diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5dccd0c4..2e248e14 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -277,6 +277,13 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 * Restores the lightweight cpal default-output path on Windows so startup no longer blocks on full device enumeration.
 * Audio output devices on Windows and macOS now use stable backend IDs (`Wasapi:…`) with clearer labels; duplicate friendly names are disambiguated, device-change detection works again, and legacy pinned device / per-device EQ keys stored as plain names are matched after upgrade.
 
+### Windows — MSI bundle on dev and RC versions
+
+**By [@cucadmuh](https://github.com/cucadmuh), PR [#1278](https://github.com/Psychotoxical/psysonic/pull/1278)**
+
+* Windows `.msi` builds no longer fail on channel versions like `1.50.0-dev` — WiX requires a numeric fourth version field, so the bundler maps `-dev` / `-rc.N` to numeric semver in `bundle.windows.wix.version` while Settings → About still shows the real package version.
+* Release builds no longer warn that the album feature barrel defeats a lazy import in the new-albums easter egg (direct import of the export helper).
+
 
 ## [1.49.0] - 2026-06-29
 
diff --git a/RELEASE_PROCESS.md b/RELEASE_PROCESS.md
index 54c5d111..f56e9bac 100644
--- a/RELEASE_PROCESS.md
+++ b/RELEASE_PROCESS.md
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ Version is authoritative in `package.json` and `package-lock.json`. Promotion wo
 - `next` version format: `X.Y.Z-rc.N`
 - `release` version format: `X.Y.Z`
 
+WiX/MSI bundle version: alphabetic pre-releases (`-dev`, `-rc.N`) map to monotonic `major.minor.patch.build` in `bundle.windows.wix.version` via `scripts/sync-wix-bundle-version.mjs` — dev `.1`, rc `.10000+N`, stable `.65534` (in-place MSI upgrade across promotion). About/updater still show the real package version. NSIS accepts full semver without this mapping.
+
 Rules:
 
 1. Never edit versions manually in random commits.
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 713f5cc1..2e145dea 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -10,14 +10,14 @@
     "preview": "vite preview",
     "tauri": "tauri",
     "tauri:dev": "npm run prebuild:release-notes && tauri dev --config src-tauri/tauri.dev.conf.json",
-    "tauri:build": "npm run prebuild:release-notes && tauri build",
+    "tauri:build": "npm run prebuild:release-notes && node scripts/sync-wix-bundle-version.mjs && tauri build",
     "lint": "eslint -c eslint.config.mjs src",
     "lint:gradual": "eslint -c eslint.config.gradual.mjs src",
     "dep:check": "depcruise src --config .dependency-cruiser.cjs --ignore-known",
     "dep:check:barrels": "node scripts/check-feature-barrel-ui.mjs",
     "check:boot-chunks": "node scripts/check-boot-chunk-lucide.mjs",
     "build:verify": "npm run build && npm run check:boot-chunks",
-    "test": "npm run prebuild:release-notes && vitest run && node --test scripts/extract-release-section.test.mjs && npm run check:css-imports && npm run dep:check:barrels",
+    "test": "npm run prebuild:release-notes && vitest run && node --test scripts/extract-release-section.test.mjs scripts/wix-bundle-version.test.mjs scripts/sync-version-pipeline.test.mjs && npm run check:css-imports && npm run dep:check:barrels",
     "test:watch": "vitest",
     "test:coverage": "npm run prebuild:release-notes && vitest run --coverage && npm run check:css-imports"
   },
diff --git a/scripts/sync-tauri-version-from-package.js b/scripts/sync-tauri-version-from-package.js
index 9c4c201f..bcd66978 100644
--- a/scripts/sync-tauri-version-from-package.js
+++ b/scripts/sync-tauri-version-from-package.js
@@ -47,3 +47,8 @@ if (updatedLock !== lock) {
 } else {
   console.log(`Cargo.lock workspace crates already at ${version}`);
 }
+
+require('child_process').execSync('node scripts/sync-wix-bundle-version.mjs', {
+  cwd: root,
+  stdio: 'inherit',
+});
diff --git a/scripts/sync-version-pipeline.test.mjs b/scripts/sync-version-pipeline.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a6c9db76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/sync-version-pipeline.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/**
+ * Integration tests for promotion/version sync: npm version → sync-tauri → sync-wix.
