diff --git a/docs/updater.md b/docs/updater.md
index c27615a3..f117c898 100644
--- a/docs/updater.md
+++ b/docs/updater.md
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ JSON parsing, and sha256 verification run on a background `love.thread`
 
 ## Version.lua fields
 
-`src/core/Version.lua` carries three fields the updater reads directly (the
+`src/core/Version.lua` carries four fields the updater reads directly (the
 existing `modApi`, `linkProtocol`, `saveFormat`, and `cache` fields are
 untouched):
 
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ untouched):
   as a valid payload to chainload).
 - `shell` - the native-shell contract this build's fused executable
   implements.
+- `payloadHost` - the native host family an in-place payload targets. Ordinary
+  LÖVE packages use `"love"`. A specialized native package uses a distinct,
+  stable identifier and accepts only payloads carrying that same identifier.
+  A missing field defaults to `"love"`, preserving compatibility with payloads
+  released before this field existed.
 - `minShell` - the lowest shell contract required to *run* this payload.
 
 Bump `minShell` only when a payload needs something the currently-shipped
@@ -49,6 +54,12 @@ rather than deleting it, in case a future shell upgrade can run it, and
 installer instead. Do not bump `minShell` for an ordinary Lua/data release;
 that is exactly the case the updater exists to avoid a reinstall for.
 
+Change `payloadHost` only when the packaged Lua depends on a different native
+host family. This is separate from `minShell`: the host name answers *which*
+native integration the payload targets, while the shell number answers *which
+revision* of that integration it requires. A mismatched-host payload is never
+mounted or deleted as stale; the launcher directs the player to a full package.
+
 ## Release assets
 
 Each tagged release `vX.Y.Z` carries the existing per-platform archives
diff --git a/src/core/Version.lua b/src/core/Version.lua
index c57b91a2..0424bc82 100644
--- a/src/core/Version.lua
+++ b/src/core/Version.lua
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ local Version = {
                           -- "-dev" placeholder; CI stamps the real X.Y.Z into
                           -- the packed game.love only, never the working tree.
   shell = 1,              -- native-shell contract this build implements
+  payloadHost = "love",   -- native host family for in-place Lua payloads.
+                          -- A payload must name the same family; this prevents
+                          -- mounting code packaged for a different native host.
   minShell = 1,           -- lowest shell contract that can RUN this payload.
                           -- Bump only when a payload needs a newer native
                           -- binary (e.g. a LOVE version bump); an older shell
diff --git a/src/update/Boot.lua b/src/update/Boot.lua
index b3936ad4..43f0781f 100644
--- a/src/update/Boot.lua
+++ b/src/update/Boot.lua
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@ local function purgeBundledModules()
   end
 end
 
--- Boot.probePayload(rel) -> { engine = string, minShell = number } | nil, err
+-- Boot.probePayload(rel)
+--   -> { engine = string, minShell = number, payloadHost = string } | nil, err
 --
 -- Mount the archive at rel (a save-directory-relative path) on an isolated
 -- mountpoint, read its src/core/Version.lua by executing the source with
@@ -104,24 +105,50 @@ function Boot.probePayload(rel)
   if type(v) ~= "table" or type(v.engine) ~= "string" then
     return nil, "payload has no usable Version table"
   end
-  return { engine = v.engine, minShell = tonumber(v.minShell) or 1 }
+  return {
+    engine = v.engine,
+    minShell = tonumber(v.minShell) or 1,
+    payloadHost = type(v.payloadHost) == "string" and v.payloadHost or "love",
+  }
 end
 
