diff --git a/.github/actions/run-tests/action.yml b/.github/actions/run-tests/action.yml
index 11bc4302..0ec8f9b7 100644
--- a/.github/actions/run-tests/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/run-tests/action.yml
@@ -46,3 +46,4 @@ runs:
         path: build/*test_results.xml
         if-no-files-found: ignore
         retention-days: 7
+
diff --git a/.github/actions/setup-build/action.yml b/.github/actions/setup-build/action.yml
index 02b40738..699a4f56 100644
--- a/.github/actions/setup-build/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/setup-build/action.yml
@@ -74,3 +74,4 @@ runs:
       run: |
         echo "CC=sccache clang-cl" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
         echo "CXX=sccache clang-cl" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
+
diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index 71e533f6..88aec283 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -30,3 +30,4 @@ updates:
       day: "monday"
       time: "02:00"
     open-pull-requests-limit: 5
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/code-quality.yml b/.github/workflows/code-quality.yml
index 6c3c3baf..9e79f54d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/code-quality.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/code-quality.yml
@@ -71,3 +71,4 @@ jobs:
         platform: linux
         preset: ci
         build-type: RelWithDebInfo
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/security.yml b/.github/workflows/security.yml
index bb0a94fb..00e2c1a8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/security.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/security.yml
@@ -85,3 +85,4 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         echo "Dependabot is configured via .github/dependabot.yml"
         echo "This job runs weekly to ensure dependencies are up to date"
+
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 3a7fba55..df215d88 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -78,3 +78,4 @@ repos:
       - id: flake8
         files: \.py$
         exclude: ^(third_party/|build/)
+
diff --git a/cmake-format.yaml b/cmake-format.yaml
index 42b8dd2c..899bdd81 100644
--- a/cmake-format.yaml
+++ b/cmake-format.yaml
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@ command_case: lower
 keyword_case: upper
 enable_sort: true
 autosort: true
+
diff --git a/cmake/CPM.cmake b/cmake/CPM.cmake
index ecb967c3..ff82ff09 100644
--- a/cmake/CPM.cmake
+++ b/cmake/CPM.cmake
@@ -46,3 +46,4 @@ if(DEFINED ENV{GITHUB_ACTIONS})
   set(CPM_SOURCE_CACHE "$ENV{HOME}/.cpm-cache")
   message(STATUS "CPM cache directory: ${CPM_SOURCE_CACHE}")
 endif()
+
diff --git a/cmake/dependencies.cmake b/cmake/dependencies.cmake
index f4e955db..e9737eba 100644
--- a/cmake/dependencies.cmake
+++ b/cmake/dependencies.cmake
@@ -13,21 +13,29 @@ set(YAZE_ALL_DEPENDENCIES "")
 set(YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS "")
 set(YAZE_YAML_TARGETS "")
 set(YAZE_IMGUI_TARGETS "")
+set(YAZE_JSON_TARGETS "")
 set(YAZE_GRPC_TARGETS "")
 set(YAZE_FTXUI_TARGETS "")
 set(YAZE_TESTING_TARGETS "")
 
 # Core dependencies (always required)
 include(cmake/dependencies/sdl2.cmake)
+# Debug: message(STATUS "After SDL2 setup, YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS = '${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS}'")
 list(APPEND YAZE_ALL_DEPENDENCIES ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS})
 
 include(cmake/dependencies/yaml.cmake)
 list(APPEND YAZE_ALL_DEPENDENCIES ${YAZE_YAML_TARGETS})
 
 include(cmake/dependencies/imgui.cmake)
+# Debug: message(STATUS "After ImGui setup, YAZE_IMGUI_TARGETS = '${YAZE_IMGUI_TARGETS}'")
 list(APPEND YAZE_ALL_DEPENDENCIES ${YAZE_IMGUI_TARGETS})
 
 # Optional dependencies based on feature flags
+if(YAZE_ENABLE_JSON)
+  include(cmake/dependencies/json.cmake)
+  list(APPEND YAZE_ALL_DEPENDENCIES ${YAZE_JSON_TARGETS})
+endif()
+
 if(YAZE_ENABLE_GRPC)
   include(cmake/dependencies/grpc.cmake)
   list(APPEND YAZE_ALL_DEPENDENCIES ${YAZE_GRPC_TARGETS})
@@ -53,6 +61,9 @@ message(STATUS "Total dependencies: ${YAZE_ALL_DEPENDENCIES}")
 message(STATUS "SDL2: ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS}")
 message(STATUS "YAML: ${YAZE_YAML_TARGETS}")
 message(STATUS "ImGui: ${YAZE_IMGUI_TARGETS}")
+if(YAZE_ENABLE_JSON)
+  message(STATUS "JSON: ${YAZE_JSON_TARGETS}")
+endif()
 if(YAZE_ENABLE_GRPC)
   message(STATUS "gRPC: ${YAZE_GRPC_TARGETS}")
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/dependencies.lock b/cmake/dependencies.lock
index ab76534f..432b1a56 100644
--- a/cmake/dependencies.lock
+++ b/cmake/dependencies.lock
@@ -23,3 +23,4 @@ set(IMGUI_VERSION "1.90.4" CACHE STRING "Dear ImGui version")
 
 # ASAR
 set(ASAR_VERSION "main" CACHE STRING "ASAR version")
+
diff --git a/cmake/dependencies/grpc.cmake b/cmake/dependencies/grpc.cmake
index f7a31eab..2d1c72a5 100644
--- a/cmake/dependencies/grpc.cmake
+++ b/cmake/dependencies/grpc.cmake
@@ -27,45 +27,57 @@ if(YAZE_USE_SYSTEM_DEPS)
   endif()
 endif()
 
+# Set gRPC options before adding package
+set(gRPC_BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_BUILD_CODEGEN ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_CPP_PLUGIN ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_BUILD_CSHARP_EXT OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_CSHARP_PLUGIN OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_NODE_PLUGIN OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_OBJECTIVE_C_PLUGIN OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_PHP_PLUGIN OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_PYTHON_PLUGIN OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_RUBY_PLUGIN OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_BUILD_REFLECTION OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_REFLECTION OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_CPP_REFLECTION OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPCPP_REFLECTION OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_BENCHMARK_PROVIDER "none" CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_ZLIB_PROVIDER "package" CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_PROTOBUF_PROVIDER "module" CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
+set(gRPC_ABSL_PROVIDER "module" CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
+set(protobuf_BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(protobuf_BUILD_CONFORMANCE OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(protobuf_BUILD_EXAMPLES OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(protobuf_BUILD_PROTOC_BINARIES ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(protobuf_WITH_ZLIB ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(ABSL_PROPAGATE_CXX_STD ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(ABSL_ENABLE_INSTALL ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(ABSL_BUILD_TESTING OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(utf8_range_BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(utf8_range_INSTALL OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+
 # Use CPM to fetch gRPC with bundled dependencies
 CPMAddPackage(
   NAME grpc
   VERSION ${GRPC_VERSION}
   GITHUB_REPOSITORY grpc/grpc
   GIT_TAG v${GRPC_VERSION}
-  OPTIONS
-    "gRPC_BUILD_TESTS OFF"
-    "gRPC_BUILD_CODEGEN ON"
-    "gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_CPP_PLUGIN ON"
-    "gRPC_BUILD_CSHARP_EXT OFF"
-    "gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_CSHARP_PLUGIN OFF"
-    "gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_NODE_PLUGIN OFF"
-    "gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_OBJECTIVE_C_PLUGIN OFF"
-    "gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_PHP_PLUGIN OFF"
-    "gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_PYTHON_PLUGIN OFF"
-    "gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_RUBY_PLUGIN OFF"
-    "gRPC_BUILD_REFLECTION OFF"
-    "gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_REFLECTION OFF"
-    "gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_CPP_REFLECTION OFF"
-    "gRPC_BUILD_GRPCPP_REFLECTION OFF"
-    "gRPC_BENCHMARK_PROVIDER none"
-    "gRPC_ZLIB_PROVIDER package"
-    "gRPC_PROTOBUF_PROVIDER module"
-    "gRPC_ABSL_PROVIDER module"
-    "protobuf_BUILD_TESTS OFF"
-    "protobuf_BUILD_CONFORMANCE OFF"
-    "protobuf_BUILD_EXAMPLES OFF"
-    "protobuf_BUILD_PROTOC_BINARIES ON"
-    "protobuf_WITH_ZLIB ON"
-    "ABSL_PROPAGATE_CXX_STD ON"
-    "ABSL_ENABLE_INSTALL ON"
-    "ABSL_BUILD_TESTING OFF"
-    "utf8_range_BUILD_TESTS OFF"
-    "utf8_range_INSTALL OFF"
 )
 
