diff --git a/.github/android-consumer-test/app/build.gradle.kts b/.github/android-consumer-test/app/build.gradle.kts
index 7723f482..a2176f7d 100644
--- a/.github/android-consumer-test/app/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/.github/android-consumer-test/app/build.gradle.kts
@@ -12,7 +12,11 @@ val jllamaVersion: String = providers.gradleProperty("jllamaVersion").get()
 
 android {
     namespace = "net.ladenthin.llama.consumertest"
-    compileSdk = 35
+    // 37 (not 35): kept in sync with android-llmservice's compileSdk bump (this fixture
+    // mirrors its plumbing, see .github/android-consumer-test's file header). Not
+    // independently required today — this fixture has no Compose dependency and so
+    // doesn't hit the AAR-metadata floor that forced android-llmservice's bump.
+    compileSdk = 37
 
     defaultConfig {
         applicationId = "net.ladenthin.llama.consumertest"
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index d54910d8..5c6a90b3 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -1667,7 +1667,8 @@ Structure (mirrors the consumer-test's plumbing):
   AGP 9.0" (`app/build.gradle.kts` line 7). The Compose compiler plugin still applies
   separately and its 2.4.0 pin exceeds AGP's 2.2.10 floor, so no other version changed.
 - **`app/build.gradle.kts`** — `namespace`/`applicationId` `net.ladenthin.android.llmservice`,
-  `minSdk 28` (AAR floor), `compileSdk/targetSdk 35`, Jetpack Compose, `androidx.appcompat` (only for
+  `minSdk 28` (AAR floor), `compileSdk 37` (raised from 35 — Compose/lifecycle/activity AAR
+  metadata now requires it), `targetSdk 35`, Jetpack Compose, `androidx.appcompat` (only for
   the per-app language API), ABIs `arm64-v8a` + `x86_64`. Depends on `net.ladenthin:llama-android` +
   `net.ladenthin:llama-kotlin` at `-PjllamaVersion=<reactor version>` (defaults to the last release
   when built by hand). The release `signingConfig` reads an **upload keystore** (env vars
diff --git a/android-llmservice/app/build.gradle.kts b/android-llmservice/app/build.gradle.kts
index 5652b3d8..1d67ae91 100644
--- a/android-llmservice/app/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/android-llmservice/app/build.gradle.kts
@@ -32,7 +32,12 @@ val hasUploadKeystore: Boolean = !uploadStorePath.isNullOrBlank() && file(upload
 
 android {
     namespace = "net.ladenthin.android.llmservice"
-    compileSdk = 35
+    // 37 (not 35): the AAR-metadata check fails otherwise — activity-compose 1.13.0 /
+    // androidx.core 1.18.0 / navigationevent 1.0.0 require compileSdk >= 36, and
+    // lifecycle-{viewmodel,runtime}-compose 2.11.0 require compileSdk >= 37. targetSdk is
+    // left at 35 on purpose (compileSdk widens the compile-time API surface; targetSdk
+    // opts into new runtime behavior and is bumped independently).
+    compileSdk = 37
 
     defaultConfig {
         applicationId = "net.ladenthin.android.llmservice"