diff --git a/build-dist-windows.sh b/build-dist-windows.sh
index 29af016..9ac86a5 100644
--- a/build-dist-windows.sh
+++ b/build-dist-windows.sh
@@ -73,11 +73,16 @@ if [ -z "$PTH_FILE" ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
-# Uncomment 'import site' and add Lib\site-packages
+# Uncomment 'import site', add Lib\site-packages and app source path
 sed -i 's/^#\s*import site/import site/' "$PTH_FILE"
 if ! grep -q 'Lib\\site-packages' "$PTH_FILE"; then
     echo 'Lib\site-packages' >> "$PTH_FILE"
 fi
+# Embedded Python ._pth overrides PYTHONPATH, so we must add the app
+# source directory here for wled_controller to be importable
+if ! grep -q '\.\./app/src' "$PTH_FILE"; then
+    echo '../app/src' >> "$PTH_FILE"
+fi
 echo "  Patched $(basename "$PTH_FILE")"
 
 # ── Download pip and install into embedded Python ────────────
diff --git a/build-dist.ps1 b/build-dist.ps1
index 65c40d6..883f95e 100644
--- a/build-dist.ps1
+++ b/build-dist.ps1
@@ -106,6 +106,11 @@ $pthContent = $pthContent -replace '#\s*import site', 'import site'
 if ($pthContent -notmatch 'Lib\\site-packages') {
     $pthContent = $pthContent.TrimEnd() + "`nLib\site-packages`n"
 }
+# Embedded Python ._pth overrides PYTHONPATH, so add the app source path
+# directly for wled_controller to be importable
+if ($pthContent -notmatch '\.\.[/\\]app[/\\]src') {
+    $pthContent = $pthContent.TrimEnd() + "`n..\app\src`n"
+}
 Set-Content -Path $pthFile.FullName -Value $pthContent -NoNewline
 Write-Host "  Patched $($pthFile.Name)"