diff --git a/src/core.zig b/src/core.zig
index e1c0b62..3488006 100644
--- a/src/core.zig
+++ b/src/core.zig
@@ -244,6 +244,12 @@ pub const Compilation = struct {
             try registry.put(entry.key_ptr.*, entry.value_ptr.*.foreign_path);
         }
 
+        // Derive the `System.loadLibrary` argument from the `-o` basename
+        // (e.g. `/tmp/libsxchess.so` → `sxchess`). When `-o` is unset the
+        // emitter omits the static init block; the user must then arrange
+        // .so loading via another class.
+        const lib_name = libNameFromOutputPath(self.target_config.output_path);
+
         var it = lowering.foreign_class_map.iterator();
         while (it.next()) |entry| {
             const fcd = entry.value_ptr.*;
@@ -253,7 +259,10 @@ pub const Compilation = struct {
             if (seen.contains(fcd.foreign_path)) continue;
             try seen.put(fcd.foreign_path, {});
 
-            const java_source = try ir.jni_java_emit.emitJavaSource(self.allocator, fcd, .{ .classes = &registry });
+            const java_source = try ir.jni_java_emit.emitJavaSource(self.allocator, fcd, .{
+                .classes = &registry,
+                .lib_name = lib_name,
+            });
             try self.lowering_jni_main_decls.append(self.allocator, .{
                 .foreign_path = try self.allocator.dupe(u8, fcd.foreign_path),
                 .java_source = java_source,
@@ -261,6 +270,16 @@ pub const Compilation = struct {
         }
     }
 
+    /// `/path/to/libfoo.so` → `foo`. Anything else → null (caller skips
+    /// emitting the `System.loadLibrary` init block).
+    fn libNameFromOutputPath(output_path: ?[]const u8) ?[]const u8 {
+        const path = output_path orelse return null;
+        const basename = std.fs.path.basename(path);
+        if (!std.mem.startsWith(u8, basename, "lib")) return null;
+        if (!std.mem.endsWith(u8, basename, ".so")) return null;
+        return basename[3 .. basename.len - 3];
+    }
+
     /// Java sources rendered from `#jni_main #jni_class("...")` decls during
     /// lowering. Empty unless `lowerToIR` has run.
     pub fn getJniMainEmissions(self: *const Compilation) []const JniMainEmission {
diff --git a/src/ir/jni_java_emit.test.zig b/src/ir/jni_java_emit.test.zig
index 36476d8..c0e8cbc 100644
--- a/src/ir/jni_java_emit.test.zig
+++ b/src/ir/jni_java_emit.test.zig
@@ -235,6 +235,40 @@ test "default-package class (no slash in foreign_path)" {
     try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out, "public class SxNoPackage") != null);
 }
 
+test "lib_name renders System.loadLibrary static init block" {
+    const a = std.testing.allocator;
+    var arena = std.heap.ArenaAllocator.init(a);
+    defer arena.deinit();
+    const aa = arena.allocator();
+
+    const self_ty = try makePointer(aa, try makeTypeExpr(aa, "Self"));
+    const body = try makeBodyMarker(aa);
+    const method: ast.ForeignClassMember = .{ .method = .{
+        .name = "onCreate",
+        .params = &.{self_ty},
+        .param_names = &.{"self"},
+        .return_type = null,
+        .body = body,
+    } };
+
+    const fcd: ast.ForeignClassDecl = .{
+        .name = "SxApp",
+        .foreign_path = "co/example/SxApp",
+        .runtime = .jni_class,
+        .is_main = true,
+        .members = &.{method},
+    };
+
+    const out = try emit.emitJavaSource(a, &fcd, .{ .lib_name = "sxchess" });
+    defer a.free(out);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out, "static { System.loadLibrary(\"sxchess\"); }") != null);
+
+    // Without lib_name the static init is omitted.
+    const out2 = try emit.emitJavaSource(a, &fcd, .{});
+    defer a.free(out2);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out2, "System.loadLibrary") == null);
+}
+
 test "#implements clauses on the class header" {
     const a = std.testing.allocator;
     var arena = std.heap.ArenaAllocator.init(a);
diff --git a/src/ir/jni_java_emit.zig b/src/ir/jni_java_emit.zig
index 76ae2d3..6a5f35e 100644
--- a/src/ir/jni_java_emit.zig
+++ b/src/ir/jni_java_emit.zig
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ pub const Options = struct {
     /// Activities — `NativeActivity` is the legacy NDK path that
     /// requires native_app_glue's `ANativeActivity_onCreate`.
     default_extends: []const u8 = "android.app.Activity",
+    /// `System.loadLibrary(...)` argument for the emitted static init
+    /// block. When set, the emitter inserts `static { System.loadLibrary
+    /// (lib_name); }` so JNI native delegates can resolve at runtime.
+    /// When null, no static init is emitted (caller must arrange .so
+    /// loading some other way — e.g. another class's static init).
+    lib_name: ?[]const u8 = null,
 };
 
 /// Emit a `.java` source for the given foreign-class decl. Result is
@@ -113,8 +119,14 @@ pub fn emitJavaSource(
 
     try buf.appendSlice(allocator, " {\n");
 
-    // Two passes: @Override stubs that call super + native delegate,
-    // then the native declarations.
+    if (opts.lib_name) |ln| {
+        try buf.appendSlice(allocator, "    static { System.loadLibrary(\"");
+        try buf.appendSlice(allocator, ln);
+        try buf.appendSlice(allocator, "\"); }\n");
+    }
+
+    // Two passes: @Override stubs + native delegate; then the native
+    // declarations.
     for (fcd.members) |m| switch (m) {
         .method => |md| {
             if (md.body == null) continue;