
+# dist/. Shipping those means every player downloads 43MB of background props.
+# Custom models belong in the player's browser (IndexedDB) or in a decimated
+# committed pack — never as an accident of local testing.
+DIST_KB="$(du -sk dist | cut -f1)"
+if [ "$DIST_KB" -gt 10240 ]; then
+  echo "      ✗ dist/ is ${DIST_KB}KB (>10MB). Staged farm assets leaked into the build?"
+  echo "        Run: rm -rf public/assets/meshes && npm run build"
+  exit 1
+fi
+echo "      dist/ is ${DIST_KB}KB — ok"
+
 echo "[2/4] Syncing dist/ to VPS staging ..."
 ssh "$VPS" "rm -rf '$STAGING' && mkdir -p '$STAGING'"
 rsync -az --exclude='.DS_Store' "$SCRIPT_DIR/dist/" "$VPS:$STAGING/"
diff --git a/src/game.ts b/src/game.ts
index 54aa01e..c550747 100644
--- a/src/game.ts
+++ b/src/game.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { PaintSkin, PaintCannon, BuffSystem, PaintHUD, installPaint } from './pa
 import { createBucketDump, createBubbleArch, createConveyorBelt } from './machine/index'
 import { installZones } from './course/zones'
 import { assets } from './assets/registry'
+import { hasOverrides } from './assets/idb'
 import { installAudio } from './audio/index'
 import { installGhost } from './ghost/index'
 import { installTitle } from './ui/title'
@@ -249,6 +250,20 @@ export function installGame(world: World) {
     setTimeout(() => toast.remove(), 3200)
   })
 
+  // ---- custom-assets pill: a forgotten Workshop swap otherwise reads as a
+  // broken game ("why is the boot a weird cylinder?"), with no way back. ----
+  void hasOverrides().then((on) => {
+    if (!on) return
+    const pill = document.createElement('a')
+    pill.href = 'editor.html'
+    pill.textContent = '🎨 your custom models are on — open the Workshop'
+    pill.style.cssText =
+      'position:fixed;bottom:14px;left:14px;font:12px ui-monospace,Menlo,monospace;' +
+      'color:#0a2540;background:rgba(255,255,255,.86);padding:7px 12px;border-radius:999px;' +
+      'text-decoration:none;z-index:18;box-shadow:0 1px 6px rgba(0,0,0,.18)'
+    document.body.appendChild(pill)
+  })
+
   // ---- wave 2: audio, ghost, title ----
   installAudio(world)
   installGhost(world, blob, { radius: blob.radius })