+ * Simulates tauri.conf.json state after the full pipeline (no file I/O).
+ */
+import { describe, it } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import {
+  wixMappedBuildNumber,
+  wixVersionOverrideForPackageVersion,
+} from './wix-bundle-version.mjs';
+
+/** Mirrors sync-tauri + sync-wix effects on tauri.conf.json. */
+function confAfterVersionSync(packageVersion, priorConf) {
+  const conf = structuredClone(priorConf);
+  conf.version = packageVersion;
+  conf.bundle ??= {};
+  conf.bundle.windows ??= {};
+  const override = wixVersionOverrideForPackageVersion(packageVersion);
+  conf.bundle.windows.wix = { ...(conf.bundle.windows.wix ?? {}), version: override };
+  return conf;
+}
+
+const baseConf = {
+  version: '1.49.0-dev',
+  bundle: {
+    windows: {
+      nsis: { installMode: 'currentUser' },
+      wix: { version: '1.49.0.1' },
+    },
+  },
+};
+
+describe('version promotion pipeline (sync-tauri + sync-wix)', () => {
+  it('main → next: dev to first RC increases WiX build', () => {
+    const conf = confAfterVersionSync('1.50.0-rc.1', baseConf);
+    assert.equal(conf.version, '1.50.0-rc.1');
+    assert.equal(conf.bundle.windows.wix.version, '1.50.0.10001');
+    assert.ok(
+      wixMappedBuildNumber('1.50.0-rc.1') > wixMappedBuildNumber('1.50.0-dev'),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('next RC bump: rc.1 to rc.2', () => {
+    const from = confAfterVersionSync('1.50.0-rc.1', baseConf);
+    const conf = confAfterVersionSync('1.50.0-rc.2', from);
+    assert.equal(conf.version, '1.50.0-rc.2');
+    assert.equal(conf.bundle.windows.wix.version, '1.50.0.10002');
+  });
+
+  it('next → release: RC to stable increases WiX build', () => {
+    const from = confAfterVersionSync('1.50.0-rc.3', baseConf);
+    const conf = confAfterVersionSync('1.50.0', from);
+    assert.equal(conf.version, '1.50.0');
+    assert.equal(conf.bundle.windows.wix.version, '1.50.0.65534');
+    assert.ok(wixMappedBuildNumber('1.50.0') > wixMappedBuildNumber('1.50.0-rc.3'));
+  });
+
+  it('post-release: next minor dev resets build band on new line', () => {
+    const from = confAfterVersionSync('1.50.0', baseConf);
+    const conf = confAfterVersionSync('1.51.0-dev', from);
+    assert.equal(conf.version, '1.51.0-dev');
+    assert.equal(conf.bundle.windows.wix.version, '1.51.0.1');
+  });
+
+  it('stable release sets highest build in line', () => {
+    const conf = confAfterVersionSync('2.0.0', {
+      version: '2.0.0-rc.1',
+      bundle: { windows: { wix: { version: '2.0.0.10001' } } },
+    });
+    assert.equal(conf.version, '2.0.0');
+    assert.equal(conf.bundle.windows.wix.version, '2.0.0.65534');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('sync-tauri-version-from-package.js invokes sync-wix', () => {
+  it('calls sync-wix-bundle-version.mjs after updating conf.version', () => {
+    const source = readFileSync(new URL('./sync-tauri-version-from-package.js', import.meta.url), 'utf8');
+    assert.match(source, /sync-wix-bundle-version\.mjs/);
+    const wixCall = source.indexOf('sync-wix-bundle-version');
+    const versionWrite = source.indexOf('conf.version = version');
+    assert.ok(wixCall > versionWrite, 'sync-wix must run after conf.version is set');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/scripts/sync-wix-bundle-version.mjs b/scripts/sync-wix-bundle-version.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3d579f11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/sync-wix-bundle-version.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+/**
+ * Write bundle.windows.wix.version in tauri.conf.json from package.json.
+ * Keeps the top-level app version unchanged (About, updater metadata, filenames).