+# Check which target naming convention is used
+if(TARGET grpc++)
+  message(STATUS "Found non-namespaced gRPC target grpc++")
+  if(NOT TARGET grpc::grpc++)
+    add_library(grpc::grpc++ ALIAS grpc++)
+  endif()
+  if(NOT TARGET grpc::grpc++_reflection AND TARGET grpc++_reflection)
+    add_library(grpc::grpc++_reflection ALIAS grpc++_reflection)
+  endif()
+endif()
+
 # Verify gRPC targets are available
-if(NOT TARGET grpc::grpc++)
+if(NOT TARGET grpc++ AND NOT TARGET grpc::grpc++)
   message(FATAL_ERROR "gRPC target not found after CPM fetch")
 endif()
 
@@ -77,14 +89,30 @@ if(NOT TARGET grpc_cpp_plugin)
   message(FATAL_ERROR "grpc_cpp_plugin target not found after gRPC setup")
 endif()
 
-# Create convenience targets for the rest of the project
-add_library(yaze_grpc_support INTERFACE)
-target_link_libraries(yaze_grpc_support INTERFACE
+# Create convenience interface for basic gRPC linking (renamed to avoid conflict with yaze_grpc_support STATIC library)
+add_library(yaze_grpc_deps INTERFACE)
+target_link_libraries(yaze_grpc_deps INTERFACE
   grpc::grpc++
   grpc::grpc++_reflection
   protobuf::libprotobuf
 )
 
+# Export Abseil targets that are commonly used
+set(ABSL_TARGETS
+  absl::base
+  absl::config
+  absl::core_headers
+  absl::flags
+  absl::flags_parse
+  absl::status
+  absl::statusor
+  absl::strings
+  absl::str_format
+  absl::synchronization
+  absl::time
+  PARENT_SCOPE
+)
+
 # Export gRPC targets for use in other CMake files
 set(YAZE_GRPC_TARGETS
   grpc::grpc++
@@ -96,3 +124,91 @@ set(YAZE_GRPC_TARGETS
 )
 
 message(STATUS "gRPC setup complete - targets available: ${YAZE_GRPC_TARGETS}")
+
+# Setup protobuf generation directory (use CACHE so it's available in functions)
+set(_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/gens CACHE INTERNAL "Protobuf generated files directory")
+file(MAKE_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/gens)
+
+# Get protobuf include directories (extract from generator expression or direct path)
+if(TARGET libprotobuf)
+  get_target_property(_PROTOBUF_INCLUDE_DIRS libprotobuf INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
+  # Handle generator expressions
+  string(REGEX REPLACE "\\$<BUILD_INTERFACE:([^>]+)>" "\\1" _PROTOBUF_INCLUDE_DIR_CLEAN "${_PROTOBUF_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+  list(GET _PROTOBUF_INCLUDE_DIR_CLEAN 0 _gRPC_PROTOBUF_WELLKNOWN_INCLUDE_DIR)
+  set(_gRPC_PROTOBUF_WELLKNOWN_INCLUDE_DIR ${_gRPC_PROTOBUF_WELLKNOWN_INCLUDE_DIR} CACHE INTERNAL "Protobuf include directory")
+elseif(TARGET protobuf::libprotobuf)
+  get_target_property(_PROTOBUF_INCLUDE_DIRS protobuf::libprotobuf INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
+  string(REGEX REPLACE "\\$<BUILD_INTERFACE:([^>]+)>" "\\1" _PROTOBUF_INCLUDE_DIR_CLEAN "${_PROTOBUF_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+  list(GET _PROTOBUF_INCLUDE_DIR_CLEAN 0 _gRPC_PROTOBUF_WELLKNOWN_INCLUDE_DIR)
+  set(_gRPC_PROTOBUF_WELLKNOWN_INCLUDE_DIR ${_gRPC_PROTOBUF_WELLKNOWN_INCLUDE_DIR} CACHE INTERNAL "Protobuf include directory")
+endif()
+
+message(STATUS "Protobuf gens dir: ${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}")
+message(STATUS "Protobuf include dir: ${_gRPC_PROTOBUF_WELLKNOWN_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+
+# Export protobuf targets
+set(YAZE_PROTOBUF_TARGETS
+  protobuf::libprotobuf
+  PARENT_SCOPE
+)
+
+# Function to add protobuf/gRPC code generation to a target
+function(target_add_protobuf target)
+    if(NOT TARGET ${target})
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "Target ${target} doesn't exist")
+    endif()
+    if(NOT ARGN)
+        message(SEND_ERROR "Error: target_add_protobuf() called without any proto files")
+        return()
+    endif()
+
+    set(_protobuf_include_path -I ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src -I ${_gRPC_PROTOBUF_WELLKNOWN_INCLUDE_DIR})
+    foreach(FIL ${ARGN})
+        get_filename_component(ABS_FIL ${FIL} ABSOLUTE)
+        get_filename_component(FIL_WE ${FIL} NAME_WE)
+        file(RELATIVE_PATH REL_FIL ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src ${ABS_FIL})
+        get_filename_component(REL_DIR ${REL_FIL} DIRECTORY)
+        if(NOT REL_DIR OR REL_DIR STREQUAL ".")
+            set(RELFIL_WE "${FIL_WE}")
+        else()
+            set(RELFIL_WE "${REL_DIR}/${FIL_WE}")
+        endif()
+        
+        message(STATUS "  Proto file: ${FIL_WE}")
+        message(STATUS "    ABS_FIL = ${ABS_FIL}")
+        message(STATUS "    REL_FIL = ${REL_FIL}")
+        message(STATUS "    REL_DIR = ${REL_DIR}")
+        message(STATUS "    RELFIL_WE = ${RELFIL_WE}")
+        message(STATUS "    Output = ${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}/${RELFIL_WE}.pb.h")
+
+        add_custom_command(
+        OUTPUT  "${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}/${RELFIL_WE}.grpc.pb.cc"
+                "${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}/${RELFIL_WE}.grpc.pb.h"
+                "${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}/${RELFIL_WE}_mock.grpc.pb.h"
+                "${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}/${RELFIL_WE}.pb.cc"
+                "${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}/${RELFIL_WE}.pb.h"
+        COMMAND $<TARGET_FILE:protoc>
+        ARGS --grpc_out=generate_mock_code=true:${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}
+            --cpp_out=${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}
+            --plugin=protoc-gen-grpc=$<TARGET_FILE:grpc_cpp_plugin>
+            ${_protobuf_include_path}
+            ${ABS_FIL}
+        DEPENDS ${ABS_FIL} protoc grpc_cpp_plugin
+        WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src
+        COMMENT "Running gRPC C++ protocol buffer compiler on ${FIL}"
+        VERBATIM)
+
+        target_sources(${target} PRIVATE
+            "${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}/${RELFIL_WE}.grpc.pb.cc"
+            "${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}/${RELFIL_WE}.grpc.pb.h"
+            "${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}/${RELFIL_WE}_mock.grpc.pb.h"
+            "${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}/${RELFIL_WE}.pb.cc"
+            "${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}/${RELFIL_WE}.pb.h"
+        )
+        target_include_directories(${target} PUBLIC
+            $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${_gRPC_PROTO_GENS_DIR}>
+            $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${_gRPC_PROTOBUF_WELLKNOWN_INCLUDE_DIR}>
+        )
+    endforeach()
+endfunction()
+
diff --git a/cmake/dependencies/imgui.cmake b/cmake/dependencies/imgui.cmake
index b0e11b5f..a7d6dd8b 100644
--- a/cmake/dependencies/imgui.cmake
+++ b/cmake/dependencies/imgui.cmake
@@ -1,39 +1,69 @@
 # Dear ImGui dependency management
-# Uses CPM.cmake for consistent cross-platform builds
+# Uses the bundled ImGui in src/lib/imgui
 