--- Boot.select(candidates, bundledEngine, bundledShell) -> chosen | nil, toDelete
+-- Pure host gate shared by boot selection and the download worker. Missing
+-- payloadHost fields mean "love" so payloads made before this contract remain
+-- compatible with ordinary LOVE packages.
+function Boot.canHost(info, bundledShell, bundledPayloadHost)
+  if type(info) ~= "table" then return false end
+  local payloadHost = type(info.payloadHost) == "string"
+    and info.payloadHost or "love"
+  local host = type(bundledPayloadHost) == "string"
+    and bundledPayloadHost or "love"
+  return payloadHost == host and (tonumber(info.minShell) or 1)
+    <= (tonumber(bundledShell) or 1)
+end
+
+local function samePayloadHost(info, bundledPayloadHost)
+  local payloadHost = type(info.payloadHost) == "string"
+    and info.payloadHost or "love"
+  local host = type(bundledPayloadHost) == "string"
+    and bundledPayloadHost or "love"
+  return payloadHost == host
+end
+
+-- Boot.select(candidates, bundledEngine, bundledShell, bundledPayloadHost)
+--   -> chosen | nil, toDelete
 --
 -- Pure (no love.*): decide which payload to run and which to delete.
--- candidates is a list of { name = , engine = , minShell = }.
+-- candidates is a list of { name = , engine = , minShell = , payloadHost = }.
 --   * chosen: the highest engine that is STRICTLY newer than bundledEngine and
---     whose minShell <= bundledShell (a payload the running shell can host).
+--     whose payloadHost matches and minShell <= bundledShell.
 --   * toDelete: stale payloads -- engine <= bundled (old or the same as what we
 --     already ship), or superseded by the chosen one (not newer than chosen).
---     A payload newer than the chosen one but unrunnable here (minShell too
---     high) is kept: a future shell upgrade may be able to run it.
-function Boot.select(candidates, bundledEngine, bundledShell)
+--     A newer incompatible payload is kept: a matching host or future shell
+--     may be able to run it.
+function Boot.select(candidates, bundledEngine, bundledShell, bundledPayloadHost)
   local chosen
   for _, c in ipairs(candidates) do
     local newer = Semver.compare(c.engine, bundledEngine) > 0
-    local runnable = (c.minShell or 1) <= bundledShell
+    local runnable = Boot.canHost(c, bundledShell, bundledPayloadHost)
     if newer and runnable then
       if not chosen or Semver.compare(c.engine, chosen.engine) > 0 then
         chosen = c
@@ -132,9 +159,15 @@ function Boot.select(candidates, bundledEngine, bundledShell)
   local toDelete = {}
   for _, c in ipairs(candidates) do
     if not (chosen and c.name == chosen.name) then
-      local stale = Semver.compare(c.engine, bundledEngine) <= 0
-      if chosen and Semver.compare(c.engine, chosen.engine) <= 0 then
-        stale = true
+      local stale = false
+      -- Never clean up another host family's payloads. A shared save directory
+      -- may be opened by multiple native packages, and only the matching host
+      -- can decide whether one of its own archives is stale.
+      if samePayloadHost(c, bundledPayloadHost) then
+        stale = Semver.compare(c.engine, bundledEngine) <= 0
+        if chosen and Semver.compare(c.engine, chosen.engine) <= 0 then
+          stale = true
+        end
       end
       if stale then toDelete[#toDelete + 1] = c.name end
     end
@@ -223,6 +256,7 @@ local function runInner(args)
             name = entry,
             engine = info.engine,
             minShell = info.minShell,
+            payloadHost = info.payloadHost,
           }
         end
       end
@@ -230,7 +264,8 @@ local function runInner(args)
   end
 
   local Version = require("src.core.Version")
-  local chosen, toDelete = Boot.select(candidates, Version.engine, Version.shell)
+  local chosen, toDelete = Boot.select(candidates, Version.engine,
+    Version.shell, Version.payloadHost)
 
   for _, victim in ipairs(toDelete) do
     love.filesystem.remove(PAYLOAD_DIR .. "/" .. victim)
diff --git a/src/update/check_worker.lua b/src/update/check_worker.lua
index 7a0dd1ba..0efc7ada 100644
--- a/src/update/check_worker.lua
+++ b/src/update/check_worker.lua
@@ -153,8 +153,9 @@ local function gatePasses(rel)
   local info = Boot.probePayload(rel)
   if not info then return true end
   local shell = (Version and Version.shell) or 1
-  if info.minShell and info.minShell > shell then return false end
-  return true
+  local payloadHost = (Version and Version.payloadHost) or "love"
+  if Boot.canHost then return Boot.canHost(info, shell, payloadHost) end
+  return not (info.minShell and info.minShell > shell)
 end
 
