diff --git a/src/rendering/m2_renderer_instance.cpp b/src/rendering/m2_renderer_instance.cpp
index 0a31fbd5..f28f5d45 100644
--- a/src/rendering/m2_renderer_instance.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/m2_renderer_instance.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,14 @@
 namespace wowee {
 namespace rendering {
 
+// Thread-local scratch buffers for collision queries (moved from header to
+// avoid inline thread_local TLS init linker errors on Windows ARM64 / LLD).
+namespace m2_internal {
+thread_local std::vector<size_t> tl_m2_candidateScratch;
+thread_local std::unordered_set<uint32_t> tl_m2_candidateIdScratch;
+thread_local std::vector<uint32_t> tl_m2_collisionTriScratch;
+} // namespace m2_internal
+
 void M2Renderer::setInstancePosition(uint32_t instanceId, const glm::vec3& position) {
     auto idxIt = instanceIndexById.find(instanceId);
     if (idxIt == instanceIndexById.end()) return;
diff --git a/src/rendering/m2_renderer_internal.h b/src/rendering/m2_renderer_internal.h
index 6271fc26..9e69d745 100644
--- a/src/rendering/m2_renderer_internal.h
+++ b/src/rendering/m2_renderer_internal.h
@@ -231,9 +231,8 @@ inline glm::vec3 closestPointOnTriangle(const glm::vec3& p,
 }
 
 // ---- Thread-local scratch buffers for collision queries ----
-inline thread_local std::vector<size_t> tl_m2_candidateScratch;
-inline thread_local std::unordered_set<uint32_t> tl_m2_candidateIdScratch;
-inline thread_local std::vector<uint32_t> tl_m2_collisionTriScratch;
+// Defined in m2_renderer_instance.cpp (inline thread_local causes LLD linker
+// errors on Windows ARM64, so the definitions live in the single TU that uses them).
 
 // ---- Bone animation helpers ----