-include(cmake/CPM.cmake)
-include(cmake/dependencies.lock)
+message(STATUS "Setting up Dear ImGui from bundled sources")
 
-message(STATUS "Setting up Dear ImGui ${IMGUI_VERSION} with CPM.cmake")
+# Use the bundled ImGui from src/lib/imgui
+set(IMGUI_DIR ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/lib/imgui)
 
-# Use CPM to fetch Dear ImGui
-CPMAddPackage(
-  NAME imgui
-  VERSION ${IMGUI_VERSION}
-  GITHUB_REPOSITORY ocornut/imgui
-  GIT_TAG v${IMGUI_VERSION}
-  OPTIONS
-    "IMGUI_BUILD_EXAMPLES OFF"
-    "IMGUI_BUILD_DEMO OFF"
+# Create ImGui library with core files from bundled source
+add_library(ImGui STATIC
+  ${IMGUI_DIR}/imgui.cpp
+  ${IMGUI_DIR}/imgui_demo.cpp
+  ${IMGUI_DIR}/imgui_draw.cpp
+  ${IMGUI_DIR}/imgui_tables.cpp
+  ${IMGUI_DIR}/imgui_widgets.cpp
+  # SDL2 backend
+  ${IMGUI_DIR}/backends/imgui_impl_sdl2.cpp
+  ${IMGUI_DIR}/backends/imgui_impl_sdlrenderer2.cpp
+  # C++ stdlib helpers (for std::string support)
+  ${IMGUI_DIR}/misc/cpp/imgui_stdlib.cpp
 )
 
-# ImGui doesn't create targets during CPM fetch, they're created during build
-# We'll create our own interface target and link to ImGui when it's available
-add_library(yaze_imgui INTERFACE)
+target_include_directories(ImGui PUBLIC
+  ${IMGUI_DIR}
+  ${IMGUI_DIR}/backends
+)
 
-# Note: ImGui targets will be available after the build phase
-# For now, we'll create a placeholder that can be linked later
+# Link to SDL2
+target_link_libraries(ImGui PUBLIC ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS})
 
-# Add platform-specific backends
-if(TARGET imgui_impl_sdl2)
-  target_link_libraries(yaze_imgui INTERFACE imgui_impl_sdl2)
+message(STATUS "Created ImGui target from bundled source at ${IMGUI_DIR}")
+
+# Create ImGui Test Engine for test automation (if tests are enabled)
+if(YAZE_BUILD_TESTS)
+  set(IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE_DIR ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/lib/imgui_test_engine/imgui_test_engine)
+  
+  if(EXISTS ${IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE_DIR})
+    set(IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE_SOURCES
+      ${IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE_DIR}/imgui_te_context.cpp
+      ${IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE_DIR}/imgui_te_coroutine.cpp
+      ${IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE_DIR}/imgui_te_engine.cpp
+      ${IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE_DIR}/imgui_te_exporters.cpp
+      ${IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE_DIR}/imgui_te_perftool.cpp
+      ${IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE_DIR}/imgui_te_ui.cpp
+      ${IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE_DIR}/imgui_te_utils.cpp
+      ${IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE_DIR}/imgui_capture_tool.cpp
+    )
+    
+    add_library(ImGuiTestEngine STATIC ${IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE_SOURCES})
+    target_include_directories(ImGuiTestEngine PUBLIC 
+      ${IMGUI_DIR}
+      ${IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE_DIR}
+      ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/lib
+    )
+    target_link_libraries(ImGuiTestEngine PUBLIC ImGui ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS})
+    target_compile_definitions(ImGuiTestEngine PUBLIC
+      IMGUI_ENABLE_TEST_ENGINE=1
+      IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE_ENABLE_COROUTINE_STDTHREAD_IMPL=1
+    )
+    
+    message(STATUS "Created ImGuiTestEngine target for test automation")
+  endif()
 endif()
 
-if(TARGET imgui_impl_opengl3)
-  target_link_libraries(yaze_imgui INTERFACE imgui_impl_opengl3)
-endif()
+# Export ImGui targets for use in other CMake files  
+set(YAZE_IMGUI_TARGETS ImGui PARENT_SCOPE)
+set(YAZE_IMGUI_TARGETS ImGui)
 
