diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ab12cce..94e7e2a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ SWEEP_ENV_LOAD = set -a; [ -f "$(SWEEP_ENV_FILE)" ] && . "$(SWEEP_ENV_FILE)" ||
 
 .PHONY: help
 help:
-	@echo "pdf.build pdf.watch pdf.clean pdf.genpop pdf.genpop.watch | test.backend test.e2e test.all | web.dev | install | train | benchmark | benchmark.simple | benchmark.agent | train.agent | train.bootstrap | stats.lines"
+	@echo "pdf.build pdf.watch pdf.clean pdf.genpop pdf.genpop.watch pdf.arxiv | test.backend test.e2e test.all | web.dev | install | train | benchmark | benchmark.simple | benchmark.agent | train.agent | train.bootstrap | stats.lines"
 	@echo "backend.server backend.provider backend.worker | platform.up platform.down platform.logs | docker.train.publish"
 	@echo ""
 	@echo "Build general public version:"
@@ -81,6 +81,10 @@ pdf.genpop:
 pdf.genpop.watch:
 	@bash scripts/nx_paper.sh watch-genpop
 
+.PHONY: pdf.arxiv
+pdf.arxiv:
+	@bash scripts/nx_paper.sh build-arxiv
+
 .PHONY: test.backend
 test.backend:
 	@$(NX) run research:test
diff --git a/paper/project.json b/paper/project.json
index ed47680..503c67a 100644
--- a/paper/project.json
+++ b/paper/project.json
@@ -34,6 +34,16 @@
         "command": "bash scripts/nx_paper.sh wordcount",
         "cwd": "."
       }
+    },
+    "build-arxiv": {
+      "executor": "nx:run-commands",
+      "outputs": [
+        "{projectRoot}/build/main-arxiv.pdf"
+      ],
+      "options": {
+        "command": "bash scripts/nx_paper.sh build-arxiv",
+        "cwd": "."
+      }
     }
   },
   "tags": [
diff --git a/paper/src/mirrors/arxiv/INSTRUCTIONS.md b/paper/src/mirrors/arxiv/INSTRUCTIONS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..91e1f3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/paper/src/mirrors/arxiv/INSTRUCTIONS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+The source thesis lives in paper/src/ (main.tex + chapters/ + preamble.tex + bib/references.bib).
+Your job is to produce a self-contained arxiv-ready submission in this directory.
+
+## What to produce
+
+A single compilable main.tex that reproduces the full thesis content and compiles
+cleanly with pdflatex + bibtex (no latexmk extras, no shell-escape). The output
+must pass arxiv's AutoTeX pipeline without manual intervention.
+
+## arxiv constraints to satisfy
+
+1. Flat layout: all files referenced by \input or \includegraphics must sit in
+   this directory or one level below (no ../../ relative paths). Copy or symlink
+   chapters and graphics here, then rewrite \input paths accordingly.
+
+2. Bibliography: arxiv does not run biber. Use bibtex. The preamble currently
+   loads biblatex with backend=bibtex — keep that, or switch to natbib +
+   \bibliographystyle{plainnat} if biblatex causes trouble. Either way, include
+   the pre-built .bbl file in the submission tarball (arxiv runs bibtex once but
+   having the .bbl avoids failures).
+
+3. Packages: remove or replace anything arxiv's TeX Live snapshot may not carry.
+   Known problematic ones in the current preamble:
+   - newtxtext/newtxmath: fine on recent TeX Live, but have a fallback to
+     \usepackage{times} + \usepackage{mathptmx} if the build fails.
+   - algorithm2e: arxiv supports it, keep it.
+   - cleveref: fine.
+   - pgfplots: fine, but pin compat=1.18.
+
+4. No \include of generated code appendix: the concat_code.sh appendix that gets
+   appended at build time is for the university submission only. Omit it here or
+   replace with a short note pointing to the repository URL.
+
+5. Hyperref: keep it but add \usepackage[hidelinks]{hyperref} to suppress colored
+   boxes, which look bad in arxiv's PDF renderer.
+
+6. Title / author block: use a normal \maketitle with full author name, affiliation,
+   and date. Do not use the titlepage environment from the university version.
+
+7. Double spacing: remove \doublespacing (arxiv readers expect single spacing).
+
+8. Page headers: remove the fancyhdr block; arxiv adds its own stamp header.
+
+## Minimal diff principle
+
+Preserve all content, section order, equations, theorems, figures, and tables from
+the original thesis exactly. Only make the structural changes listed above. Do not
+paraphrase, summarize, or rewrite prose. The mirror is a format adaptation, not
+an editorial one.
+
+## How to verify
+
+From paper/src/mirrors/arxiv/ run:
+  pdflatex main.tex
+  bibtex main
+  pdflatex main.tex
+  pdflatex main.tex
+
+The build must complete without errors (warnings are acceptable). The resulting
+main.pdf should be visually equivalent to paper/build/main.pdf modulo formatting
+differences from removing double spacing and the titlepage.
+
+To build via make from the repo root:
+  make pdf.arxiv
diff --git a/scripts/nx_paper.sh b/scripts/nx_paper.sh
index 8ddd80c..375db5a 100644
--- a/scripts/nx_paper.sh
+++ b/scripts/nx_paper.sh
@@ -41,6 +41,15 @@ case "$cmd" in
     cd paper/src
     latexmk -pvc -pdf -jobname=main-genpop -f -interaction=nonstopmode -file-line-error -r ../.latexmkrc -outdir=../build main-genpop.tex
     ;;
+  build-arxiv)
+    mkdir -p paper/build
+    cd paper/src/mirrors/arxiv
+    pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode -file-line-error main.tex
+    bibtex main
+    pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode -file-line-error main.tex
+    pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode -file-line-error main.tex
+    cp main.pdf ../../../build/main-arxiv.pdf
+    ;;
   *)
     printf '%s\n' "Unknown paper command: $cmd" >&2
     exit 1