diff --git a/.github/workflows/fw-lite.yaml b/.github/workflows/fw-lite.yaml
index 4167006a10..d42d65fc57 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/fw-lite.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/fw-lite.yaml
@@ -217,6 +217,21 @@ jobs:
             dotnet publish -r linux-x64 --artifacts-path ../artifacts -p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:Version=${{ needs.build-and-test.outputs.semver-version }}
             dotnet publish -r linux-arm64 --artifacts-path ../artifacts -p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:Version=${{ needs.build-and-test.outputs.semver-version }}
 
+      - name: Test Linux executable
+        working-directory: backend/FwLite/artifacts/publish/FwLiteWeb/release_linux-x64
+        run: |
+            set +e
+            chmod +x ./FwLiteWeb
+            output=$(timeout 10s ./FwLiteWeb 2>&1)
+            exit_code=$?
+            if [ $exit_code -eq 124 ] || [ $exit_code -eq 0 ]; then
+              echo "✅ Linux executable ran without crashing for 10s"
+            else
+              echo "❌ Linux executable exited with code $exit_code"
+              echo "$output"
+              exit 1
+            fi
+
       - name: Upload FWLite Linux artifacts
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/FwLiteWeb/FwLiteWeb.csproj b/backend/FwLite/FwLiteWeb/FwLiteWeb.csproj
index a62b9c365c..ff8b7a0adb 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/FwLiteWeb/FwLiteWeb.csproj
+++ b/backend/FwLite/FwLiteWeb/FwLiteWeb.csproj
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     <SelfContained>true</SelfContained>
     <FileVersion>$(ApplicationDisplayVersion)</FileVersion>
     <LangVersion>preview</LangVersion>
+    <CompressionEnabled>false</CompressionEnabled>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Release' ">
     <!--        single file disabled as it's less efficient for updates-->
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/FwLiteWeb/Program.cs b/backend/FwLite/FwLiteWeb/Program.cs
index e58a59753c..879f33f723 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/FwLiteWeb/Program.cs
+++ b/backend/FwLite/FwLiteWeb/Program.cs
@@ -3,8 +3,13 @@
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Options;
 
 //paratext won't let us change the working directory, and if it's not set correctly then loading js files doesn't work
-Directory.SetCurrentDirectory(Path.GetDirectoryName(typeof(Program).Assembly.Location)!);
-var app = FwLiteWebServer.SetupAppServer(new() {Args = args});
+var assemblyLocation = typeof(Program).Assembly.Location;
+var assemblyDirectory = !string.IsNullOrEmpty(assemblyLocation)
+    ? Path.GetDirectoryName(assemblyLocation) : null;
+var appDirectory = assemblyDirectory ?? AppContext.BaseDirectory;
+Directory.SetCurrentDirectory(appDirectory);
+
+var app = FwLiteWebServer.SetupAppServer(new() { Args = args });
 await using (app)
 {
     await app.StartAsync();
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/LcmCrdt/LcmCrdt.csproj b/backend/FwLite/LcmCrdt/LcmCrdt.csproj
index 88a09ac0a1..77ddfb05f0 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/LcmCrdt/LcmCrdt.csproj
+++ b/backend/FwLite/LcmCrdt/LcmCrdt.csproj
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@
     <PackageReference Include="Refit" />
     <PackageReference Include="Refit.HttpClientFactory" />
   </ItemGroup>
+  <ItemGroup Condition="$([MSBuild]::IsOsPlatform('linux'))">
+    <PackageReference Include="SQLitePCLRaw.bundle_e_sqlite3" />
+    <PackageReference Include="SQLitePCLRaw.core" />
+    <PackageReference Include="SQLitePCLRaw.lib.e_sqlite3" />
+    <PackageReference Include="SQLitePCLRaw.provider.e_sqlite3" />
+  </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <ProjectReference Include="..\..\harmony\src\SIL.Harmony\SIL.Harmony.csproj" />
     <ProjectReference Include="..\MiniLcm\MiniLcm.csproj" />
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Models/RichString.cs b/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Models/RichString.cs
index 46b7a22aad..1128a4ecb6 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Models/RichString.cs
+++ b/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Models/RichString.cs
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ public bool EqualsProps(RichSpan? other)
                BulNumTxtAft == other.BulNumTxtAft && BulNumFontInfo == other.BulNumFontInfo &&
                CustomBullet == other.CustomBullet && TabList == other.TabList && TableRule == other.TableRule &&
                FieldName == other.FieldName && Equals(ObjData, other.ObjData) &&
-               (Equals(Tags, other.Tags) || Tags.SequenceEqual(other.Tags));
+               (Equals(Tags, other.Tags) || (Tags is not null && other.Tags is not null && Tags.SequenceEqual(other.Tags)));
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/viewer/vite.config.ts b/frontend/viewer/vite.config.ts
index 05a1bfe18e..cd461baa32 100644
--- a/frontend/viewer/vite.config.ts
+++ b/frontend/viewer/vite.config.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export default defineConfig(({ mode, command }) => {
     base: command == "build" ? '/_content/FwLiteShared/viewer' : '/',
     build: {
       outDir: '../../backend/FwLite/FwLiteShared/wwwroot/viewer',
+      emptyOutDir: true,
       manifest: true,
       minify: false,
       sourcemap: true,