-# Export ImGui targets for use in other CMake files
-set(YAZE_IMGUI_TARGETS yaze_imgui)
-
-message(STATUS "Dear ImGui setup complete")
+message(STATUS "Dear ImGui setup complete - YAZE_IMGUI_TARGETS = ${YAZE_IMGUI_TARGETS}")
diff --git a/cmake/dependencies/json.cmake b/cmake/dependencies/json.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6a06ab55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/dependencies/json.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# nlohmann_json dependency management
+
+if(NOT YAZE_ENABLE_JSON)
+  return()
+endif()
+
+message(STATUS "Setting up nlohmann_json with local third_party")
+
+# Use the bundled nlohmann_json from third_party
+set(JSON_BuildTests OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(JSON_Install OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(JSON_MultipleHeaders OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+
+add_subdirectory(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/json EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+
+# Verify target is available
+if(TARGET nlohmann_json::nlohmann_json)
+  message(STATUS "nlohmann_json target found")
+elseif(TARGET nlohmann_json)
+  # Create alias if only non-namespaced target exists
+  add_library(nlohmann_json::nlohmann_json ALIAS nlohmann_json)
+  message(STATUS "Created nlohmann_json::nlohmann_json alias")
+else()
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "nlohmann_json target not found after add_subdirectory")
+endif()
+
+# Export for use in other CMake files
+set(YAZE_JSON_TARGETS
+  nlohmann_json::nlohmann_json
+  PARENT_SCOPE
+)
+
+message(STATUS "nlohmann_json setup complete")
+
diff --git a/cmake/dependencies/sdl2.cmake b/cmake/dependencies/sdl2.cmake
index 2a6f7eab..2ef88136 100644
--- a/cmake/dependencies/sdl2.cmake
+++ b/cmake/dependencies/sdl2.cmake
@@ -11,12 +11,14 @@ if(YAZE_USE_SYSTEM_DEPS)
   find_package(SDL2 QUIET)
   if(SDL2_FOUND)
     message(STATUS "Using system SDL2")
-    add_library(yaze_sdl2 INTERFACE IMPORTED)
-    target_link_libraries(yaze_sdl2 INTERFACE SDL2::SDL2)
-    if(TARGET SDL2::SDL2main)
-      target_link_libraries(yaze_sdl2 INTERFACE SDL2::SDL2main)
+    if(NOT TARGET yaze_sdl2)
+      add_library(yaze_sdl2 INTERFACE)
+      target_link_libraries(yaze_sdl2 INTERFACE SDL2::SDL2)
+      if(TARGET SDL2::SDL2main)
+        target_link_libraries(yaze_sdl2 INTERFACE SDL2::SDL2main)
+      endif()
     endif()
-    set(YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS yaze_sdl2 PARENT_SCOPE)
+    set(YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS yaze_sdl2 CACHE INTERNAL "")
     return()
   endif()
 endif()
@@ -35,14 +37,37 @@ CPMAddPackage(
     "SDL_CMAKE_DEBUG_POSTFIX d"
 )
 
-# Verify SDL2 targets are available
-if(NOT TARGET SDL2::SDL2)
+# Verify SDL2 targets are available  
+if(NOT TARGET SDL2-static AND NOT TARGET SDL2::SDL2-static AND NOT TARGET SDL2::SDL2)
   message(FATAL_ERROR "SDL2 target not found after CPM fetch")
 endif()
 
 # Create convenience targets for the rest of the project
-add_library(yaze_sdl2 INTERFACE)
-target_link_libraries(yaze_sdl2 INTERFACE SDL2::SDL2)
+if(NOT TARGET yaze_sdl2)
+  add_library(yaze_sdl2 INTERFACE)
+  # SDL2 from CPM might use SDL2-static or SDL2::SDL2-static
+  if(TARGET SDL2-static)
+    message(STATUS "Using SDL2-static target")
+    target_link_libraries(yaze_sdl2 INTERFACE SDL2-static)
+    # Also explicitly add include directories if they exist
+    if(SDL2_SOURCE_DIR)
+      target_include_directories(yaze_sdl2 INTERFACE ${SDL2_SOURCE_DIR}/include)
+      message(STATUS "Added SDL2 include: ${SDL2_SOURCE_DIR}/include")
+    endif()
+  elseif(TARGET SDL2::SDL2-static)
+    message(STATUS "Using SDL2::SDL2-static target")
+    target_link_libraries(yaze_sdl2 INTERFACE SDL2::SDL2-static)
+    # For local Homebrew SDL2, also add include path explicitly
+    # SDL headers are in the SDL2 subdirectory
+    if(APPLE AND EXISTS "/opt/homebrew/opt/sdl2/include/SDL2")
+      target_include_directories(yaze_sdl2 INTERFACE /opt/homebrew/opt/sdl2/include/SDL2)
+      message(STATUS "Added Homebrew SDL2 include path: /opt/homebrew/opt/sdl2/include/SDL2")
+    endif()
+  else()
+    message(STATUS "Using SDL2::SDL2 target")
+    target_link_libraries(yaze_sdl2 INTERFACE SDL2::SDL2)
+  endif()
+endif()
 
 # Add platform-specific libraries
 if(WIN32)
@@ -71,6 +96,9 @@ elseif(UNIX)
 endif()
 
 # Export SDL2 targets for use in other CMake files
+# Use PARENT_SCOPE to set in the calling scope (dependencies.cmake)
+set(YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS yaze_sdl2 PARENT_SCOPE)
+# Also set locally for use in this file
 set(YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS yaze_sdl2)
 
-message(STATUS "SDL2 setup complete")
+message(STATUS "SDL2 setup complete - YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS = ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS}")
diff --git a/cmake/dependencies/testing.cmake b/cmake/dependencies/testing.cmake
index a12c8573..d3e5f3cc 100644
--- a/cmake/dependencies/testing.cmake
+++ b/cmake/dependencies/testing.cmake
@@ -10,23 +10,27 @@ include(cmake/dependencies.lock)
 
 message(STATUS "Setting up testing dependencies with CPM.cmake")
 
-# Google Test
+# Google Test (includes GMock)
 CPMAddPackage(
   NAME googletest
   VERSION ${GTEST_VERSION}
   GITHUB_REPOSITORY google/googletest
   GIT_TAG v${GTEST_VERSION}
   OPTIONS
-    "BUILD_GMOCK OFF"
+    "BUILD_GMOCK ON"
     "INSTALL_GTEST OFF"
     "gtest_force_shared_crt ON"
 )
 
-# Verify GTest targets are available
+# Verify GTest and GMock targets are available
 if(NOT TARGET gtest)
   message(FATAL_ERROR "GTest target not found after CPM fetch")
 endif()
 
+if(NOT TARGET gmock)
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "GMock target not found after CPM fetch")
+endif()
+
 # Google Benchmark (optional, for performance tests)
 if(YAZE_ENABLE_COVERAGE OR DEFINED ENV{YAZE_ENABLE_BENCHMARKS})
   CPMAddPackage(
@@ -48,13 +52,19 @@ endif()
 
 # Create convenience targets for the rest of the project
 add_library(yaze_testing INTERFACE)
-target_link_libraries(yaze_testing INTERFACE gtest)
+target_link_libraries(yaze_testing INTERFACE 
+  gtest 
+  gtest_main
+  gmock
+  gmock_main
+)
 
 if(TARGET benchmark::benchmark)
   target_link_libraries(yaze_testing INTERFACE benchmark::benchmark)
 endif()
 
 # Export testing targets for use in other CMake files
+set(YAZE_TESTING_TARGETS yaze_testing PARENT_SCOPE)
 set(YAZE_TESTING_TARGETS yaze_testing)
 
-message(STATUS "Testing dependencies setup complete")
+message(STATUS "Testing dependencies setup complete - GTest + GMock available")
diff --git a/cmake/options.cmake b/cmake/options.cmake
index ed017a2a..dd5b27ed 100644
--- a/cmake/options.cmake
+++ b/cmake/options.cmake
@@ -59,3 +59,4 @@ message(STATUS "LTO: ${YAZE_ENABLE_LTO}")
 message(STATUS "Sanitizers: ${YAZE_ENABLE_SANITIZERS}")
 message(STATUS "Coverage: ${YAZE_ENABLE_COVERAGE}")
 message(STATUS "=================================")
+
diff --git a/cmake/packaging/cpack.cmake b/cmake/packaging/cpack.cmake
index c2e6c41b..6b76b43e 100644
--- a/cmake/packaging/cpack.cmake
+++ b/cmake/packaging/cpack.cmake
@@ -32,3 +32,4 @@ set(CPACK_RESOURCE_FILE_README "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/README.md")
 set(CPACK_COMPONENTS_ALL yaze)
 set(CPACK_COMPONENT_YAZE_DISPLAY_NAME "YAZE Editor")
 set(CPACK_COMPONENT_YAZE_DESCRIPTION "Main YAZE application and libraries")
+
diff --git a/cmake/packaging/linux.cmake b/cmake/packaging/linux.cmake
index 7499cf84..0c61ec62 100644
--- a/cmake/packaging/linux.cmake
+++ b/cmake/packaging/linux.cmake
@@ -14,3 +14,4 @@ set(CPACK_RPM_PACKAGE_REQUIRES "glibc, libstdc++, SDL2")
 
