diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 5ed0059..35d2dc8 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ members = [
 ]
 
 [workspace.package]
-version = "151.8.0+151.3.24"
+version = "151.8.1+151.3.24"
 edition = "2021"
 license = "Apache-2.0 OR MIT"
 authors = [
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ repository = "https://github.com/tauri-apps/cef-rs"
 
 [workspace.dependencies]
 cef = { path = "cef", default-features = false }
-cef-dll-sys = { version = "151.8.0", path = "sys" }
+cef-dll-sys = { version = "151.8.1", path = "sys" }
 download-cef = { version = "2.3", path = "download-cef" }
 
 anyhow = "1"
diff --git a/sys/CHANGELOG.md b/sys/CHANGELOG.md
index 877bfad..49ceb5e 100644
--- a/sys/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/sys/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [151.8.1+151.3.24](https://github.com/tauri-apps/cef-rs/compare/cef-dll-sys-v151.8.0+151.3.24...cef-dll-sys-v151.8.1+151.3.24) - 2026-09-03
+
+### Fixed
+
+- explicit API version for wrapper
+
 ## [151.5.0+151.3.17](https://github.com/tauri-apps/cef-rs/compare/cef-dll-sys-v151.4.0+151.3.17...cef-dll-sys-v151.5.0+151.3.17) - 2026-08-15
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/sys/build.rs b/sys/build.rs
index bf8b024..4eae587 100644
--- a/sys/build.rs
+++ b/sys/build.rs
@@ -120,11 +120,29 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     println!("cargo::metadata=CEF_DIR={cef_dir_str}");
     println!("cargo::rustc-link-search=native={cef_dir_str}");
 
+    // Compile the wrapper against an explicit API version instead of the
+    // experimental (unversioned) API that CEF selects by default, which its
+    // own headers call "not back/forward compatible with different CEF
+    // versions". It is the version the crate declares at run time through
+    // `cef_api_hash(CEF_API_VERSION_LAST)`, so the two now agree; without it
+    // the macOS loader in `libcef_dll_dylib.cc` also resolves experimental
+    // entry points, and loading any libcef but this exact build fails on the
+    // first one missing.
+    let api_version = cef_api_version_last(&cef_dir)?;
+    println!("cargo::metadata=CEF_API_VERSION={api_version}");
+
     let mut cef_dll_wrapper = cmake::Config::new(&cef_dir);
     cef_dll_wrapper
         .generator("Ninja")
         .profile("RelWithDebInfo")
-        .build_target("libcef_dll_wrapper");
+        .build_target("libcef_dll_wrapper")
+        // Seeds the list CEF's cmake appends its own defines to and applies
+        // to the target; CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS would not survive, cef_variables
+        // clears it for the Ninja generator on Windows.
+        .define(
+            "CEF_COMPILER_DEFINES",
+            format!("CEF_API_VERSION={api_version}"),
+        );
 
     let project_arch = match os_arch.arch {
         "aarch64" => "arm64",
@@ -354,6 +372,27 @@ fn find_case_insensitive(dir: &std::path::Path, name: &str) -> Option<std::path:
         })
 }
 
+/// `CEF_API_VERSION_LAST` from the distribution's generated
+/// `include/cef_api_versions.h`: the newest versioned (non-experimental) API
+/// it supports, written there as `#define CEF_API_VERSION_LAST
+/// CEF_API_VERSION_15101`.
+#[cfg(not(feature = "dox"))]
+fn cef_api_version_last(cef_dir: &std::path::Path) -> anyhow::Result<u32> {
+    let header = cef_dir.join("include").join("cef_api_versions.h");
+    let contents = std::fs::read_to_string(&header)?;
+
+    contents
+        .lines()
+        .find_map(|line| {
+            line.strip_prefix("#define CEF_API_VERSION_LAST ")?
+                .trim()
+                .strip_prefix("CEF_API_VERSION_")?
+                .parse()
+                .ok()
+        })
+        .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("no CEF_API_VERSION_LAST in {}", header.display()))
+}
+
 #[cfg(not(feature = "dox"))]
 fn copy_directory(src: &std::path::Path, dest: &std::path::Path) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
     std::fs::create_dir_all(dest)?;