diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index dea843b23..71b2b70d1 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -206,6 +206,26 @@ endif()
 
 endif() # NOT MATSDK_USE_VCPKG_DEPS (compiler flags)
 
+# --- Dead-strip enablement (applies in BOTH vendored and vcpkg modes) ---------
+# Split functions/data into separate COMDATs/sections so a consumer's linker can
+# drop unreferenced SDK code: MSVC /OPT:REF + /OPT:ICF, GNU/Clang --gc-sections,
+# Apple ld -dead_strip. The vendored-deps flag block above sets these only when
+# NOT MATSDK_USE_VCPKG_DEPS, and never sets /Gy at all on MSVC -- so the vcpkg
+# build (the one packaged for downstream consumers) and every MSVC build link
+# whole .obj files instead of individual functions. This block closes that gap
+# and matches the MSBuild Release projects, which already enable
+# FunctionLevelLinking + OptimizeReferences + EnableCOMDATFolding.
+if(MSVC)
+  add_compile_options(/Gy /Gw)
+elseif("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "AppleClang")
+  # -fdata-sections historically conflicted with bitcode on AppleClang, and the
+  # mach-o linker already dead-strips at symbol granularity with -dead_strip.
+  add_compile_options(-ffunction-sections)
+else()
+  # GCC / Clang (Linux, Android, MinGW)
+  add_compile_options(-ffunction-sections -fdata-sections)
+endif()
+
 include(tools/Utils.cmake)
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 include(CMakePackageConfigHelpers)