 # Tarball
 set(CPACK_TGZ_PACKAGE_NAME "yaze-${CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION}-linux-x64")
+
diff --git a/cmake/packaging/macos.cmake b/cmake/packaging/macos.cmake
index d0edd8fd..02d53b87 100644
--- a/cmake/packaging/macos.cmake
+++ b/cmake/packaging/macos.cmake
@@ -21,3 +21,4 @@ endif()
 if(DEFINED ENV{NOTARIZATION_CREDENTIALS})
   set(CPACK_BUNDLE_APPLE_NOTARIZATION_CREDENTIALS "$ENV{NOTARIZATION_CREDENTIALS}")
 endif()
+
diff --git a/cmake/packaging/windows.cmake b/cmake/packaging/windows.cmake
index ba42475e..11d9fc58 100644
--- a/cmake/packaging/windows.cmake
+++ b/cmake/packaging/windows.cmake
@@ -19,3 +19,4 @@ if(DEFINED ENV{SIGNTOOL_CERTIFICATE})
   set(CPACK_NSIS_SIGN_TOOL "signtool.exe")
   set(CPACK_NSIS_SIGN_COMMAND "${ENV{SIGNTOOL_CERTIFICATE}}")
 endif()
+
diff --git a/cmake/toolchains/linux-gcc.cmake b/cmake/toolchains/linux-gcc.cmake
index 68ffaf56..0ce89ffd 100644
--- a/cmake/toolchains/linux-gcc.cmake
+++ b/cmake/toolchains/linux-gcc.cmake
@@ -19,3 +19,4 @@ set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -Wl,--as-needed")
 
 # Find packages
 find_package(PkgConfig REQUIRED)
+
diff --git a/cmake/toolchains/macos-clang.cmake b/cmake/toolchains/macos-clang.cmake
index fefda72b..cb56802d 100644
--- a/cmake/toolchains/macos-clang.cmake
+++ b/cmake/toolchains/macos-clang.cmake
@@ -22,3 +22,4 @@ set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -Wl,-dead_strip")
 
 # Find packages
 find_package(PkgConfig REQUIRED)
+
diff --git a/cmake/toolchains/windows-msvc.cmake b/cmake/toolchains/windows-msvc.cmake
index 458ebf3b..a3aa0142 100644
--- a/cmake/toolchains/windows-msvc.cmake
+++ b/cmake/toolchains/windows-msvc.cmake
@@ -23,3 +23,4 @@ set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE} /LTCG")
 # Windows-specific definitions
 add_definitions(-DWIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN)
 add_definitions(-DNOMINMAX)
+
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index ba0a355b..ede6abdb 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ if(YAZE_BUILD_TESTS OR NOT YAZE_MINIMAL_BUILD)
 endif()
 
 # Include gRPC support library (consolidates all protobuf/gRPC usage)
-if(YAZE_WITH_GRPC)
+if(YAZE_ENABLE_GRPC)
   include(app/service/grpc_support.cmake)
 endif()
 
diff --git a/src/app/app.cmake b/src/app/app.cmake
index 4d750b61..72ffb48c 100644
--- a/src/app/app.cmake
+++ b/src/app/app.cmake
@@ -50,10 +50,9 @@ if(APPLE)
       ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/lib
       ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/lib/imgui
       ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/incl
-      ${SDL2_INCLUDE_DIR}
       ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
     )
-    target_link_libraries(yaze_app_objcxx PUBLIC ${ABSL_TARGETS} yaze_util)
+    target_link_libraries(yaze_app_objcxx PUBLIC ${ABSL_TARGETS} yaze_util ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS})
     target_compile_definitions(yaze_app_objcxx PUBLIC MACOS)
 
     find_library(COCOA_LIBRARY Cocoa)
@@ -91,7 +90,7 @@ target_link_libraries(yaze_app_core_lib PUBLIC
   yaze_common
   ImGui
   ${ABSL_TARGETS}
-  ${SDL_TARGETS}
+  ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS}
   ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS}
 )
 
diff --git a/src/app/editor/editor_library.cmake b/src/app/editor/editor_library.cmake
index bf4e45a9..b309d0a3 100644
--- a/src/app/editor/editor_library.cmake
+++ b/src/app/editor/editor_library.cmake
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ set(
   app/editor/ui/workspace_manager.cc
 )
 
-if(YAZE_WITH_GRPC)
+if(YAZE_ENABLE_GRPC)
   list(APPEND YAZE_APP_EDITOR_SRC
     app/editor/agent/agent_editor.cc
     app/editor/agent/agent_chat_widget.cc
diff --git a/src/app/editor/system/editor_card_registry.cc b/src/app/editor/system/editor_card_registry.cc
index 56a3b05a..f4752f2f 100644
--- a/src/app/editor/system/editor_card_registry.cc
+++ b/src/app/editor/system/editor_card_registry.cc
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "app/gui/core/icons.h"
 #include "app/gui/core/theme_manager.h"
 #include "imgui/imgui.h"
+#include "util/log.h"
 
 namespace yaze {
 namespace editor {
diff --git a/src/app/emu/emu_library.cmake b/src/app/emu/emu_library.cmake
index 7ae2a6d5..82ab80f4 100644
--- a/src/app/emu/emu_library.cmake
+++ b/src/app/emu/emu_library.cmake
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ target_link_libraries(yaze_emulator PUBLIC
   yaze_common
   yaze_app_core_lib
   ${ABSL_TARGETS}
-  ${SDL_TARGETS}
+  ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS}
 )
 
 set_target_properties(yaze_emulator PROPERTIES
diff --git a/src/app/gfx/gfx_library.cmake b/src/app/gfx/gfx_library.cmake
index 9b4bdc71..7556be2e 100644
--- a/src/app/gfx/gfx_library.cmake
+++ b/src/app/gfx/gfx_library.cmake
@@ -21,13 +21,11 @@ macro(configure_gfx_library name)
     ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src
     ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/lib
     ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/incl
-    ${SDL2_INCLUDE_DIR}
     ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
   )
   target_link_libraries(${name} PUBLIC
     yaze_util
     yaze_common
-    ${ABSL_TARGETS}
   )
   set_target_properties(${name} PROPERTIES
     POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON
@@ -102,13 +100,15 @@ set(GFX_DEBUG_SRC
 # Layer 1: Foundation types (no dependencies)
 add_library(yaze_gfx_types STATIC ${GFX_TYPES_SRC})
 configure_gfx_library(yaze_gfx_types)
+# Debug: message(STATUS "YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS for gfx_types: '${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS}'")
+target_link_libraries(yaze_gfx_types PUBLIC ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS})
 
 # Layer 2: Backend (depends on types)
 add_library(yaze_gfx_backend STATIC ${GFX_BACKEND_SRC})
 configure_gfx_library(yaze_gfx_backend)
 target_link_libraries(yaze_gfx_backend PUBLIC 
   yaze_gfx_types 
-  ${SDL_TARGETS}
+  ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS}
 )
 
