diff --git a/modules/minio/Dockerfile b/modules/minio/Dockerfile
index e5588e6..fc0e121 100644
--- a/modules/minio/Dockerfile
+++ b/modules/minio/Dockerfile
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@
 # image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
 ARG BUILD_BASE
 ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+ARG MC_CLI
+
+# Named so the final stage's COPY --from can reference a stage, not an ARG — the legacy builder
+# this host still runs doesn't expand ARGs inside COPY --from, only inside FROM.
+FROM ${MC_CLI} AS mccli
 
 FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
 # Compiled under /app/modules so `@novox/mesh-sdk` resolves upward into the base's own
@@ -22,6 +27,13 @@ RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts tools/index.ts provision
 
 FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
 COPY --from=build /app/modules/minio/dist /app/modules/minio/dist
+# The provisioner shells out to mc to actually create buckets and service accounts on the running
+# minio server — mc itself was never in this runtime image, only in minio's own. Silently retried
+# "spawn mc ENOENT" forever: a requirement was granted at the control-plane level without ever
+# materializing the credential on minio. /usr/bin/mc there is a symlink to the real binary, mcli —
+# both copied so the symlink resolves.
+COPY --from=mccli /usr/bin/mcli /usr/bin/mcli
+COPY --from=mccli /usr/bin/mc /usr/bin/mc
 # Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
 # provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
 # the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled.
diff --git a/modules/minio/module.json b/modules/minio/module.json
index bbca5d2..ef31847 100644
--- a/modules/minio/module.json
+++ b/modules/minio/module.json
@@ -133,6 +133,10 @@
         "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
         "module": "mesh-tools",
         "artifact": "runtime"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "MC_CLI",
+        "image": "docker.io/pgsty/minio@sha256:b6bfe7239bfc83fb90d31612d9704d86039dd714f7904b3f1ad68f211e602372"
       }
     ],
     "artifacts": [