 -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/tests/engine/update_tests.lua b/tests/engine/update_tests.lua
index 9bf67171..2fb696ab 100644
--- a/tests/engine/update_tests.lua
+++ b/tests/engine/update_tests.lua
@@ -104,6 +104,34 @@ local function nameSet(list)
   return s
 end
 
+-- Host-family compatibility is independent from the numeric shell revision.
+-- Missing fields preserve the historical ordinary-LOVE defaults.
+do
+  check(Boot.canHost({}, 1, "love"),
+    "canHost: legacy payload defaults to ordinary LOVE host and shell 1")
+  check(Boot.canHost({ payloadHost = "love", minShell = 2 }, 2, "love"),
+    "canHost: matching host and sufficient shell pass")
+  check(not Boot.canHost({ payloadHost = "love", minShell = 2 }, 1, "love"),
+    "canHost: newer shell requirement fails")
+  check(not Boot.canHost({ payloadHost = "special", minShell = 1 }, 9, "love"),
+    "canHost: a high shell revision cannot override a host mismatch")
+  check(Boot.canHost({ payloadHost = "special", minShell = 3 }, 3, "special"),
+    "canHost: a specialized host accepts its own payload")
+  check(not Boot.canHost(nil, 1, "love"),
+    "canHost: malformed payload metadata fails closed")
+end
+
+-- Even an older mismatched-host payload is not ours to clean up.
+do
+  local candidates = {
+    { name = "other-old.love", engine = "0.5.0", minShell = 1,
+      payloadHost = "special" },
+  }
+  local chosen, del = Boot.select(candidates, "1.0.0", 1, "love")
+  eq(chosen, nil, "select: old payload for another host is not runnable")
+  eq(#del, 0, "select: old payload for another host is not deleted")
+end
+
 -- empty candidate list: nothing to run, nothing to delete
 do
   local chosen, del = Boot.select({}, "1.0.0", 1)
@@ -127,6 +155,34 @@ do
   check(not d["b.love"], "select: the chosen payload is never deleted")
 end
 
+-- A newer payload for another native host is neither selected nor deleted.
+-- It may be valid for another full package sharing this save directory.
+do
+  local candidates = {
+    { name = "other.love", engine = "2.0.0", minShell = 1,
+      payloadHost = "special" },
+    { name = "ours.love", engine = "1.5.0", minShell = 1,
+      payloadHost = "love" },
+  }
+  local chosen, del = Boot.select(candidates, "1.0.0", 1, "love")
+  eq(chosen, "ours.love", "select: chooses the matching host payload")
+  eq(#del, 0, "select: incompatible newer host payload is retained")
+end
+
+-- The same candidate set selects the specialized payload when the bundled
+-- package identifies as that host family.
+do
+  local candidates = {
+    { name = "ordinary.love", engine = "2.1.0", minShell = 1,
+      payloadHost = "love" },
+    { name = "special.love", engine = "2.0.0", minShell = 1,
+      payloadHost = "special" },
+  }
+  local chosen, del = Boot.select(candidates, "1.0.0", 1, "special")
+  eq(chosen, "special.love", "select: specialized package chooses its host payload")
+  eq(#del, 0, "select: newer ordinary payload remains available to its host")
+end
+
 -- skips payloads whose minShell is above the bundled shell, and KEEPS an
 -- otherwise-newer one for a future shell upgrade instead of deleting it
 do