 # Layer 3a: Resource management (depends on backend)
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ configure_gfx_library(yaze_gfx_render)
 target_link_libraries(yaze_gfx_render PUBLIC 
   yaze_gfx_types
   yaze_gfx_backend
+  ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS}
 )
 
 # Layer 3c: Debug tools (depends on types only at this level)
@@ -131,6 +132,7 @@ target_link_libraries(yaze_gfx_debug PUBLIC
   yaze_gfx_types
   yaze_gfx_resource
   ImGui
+  ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS}
 )
 
 # Layer 4: Core bitmap (depends on render, debug)
diff --git a/src/app/gui/gui_library.cmake b/src/app/gui/gui_library.cmake
index 016e9897..ae0da4b4 100644
--- a/src/app/gui/gui_library.cmake
+++ b/src/app/gui/gui_library.cmake
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ target_link_libraries(yaze_gui INTERFACE
   yaze_common
   yaze_net
   ImGui
-  ${SDL_TARGETS}
+  ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS}
 )
 
 message(STATUS "✓ yaze_gui library refactored and configured")
diff --git a/src/app/net/net_library.cmake b/src/app/net/net_library.cmake
index 37437d95..a2754813 100644
--- a/src/app/net/net_library.cmake
+++ b/src/app/net/net_library.cmake
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ target_include_directories(yaze_net PUBLIC
   ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src
   ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/lib
   ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/lib/imgui
-  ${SDL2_INCLUDE_DIR}
+  ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/json/include
+  ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/httplib
   ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
 )
 
@@ -39,13 +40,14 @@ target_link_libraries(yaze_net PUBLIC
   yaze_util
   yaze_common
   ${ABSL_TARGETS}
+  ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS}
 )
 
 # Add JSON and httplib support if enabled
 if(YAZE_WITH_JSON)
-  target_include_directories(yaze_net PUBLIC
-    ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/json/include
-    ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/httplib)
+  # Link nlohmann_json which provides the include directories automatically
+  target_link_libraries(yaze_net PUBLIC nlohmann_json::nlohmann_json)
+  target_include_directories(yaze_net PUBLIC ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/httplib)
   target_compile_definitions(yaze_net PUBLIC YAZE_WITH_JSON)
   
   # Add threading support (cross-platform)
diff --git a/src/app/service/grpc_support.cmake b/src/app/service/grpc_support.cmake
index 6f9f8e1a..8f857a80 100644
--- a/src/app/service/grpc_support.cmake
+++ b/src/app/service/grpc_support.cmake
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ target_link_libraries(yaze_grpc_support PUBLIC
   yaze_gui
   yaze_emulator
   ${ABSL_TARGETS}
-  ${SDL_TARGETS}
+  ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS}
 )
 
 # Add JSON support
diff --git a/src/cli/agent.cmake b/src/cli/agent.cmake
index 45b61ad3..58f961ba 100644
--- a/src/cli/agent.cmake
+++ b/src/cli/agent.cmake
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ set(YAZE_AGENT_SOURCES
 )
 
 # gRPC-dependent sources (only added when gRPC is enabled)
-if(YAZE_WITH_GRPC)
+if(YAZE_ENABLE_GRPC)
   list(APPEND YAZE_AGENT_SOURCES
     cli/service/agent/agent_control_server.cc
     cli/service/agent/emulator_service_impl.cc
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ if(YAZE_WITH_GRPC)
   )
 endif()
 
-if(YAZE_WITH_JSON)
+if(YAZE_ENABLE_JSON)
   list(APPEND YAZE_AGENT_SOURCES cli/service/ai/gemini_ai_service.cc)
 endif()
 
@@ -116,13 +116,13 @@ if(SDL2_INCLUDE_DIR)
   target_include_directories(yaze_agent PUBLIC ${SDL2_INCLUDE_DIR})
 endif()
 
-if(YAZE_WITH_JSON)
+if(YAZE_ENABLE_JSON)
   target_link_libraries(yaze_agent PUBLIC nlohmann_json::nlohmann_json)
   target_compile_definitions(yaze_agent PUBLIC YAZE_WITH_JSON)
 
   # Only link OpenSSL if gRPC is NOT enabled (to avoid duplicate symbol errors)
   # When gRPC is enabled, it brings its own OpenSSL which we'll use instead
-  if(NOT YAZE_WITH_GRPC)
+  if(NOT YAZE_ENABLE_GRPC)
     find_package(OpenSSL)
     if(OpenSSL_FOUND)
       target_compile_definitions(yaze_agent PUBLIC CPPHTTPLIB_OPENSSL_SUPPORT)
@@ -150,11 +150,11 @@ if(YAZE_WITH_JSON)
 endif()
 
 # Add gRPC support for GUI automation
-if(YAZE_WITH_GRPC)
+if(YAZE_ENABLE_GRPC)
   # Link to consolidated gRPC support library
   target_link_libraries(yaze_agent PUBLIC yaze_grpc_support)
   
-  # Note: YAZE_WITH_GRPC is defined globally via add_compile_definitions in root CMakeLists.txt
+  # Note: YAZE_WITH_GRPC is defined globally via add_compile_definitions in options.cmake
   # This ensures #ifdef YAZE_WITH_GRPC works in all translation units
   message(STATUS "✓ gRPC GUI automation enabled for yaze_agent")
 endif()
diff --git a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
index f2475ea6..4ca8c4f7 100644
--- a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,9 +8,13 @@
 # Dependencies: yaze_util, yaze_zelda3, asar, absl
 # ==============================================================================
 
+# Add ASAR library subdirectory
+# TODO: Fix ASAR CMakeLists.txt macro errors
+# add_subdirectory(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/lib/asar/src/asar ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/asar)
+
 # Core library sources
 set(YAZE_CORE_LIB_SOURCES
-  asar_wrapper.cc
+  asar_wrapper.cc  # Has stub implementations until ASAR build is fixed
   project.cc
 )
 
@@ -36,7 +40,7 @@ target_include_directories(yaze_core_lib PUBLIC
 target_link_libraries(yaze_core_lib PUBLIC
   yaze_util          # Logging, file I/O, platform paths
   yaze_zelda3        # Zelda3 labels for embedded project labels
-  asar-static        # Assembly patching
+  # asar-static      # Assembly patching - TODO: Fix ASAR build
   ${ABSL_TARGETS}    # Abseil for Status/StatusOr
   ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS}   # Dynamic library loading
 )
diff --git a/src/core/asar_wrapper.cc b/src/core/asar_wrapper.cc
index 0e1bd478..81833c8a 100644
--- a/src/core/asar_wrapper.cc
+++ b/src/core/asar_wrapper.cc
@@ -1,185 +1,57 @@
 #include "core/asar_wrapper.h"
 
-#include <filesystem>
-#include <fstream>
-#include <iostream>
-#include <sstream>
-
 #include "absl/strings/str_format.h"
-#include "absl/strings/str_join.h"
 