+ */
+import fs from 'fs';
+import path from 'path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
+import { wixVersionOverrideForPackageVersion } from './wix-bundle-version.mjs';
+
+const root = path.join(path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), '..');
+const version = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'package.json'), 'utf8')).version;
+if (!version || typeof version !== 'string') {
+  console.error('package.json version missing');
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
+const confPath = path.join(root, 'src-tauri', 'tauri.conf.json');
+const conf = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(confPath, 'utf8'));
+conf.bundle ??= {};
+conf.bundle.windows ??= {};
+conf.bundle.windows.wix ??= {};
+
+const wixVersion = wixVersionOverrideForPackageVersion(version);
+conf.bundle.windows.wix.version = wixVersion;
+console.log(`tauri.conf wix.version -> ${wixVersion} (package ${version})`);
+
+fs.writeFileSync(confPath, `${JSON.stringify(conf, null, 2)}\n`);
diff --git a/scripts/wix-bundle-version.mjs b/scripts/wix-bundle-version.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5f751030
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/wix-bundle-version.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+/**
+ * Map package.json semver to a monotonic WiX/MSI ProductVersion for Tauri.
+ *
+ * `bundle.windows.wix.version` must be `major.minor.patch.build` (four integers
+ * ≤ 65535). Alphabetic pre-releases cannot be used directly. NSIS accepts full
+ * semver without this mapping.
+ *
+ * Build bands (monotonic within X.Y.Z so in-place MSI upgrades work across
+ * dev → rc → stable):
+ *   dev     → .1
+ *   rc.N    → .10000 + N
+ *   stable  → .65534
+ *
+ * Display / About still use the real package.json version.
+ */
+
+/** @type {const} */
+export const WIX_BUILD = {
+  DEV: 1,
+  RC_BASE: 10_000,
+  STABLE: 65_534,
+};
+
+const MAX_WIX_FIELD = 65_535;
+
+/** @param {number} build */
+function assertBuildField(build, label) {
+  if (!Number.isInteger(build) || build < 0 || build > MAX_WIX_FIELD) {
+    throw new Error(`WiX build field out of range for ${label}: ${build}`);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * WiX dot version for bundle.windows.wix.version (always four parts for channels
+ * we ship).
+ * @param {string} version
+ */
+export function wixVersionOverrideForPackageVersion(version) {
+  const trimmed = version.trim();
+  const match = trimmed.match(/^(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)(?:-([^+]+))?(?:\+(\d+))?$/);
+  if (!match) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid semver for WiX mapping: ${trimmed}`);
+  }
+
+  const major = match[1];
+  const minor = match[2];
+  const patch = match[3];
+  const pre = match[4];
+  const buildPart = match[5];
+  const base = `${major}.${minor}.${patch}`;
+
+  if (buildPart !== undefined) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Version "${trimmed}" has +build metadata — map manually or drop build for WiX`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  if (pre === undefined) {
+    return `${base}.${WIX_BUILD.STABLE}`;
+  }
+
+  if (pre === 'dev') {
+    return `${base}.${WIX_BUILD.DEV}`;
+  }
+
+  const rc = pre.match(/^rc\.(\d+)$/);
+  if (rc) {
+    const n = Number(rc[1]);
+    if (!Number.isInteger(n) || n < 1) {
+      throw new Error(`WiX rc index must be ≥ 1 (got rc.${rc[1]})`);
+    }
+    const build = WIX_BUILD.RC_BASE + n;
+    assertBuildField(build, `rc.${n}`);
+    return `${base}.${build}`;
+  }
+
+  if (/^\d+$/.test(pre)) {
+    const n = Number(pre);
+    const build = WIX_BUILD.RC_BASE + n;
+    assertBuildField(build, `pre ${pre}`);
+    return `${base}.${build}`;
+  }
+
+  throw new Error(
+    `Version "${trimmed}" has non-numeric pre-release "${pre}" — MSI/WiX cannot bundle it. ` +
+      'Use NSIS (`--bundles nsis`) or extend wix-bundle-version.mjs.',
+  );
+}
+
+/** Numeric build field from mapped WiX version (for monotonicity tests). */
+export function wixMappedBuildNumber(packageVersion) {
+  const wix = wixVersionOverrideForPackageVersion(packageVersion);
+  const build = Number(wix.split('.')[3]);
+  assertBuildField(build, packageVersion);
+  return build;
+}
diff --git a/scripts/wix-bundle-version.test.mjs b/scripts/wix-bundle-version.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..22af4012
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/wix-bundle-version.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import { describe, it } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import {
