diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index f812ed9..31075c8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build the library
         run: npm run build:lib
 
+      # 'Zero dependencies' is checkable in ten seconds on Bundlephobia,
+      # so it has to be exactly true. 0.0.2 shipped declaring tslib.
+      - name: No runtime dependencies
+        run: node scripts/verify-deps.mjs
+
       # Also exercises the command Vercel runs, and the llms.txt sync step.
       - name: Build the demo
         run: npm run build
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 91c5c3c..1fb4d4a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     "prebuild": "node scripts/sync-llms.mjs",
     "start": "npm run build:lib && ng serve demo",
     "build": "npm run build:lib && ng build demo",
-    "build:lib": "ng build masonry-angular",
+    "build:lib": "ng build masonry-angular && node scripts/strip-tslib.mjs",
     "watch:lib": "ng build masonry-angular --watch",
     "test": "ng test masonry-angular --watch=false",
     "test:watch": "ng test masonry-angular --watch",
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@
     "verify:ssr": "npm run build:lib && node scripts/verify-ssr.mjs",
     "verify:compat": "node scripts/verify-compat.mjs",
     "verify:docs": "npm run build:lib && node scripts/verify-docs.mjs",
-    "postbuild": "node scripts/inject-meta.mjs"
+    "postbuild": "node scripts/inject-meta.mjs",
+    "verify:deps": "npm run build:lib && node scripts/verify-deps.mjs"
   },
   "packageManager": "npm@11.12.1",
   "engines": {
diff --git a/projects/masonry-angular/package.json b/projects/masonry-angular/package.json
index 6256234..593ee11 100644
--- a/projects/masonry-angular/package.json
+++ b/projects/masonry-angular/package.json
@@ -45,8 +45,5 @@
   "peerDependencies": {
     "@angular/common": ">=17.1.0",
     "@angular/core": ">=17.1.0"
-  },
-  "dependencies": {
-    "tslib": "^2.3.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/projects/masonry-angular/tsconfig.lib.json b/projects/masonry-angular/tsconfig.lib.json
index 88b89d6..e37fc40 100644
--- a/projects/masonry-angular/tsconfig.lib.json
+++ b/projects/masonry-angular/tsconfig.lib.json
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
     "outDir": "../../out-tsc/lib",
     "declaration": true,
     "declarationMap": true,
+    /* Inline any TypeScript helper instead of importing it from tslib: a library
+       that claims no dependencies must not grow one when some syntax needs a
+       helper. scripts/verify-deps.mjs checks the built output. */
+    "importHelpers": false,
     "types": []
   },
   "include": ["src/**/*.ts", "testing/**/*.ts"],
diff --git a/scripts/strip-tslib.mjs b/scripts/strip-tslib.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d2849bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/strip-tslib.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/**
+ * Removes the `tslib` dependency ng-packagr writes into the built package.json.
+ *
+ * ng-packagr adds `tslib` to `dependencies` unconditionally when a library does
+ * not declare it, reading the version from @angular/compiler — there is no
+ * option to turn that off, so leaving it out of the source package.json cannot
+ * work. For most Angular libraries that is harmless, because their compiled
+ * code imports tslib's helpers.
+ *
+ * This one does not. The library tsconfig sets `importHelpers: false`, so any
+ * helper TypeScript needs is inlined, and the built code imports nothing but
+ * @angular/core. Declaring tslib anyway is metadata that does not match the
+ * code: Bundlephobia reported "1 dependency" for 0.0.2 beside a README that
+ * said none.
+ *
+ * Stripping it is safe only because it is checked. `npm run verify:deps` fails
+ * if the built code imports any module that is not a declared peer, so the day
+ * a build does need tslib, CI says so instead of consumers finding out.
+ *
+ * Runs as part of `npm run build:lib`, so `npm run release` publishes the
+ * corrected file.
+ */
+import { readFileSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { dirname, join, resolve } from 'node:path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+
+const ROOT = resolve(dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), '..');
+const PKG = join(ROOT, 'dist/masonry-angular/package.json');
+
+const pkg = JSON.parse(readFileSync(PKG, 'utf8'));
+
+if (pkg.dependencies?.tslib) {
+  delete pkg.dependencies.tslib;
+  if (Object.keys(pkg.dependencies).length === 0) delete pkg.dependencies;
+  writeFileSync(PKG, JSON.stringify(pkg, null, 2) + '\n');
+  console.log('strip-tslib — removed the tslib dependency ng-packagr added.');
+} else {
+  console.log('strip-tslib — nothing to remove.');
+}
diff --git a/scripts/verify-deps.mjs b/scripts/verify-deps.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b9aac2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/verify-deps.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+/**
+ * Checks that the published package has no runtime dependencies.
+ *
+ * "Zero dependencies" is a claim a stranger can verify in ten seconds on
+ * Bundlephobia, so it has to be exactly true. It was not: ng-packagr's default
+ * template declares `tslib`, and version 0.0.2 shipped declaring it even though
+ * the built code never imported it. Bundlephobia reported "1 dependency" beside
+ * a README that said none.
+ *
+ * Two things can make the claim false, so this checks both:
+ *
+ *   1. package.json declares something under `dependencies`.
+ *   2. The built code imports a module that is not a declared peer — which is
+ *      how a dependency sneaks in without anyone adding it on purpose, for
+ *      instance a TypeScript helper imported from tslib.
+ *
+ * Run it after `npm run build:lib`:
+ *
+ *     npm run verify:deps
+ */
+import { readFileSync, readdirSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { dirname, join, resolve } from 'node:path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+
+const ROOT = resolve(dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), '..');
+const DIST = join(ROOT, 'dist/masonry-angular');
+
+const pkg = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(DIST, 'package.json'), 'utf8'));
+const peers = Object.keys(pkg.peerDependencies ?? {});
+const problems = [];
+
+// 1. Declared dependencies.
+const declared = Object.keys(pkg.dependencies ?? {});
+if (declared.length > 0) {
+  problems.push(`package.json declares dependencies: ${declared.join(', ')}`);
+}
+
+// 2. What the shipped code actually imports.
+const fesm = join(DIST, 'fesm2022');
+const imported = new Map();
+for (const file of readdirSync(fesm).filter((f) => f.endsWith('.mjs'))) {
+  const code = readFileSync(join(fesm, file), 'utf8');
+  for (const [, spec] of code.matchAll(/(?:from|import)\s*\(?\s*['"]([^'"]+)['"]/g)) {
+    if (spec.startsWith('.')) continue; // internal
+    // `@scope/name/sub` and `name/sub` both belong to their package.
+    const name = spec.startsWith('@') ? spec.split('/').slice(0, 2).join('/') : spec.split('/')[0];
+    if (name === pkg.name) continue; // a secondary entry point importing the primary
+    if (!imported.has(name)) imported.set(name, new Set());
+    imported.get(name).add(file);
+  }
+}
+
+for (const [name, files] of imported) {
+  if (!peers.includes(name)) {
+    problems.push(`${[...files].join(', ')} imports '${name}', which is not a declared peer`);
+  }
+}
+
+console.log('verify:deps — the published package must have no runtime dependencies.\n');
+console.log(`  declared dependencies  ${declared.length ? declared.join(', ') : 'none'}`);
+console.log(`  modules imported       ${[...imported.keys()].join(', ') || 'none'}`);
+console.log(`  declared peers         ${peers.join(', ')}`);
+
+if (problems.length > 0) {
+  console.log('\nFAIL');
+  for (const p of problems) console.log(`  - ${p}`);
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+console.log('\nOK — every import is a declared peer, and nothing else is required.');