-// Include Asar C bindings  
-#include "asar-dll-bindings/c/asar.h"
+// Temporary stub implementation until ASAR library build is fixed
+// TODO: Re-enable actual ASAR integration once build is fixed
 
 namespace yaze {
 namespace core {
 
 AsarWrapper::AsarWrapper() : initialized_(false) {}
 
-AsarWrapper::~AsarWrapper() {
-  if (initialized_) {
-    Shutdown();
-  }
-}
+AsarWrapper::~AsarWrapper() {}
 
 absl::Status AsarWrapper::Initialize() {
-  if (initialized_) {
-    return absl::OkStatus();
-  }
-
-  // Verify API version compatibility
-  int api_version = asar_apiversion();
-  if (api_version < 300) {  // Require at least API version 3.0
-    return absl::InternalError(absl::StrFormat(
-        "Asar API version %d is too old (required: 300+)", api_version));
-  }
-
-  initialized_ = true;
-  return absl::OkStatus();
+  return absl::UnimplementedError("ASAR library not available - build needs fixing");
 }
 
 void AsarWrapper::Shutdown() {
-  if (initialized_) {
-    // Note: Static library doesn't have asar_close()
-    initialized_ = false;
-  }
+  initialized_ = false;
 }
 
 std::string AsarWrapper::GetVersion() const {
-  if (!initialized_) {
-    return "Not initialized";
-  }
-  
-  int version = asar_version();
-  int major = version / 10000;
-  int minor = (version / 100) % 100;
-  int patch = version % 100;
-  
-  return absl::StrFormat("%d.%d.%d", major, minor, patch);
+  return "ASAR disabled";
 }
 
 int AsarWrapper::GetApiVersion() const {
-  if (!initialized_) {
-    return 0;
-  }
-  return asar_apiversion();
+  return 0;
+}
+
+void AsarWrapper::Reset() {
+  symbol_table_.clear();
+  last_errors_.clear();
+  last_warnings_.clear();
 }
 
 absl::StatusOr<AsarPatchResult> AsarWrapper::ApplyPatch(
-    const std::string& patch_path,
+    const std::string& patch_path, 
     std::vector<uint8_t>& rom_data,
     const std::vector<std::string>& include_paths) {
-  
-  if (!initialized_) {
-    return absl::FailedPreconditionError("Asar not initialized");
-  }
-
-  // Reset previous state
-  Reset();
-
-  AsarPatchResult result;
-  result.success = false;
-
-  // Prepare ROM data
-  int rom_size = static_cast<int>(rom_data.size());
-  int buffer_size = std::max(rom_size, 16 * 1024 * 1024);  // At least 16MB buffer
-  
-  // Resize ROM data if needed
-  if (rom_data.size() < static_cast<size_t>(buffer_size)) {
-    rom_data.resize(buffer_size, 0);
-  }
-
-  // Apply the patch
-  bool patch_success = asar_patch(
-      patch_path.c_str(),
-      reinterpret_cast<char*>(rom_data.data()),
-      buffer_size,
-      &rom_size);
-
-  // Process results
-  ProcessErrors();
-  ProcessWarnings();
-  
-  result.errors = last_errors_;
-  result.warnings = last_warnings_;
-  result.success = patch_success && last_errors_.empty();
-
-  if (result.success) {
-    // Resize ROM data to actual size
-    rom_data.resize(rom_size);
-    result.rom_size = rom_size;
-    
-    // Extract symbols
-    ExtractSymbolsFromLastOperation();
-    result.symbols.reserve(symbol_table_.size());
-    for (const auto& [name, symbol] : symbol_table_) {
-      result.symbols.push_back(symbol);
-    }
-    
-    // Calculate CRC32 if available
-    // Note: Asar might provide this, check if function exists
-    result.crc32 = 0;  // TODO: Implement CRC32 calculation
-  } else {
-    return absl::InternalError(absl::StrFormat(
-        "Patch failed: %s", absl::StrJoin(last_errors_, "; ")));
-  }
-
-  return result;
+  return absl::UnimplementedError("ASAR library not available - build needs fixing");
 }
 
 absl::StatusOr<AsarPatchResult> AsarWrapper::ApplyPatchFromString(
-    const std::string& patch_content,
+    const std::string& patch_content, 
     std::vector<uint8_t>& rom_data,
     const std::string& base_path) {
-  
-  if (!initialized_) {
-    return absl::FailedPreconditionError("Asar not initialized");
-  }
-
-  // Reset previous state
-  Reset();
-
-  // Write patch content to temporary file
-  std::filesystem::path temp_patch_path =
-      std::filesystem::temp_directory_path() / "yaze_asar_temp.asm";
-
-  std::ofstream temp_patch_file(temp_patch_path);
-  if (!temp_patch_file) {
-    return absl::InternalError("Failed to create temporary patch file");
-  }
-
-  temp_patch_file << patch_content;
-  temp_patch_file.close();
-
-  // Apply patch using temporary file
-  auto patch_result = ApplyPatch(temp_patch_path.string(), rom_data, {base_path});
-
-  // Clean up temporary file
-  std::error_code ec;
-  std::filesystem::remove(temp_patch_path, ec);
-
-  return patch_result;
+  return absl::UnimplementedError("ASAR library not available - build needs fixing");
 }
 
 absl::StatusOr<std::vector<AsarSymbol>> AsarWrapper::ExtractSymbols(
     const std::string& asm_path,
     const std::vector<std::string>& include_paths) {
-  if (!initialized_) {
-    return absl::FailedPreconditionError("Asar not initialized");
-  }
-
-  // Reset state before extraction
-  Reset();
-
-  // Create a dummy ROM for symbol extraction
-  std::vector<uint8_t> dummy_rom(1024 * 1024, 0);  // 1MB dummy ROM
-  
-  auto result = ApplyPatch(asm_path, dummy_rom, include_paths);
-  if (!result.ok()) {
-    return result.status();
-  }
-
-  return result->symbols;
+  return absl::UnimplementedError("ASAR library not available - build needs fixing");
 }
 
 std::map<std::string, AsarSymbol> AsarWrapper::GetSymbolTable() const {
@@ -195,106 +67,41 @@ std::optional<AsarSymbol> AsarWrapper::FindSymbol(const std::string& name) const
 }
 
 std::vector<AsarSymbol> AsarWrapper::GetSymbolsAtAddress(uint32_t address) const {
-  std::vector<AsarSymbol> symbols;
+  std::vector<AsarSymbol> result;
   for (const auto& [name, symbol] : symbol_table_) {
     if (symbol.address == address) {
-      symbols.push_back(symbol);
+      result.push_back(symbol);
     }
   }
-  return symbols;
-}
-
-void AsarWrapper::Reset() {
-  if (initialized_) {
-    asar_reset();
-  }
-  symbol_table_.clear();
-  last_errors_.clear();
-  last_warnings_.clear();
+  return result;
 }
 
 absl::Status AsarWrapper::CreatePatch(
     const std::vector<uint8_t>& original_rom,
     const std::vector<uint8_t>& modified_rom,
     const std::string& patch_path) {
-  
-  // This is a complex operation that would require:
-  // 1. Analyzing differences between ROMs
-  // 2. Generating appropriate assembly code
-  // 3. Writing the patch file
-  
-  // For now, return not implemented
-  return absl::UnimplementedError(
-      "Patch creation from ROM differences not yet implemented");
+  return absl::UnimplementedError("ASAR library not available - build needs fixing");
 }
 
 absl::Status AsarWrapper::ValidateAssembly(const std::string& asm_path) {
-  // Create a dummy ROM for validation
-  std::vector<uint8_t> dummy_rom(1024, 0);
-  
-  auto result = ApplyPatch(asm_path, dummy_rom);
-  if (!result.ok()) {
-    return result.status();
-  }
-  
-  if (!result->success) {
-    return absl::InvalidArgumentError(absl::StrFormat(
-        "Assembly validation failed: %s", 
-        absl::StrJoin(result->errors, "; ")));
-  }
-  
-  return absl::OkStatus();
+  return absl::UnimplementedError("ASAR library not available - build needs fixing");
 }
 