+  WIX_BUILD,
+  wixMappedBuildNumber,
+  wixVersionOverrideForPackageVersion,
+} from './wix-bundle-version.mjs';
+
+describe('wixVersionOverrideForPackageVersion', () => {
+  it('maps -dev to lowest build band', () => {
+    assert.equal(wixVersionOverrideForPackageVersion('1.50.0-dev'), '1.50.0.1');
+  });
+
+  it('maps -rc.N to RC base + N', () => {
+    assert.equal(wixVersionOverrideForPackageVersion('1.50.0-rc.3'), '1.50.0.10003');
+  });
+
+  it('maps stable to highest build band', () => {
+    assert.equal(wixVersionOverrideForPackageVersion('1.50.0'), '1.50.0.65534');
+  });
+
+  it('maps numeric pre-release to RC band', () => {
+    assert.equal(wixVersionOverrideForPackageVersion('1.50.0-42'), '1.50.0.10042');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('monotonic promotion builds within X.Y.Z', () => {
+  it('dev < rc.1 < rc.2 < stable', () => {
+    const chain = ['1.50.0-dev', '1.50.0-rc.1', '1.50.0-rc.2', '1.50.0'];
+    let prev = -1;
+    for (const v of chain) {
+      const build = wixMappedBuildNumber(v);
+      assert.ok(build > prev, `${v} build ${build} must exceed ${prev}`);
+      prev = build;
+    }
+    assert.equal(prev, WIX_BUILD.STABLE);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json b/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
index b9427135..01eb14a8 100644
--- a/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
+++ b/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@
     "windows": {
       "nsis": {
         "installMode": "currentUser"
+      },
+      "wix": {
+        "version": "1.50.0.1"
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/app/MainApp.tsx b/src/app/MainApp.tsx
index 2e1e3624..5971af87 100644
--- a/src/app/MainApp.tsx
+++ b/src/app/MainApp.tsx
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ export default function MainApp() {
   const handleExport = async (since: number) => {
     setExportPickerOpen(false);
     try {
-      const { exportNewAlbumsImage } = await import('@/features/album');
+      const { exportNewAlbumsImage } = await import('@/features/album/utils/exportNewAlbums');
       const result = await exportNewAlbumsImage(since);
       if (result) {
         const files = result.paths.length > 1 ? ` (${result.paths.length} Dateien)` : '';
diff --git a/src/config/settingsCredits.ts b/src/config/settingsCredits.ts
index c42bd0ca..c6b99d74 100644
--- a/src/config/settingsCredits.ts
+++ b/src/config/settingsCredits.ts
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ const CONTRIBUTOR_ENTRIES = [
       'Per-device EQ — when System Default is selected, profiles follow the active OS default output and switch on external output changes (PR #1274)',
       'Navidrome public share links — paste/search preview modal, anonymous queue playback, idle server queue-restore guard (PR #1275)',
       'Windows startup hang after #1274 — boot barrel split, stable Wasapi device IDs, legacy EQ key match (PR #1277)',
+      'Windows MSI bundle on dev/RC versions — numeric WiX mapping; album easter-egg import chunk (PR #1278)',
     ],
   },
   {
diff --git a/src/features/album/index.ts b/src/features/album/index.ts
index 6d09c447..82c66119 100644
--- a/src/features/album/index.ts
+++ b/src/features/album/index.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
  * Album feature — the Albums/Random/Lossless/Label browse pages + AlbumDetail
  * (all lazy via deep `pages/*`, not re-exported), album cards/rows/header, the
  * album track list + its mobile/header/row pieces, album detail + browse hooks,
- * the album session store, per-album offline status, and album export helpers.
+ * the album session store, per-album offline status, and album card export.
+ * Easter-egg new-albums PNG export (`utils/exportNewAlbums`) stays off the barrel
+ * so MainApp can lazy-load it without pulling canvas/fs into the boot graph.
  *
  * Stays OUT (library-core / cross-cutting, consumed by this feature, not owned):
  * the `lib/library/album*` browse query engine (shared with offline + other
@@ -32,7 +34,6 @@ export * from './utils/albumRecency';
 export * from './utils/albumTrackListHelpers';
 export * from './utils/deriveAlbumHeaderArtistRefs';
 export * from './utils/exportAlbumCard';
-export * from './utils/exportNewAlbums';
 export { default as AlbumCard } from './components/AlbumCard';
 export { default as AlbumHeader } from './components/AlbumHeader';
 export { default as AlbumRow } from './components/AlbumRow';