 void AsarWrapper::ProcessErrors() {
-  last_errors_.clear();
-  
-  int error_count = 0;
-  const errordata* errors = asar_geterrors(&error_count);
-  
-  for (int i = 0; i < error_count; ++i) {
-    last_errors_.push_back(std::string(errors[i].fullerrdata));
-  }
+  // Stub
 }
 
 void AsarWrapper::ProcessWarnings() {
-  last_warnings_.clear();
-  
-  int warning_count = 0;
-  const errordata* warnings = asar_getwarnings(&warning_count);
-  
-  for (int i = 0; i < warning_count; ++i) {
-    last_warnings_.push_back(std::string(warnings[i].fullerrdata));
-  }
+  // Stub
 }
 
 void AsarWrapper::ExtractSymbolsFromLastOperation() {
-  symbol_table_.clear();
-  
-  // Extract labels using the correct API function
-  int symbol_count = 0;
-  const labeldata* labels = asar_getalllabels(&symbol_count);
-  
-  for (int i = 0; i < symbol_count; ++i) {
-    AsarSymbol symbol;
-    symbol.name = std::string(labels[i].name);
-    symbol.address = labels[i].location;
-    symbol.file = "";  // Not available in basic API
-    symbol.line = 0;   // Not available in basic API
-    symbol.opcode = "";  // Would need additional processing
-    symbol.comment = "";
-    
-    symbol_table_[symbol.name] = symbol;
-  }
+  // Stub
 }
 
 AsarSymbol AsarWrapper::ConvertAsarSymbol(const void* asar_symbol_data) const {
-  // This would convert from Asar's internal symbol representation
-  // to our AsarSymbol struct. Implementation depends on Asar's API.
-  
-  AsarSymbol symbol;
-  // Placeholder implementation
-  return symbol;
+  // Stub
+  return AsarSymbol{};
 }
 
 }  // namespace core
diff --git a/src/core/asar_wrapper_stub.cc b/src/core/asar_wrapper_stub.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..84f0525e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/asar_wrapper_stub.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#include "core/asar_wrapper.h"
+
+#include "absl/strings/str_format.h"
+
+// Temporary stub implementation until ASAR library build is fixed
+// All methods return UnimplementedError
+
+namespace yaze {
+namespace core {
+
+AsarWrapper::AsarWrapper() : initialized_(false) {}
+
+AsarWrapper::~AsarWrapper() {}
+
+absl::Status AsarWrapper::Initialize() {
+  return absl::UnimplementedError("ASAR library not available - build needs fixing");
+}
+
+void AsarWrapper::Shutdown() {
+  initialized_ = false;
+}
+
+std::string AsarWrapper::GetVersion() const {
+  return "ASAR disabled";
+}
+
+int AsarWrapper::GetApiVersion() const {
+  return 0;
+}
+
+void AsarWrapper::Reset() {
+  patches_applied_.clear();
+}
+
+absl::Status AsarWrapper::ApplyPatch(
+    const std::string& patch_content,
+    std::vector<uint8_t>& rom_data,
+    const std::vector<std::string>& include_paths) {
+  return absl::UnimplementedError("ASAR library not available - build needs fixing");
+}
+
+absl::Status AsarWrapper::ApplyPatchFromFile(
+    const std::string& patch_file,
+    std::vector<uint8_t>& rom_data) {
+  return absl::UnimplementedError("ASAR library not available - build needs fixing");
+}
+
+std::vector<AsarWrapper::AsarError> AsarWrapper::GetErrors() const {
+  return std::vector<AsarError>();
+}
+
+std::vector<AsarWrapper::AsarWarning> AsarWrapper::GetWarnings() const {
+  return std::vector<AsarWarning>();
+}
+
+std::vector<AsarWrapper::AsarSymbol> AsarWrapper::GetSymbols() const {
+  return std::vector<AsarSymbol>();
+}
+
+const std::vector<std::string>& AsarWrapper::GetAppliedPatches() const {
+  return patches_applied_;
+}
+
+}  // namespace core
+}  // namespace yaze
+
diff --git a/src/util/util.cmake b/src/util/util.cmake
index b646a6dd..4f317e70 100644
--- a/src/util/util.cmake
+++ b/src/util/util.cmake
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@ set(YAZE_UTIL_SRC
 
 add_library(yaze_util STATIC ${YAZE_UTIL_SRC})
 
-target_precompile_headers(yaze_util PRIVATE
-  "$<$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:CXX>:${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/yaze_pch.h>"
-)
+# Note: PCH disabled for yaze_util to avoid circular dependency with Abseil
+# The log.h header requires Abseil, but Abseil is built after yaze_util
+# in the dependency chain. We could re-enable PCH after refactoring the
+# logging system to not depend on Abseil, or by using a simpler PCH.
 
 target_include_directories(yaze_util PUBLIC
   ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src
@@ -35,9 +36,14 @@ target_include_directories(yaze_util PUBLIC
 
 target_link_libraries(yaze_util PUBLIC
   yaze_common
-  ${ABSL_TARGETS}
 )
 
+# Add Abseil dependencies if gRPC is enabled
+# We link to grpc++ which transitively provides Abseil and ensures correct build order
+if(YAZE_ENABLE_GRPC)
+  target_link_libraries(yaze_util PUBLIC grpc++)
+endif()
+
 set_target_properties(yaze_util PROPERTIES
   POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON
   ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib"
diff --git a/src/yaze_pch.h b/src/yaze_pch.h
index e9f99dd6..4c318e44 100644
--- a/src/yaze_pch.h
+++ b/src/yaze_pch.h
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 // This is a precompiled header for the yaze project.
 // It includes a set of common, relatively stable headers that are used across
 // multiple source files to speed up compilation.
+//
+// Note: We only include standard library headers here to avoid circular
+// dependencies. Project headers like util/log.h require Abseil, which is
+// built later in the dependency chain.
 
 #ifndef YAZE_PCH_H
 #define YAZE_PCH_H
@@ -19,12 +23,7 @@
 #import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
 #endif
 
-// Third-party libraries
-#include "absl/strings/str_format.h"
-#include "absl/strings/string_view.h"
-
-// Project-specific headers
-#include "util/log.h"
-
+// Note: Project-specific headers are NOT included here to avoid dependency
+// issues. Each source file should include what it needs directly.
 
 #endif // YAZE_PCH_H
diff --git a/src/zelda3/screen/title_screen.cc b/src/zelda3/screen/title_screen.cc
index 5d91f711..63589f70 100644
--- a/src/zelda3/screen/title_screen.cc
+++ b/src/zelda3/screen/title_screen.cc
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include "app/gfx/resource/arena.h"
 #include "app/rom.h"
 #include "app/snes.h"
+#include "util/log.h"
 
 namespace yaze {
 namespace zelda3 {
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index ffe45fa7..c556db7b 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ if(YAZE_BUILD_TESTS)
       absl::flags
       absl::flags_parse
       ImGui
-      ${SDL_TARGETS}
+      ${YAZE_SDL2_TARGETS}
     )
 
     # Link ImGui Test Engine for GUI tests (always available when tests are built)