diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3eadb37..d31369c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -67,3 +67,6 @@ assets/RP411/startrp-800x600.ps1
 # ...but never the spool runtime output or Windows thumbnail caches.
 assets/**/*.spl
 assets/**/last.spl
+
+# packaged releases (attached to Gitea releases, not tracked)
+RedPlanet-*.zip
diff --git a/MUNGA_L4/L4MFDVIEW.cpp b/MUNGA_L4/L4MFDVIEW.cpp
index 13d2d52..2485327 100644
--- a/MUNGA_L4/L4MFDVIEW.cpp
+++ b/MUNGA_L4/L4MFDVIEW.cpp
@@ -342,7 +342,12 @@ void
 
 	FillRect(mem, &client, (HBRUSH) GetStockObject(BLACK_BRUSH));
 
-	SetStretchBltMode(mem, COLORONCOLOR);
+	// HALFTONE area-averages the downscale (the compact glass shows the
+	// full 640x480 canvas at ~half size); COLORONCOLOR dropped every other
+	// row/column, which shredded the 1-bit vector strokes and small text.
+	// HALFTONE requires the brush origin be set (MSDN).
+	SetStretchBltMode(mem, HALFTONE);
+	SetBrushOrgEx(mem, 0, 0, NULL);
 	StretchDIBits(
 		mem,
 		displayX, displayY, displayW, displayH,
diff --git a/MUNGA_L4/L4VB16.cpp b/MUNGA_L4/L4VB16.cpp
index dd9b353..0114c9b 100644
--- a/MUNGA_L4/L4VB16.cpp
+++ b/MUNGA_L4/L4VB16.cpp
@@ -3842,11 +3842,19 @@ SVGA16::SVGA16(
 	//------------------------------------------------------------------
 	splitViews = False;
 	cockpitViewscreen = NULL;
+	Logical explodedViews = False;
 	{
 		const char *split_string = getenv("L4MFDSPLIT");
 		if (split_string != NULL && atoi(split_string) != 0)
 		{
 			splitViews = True;
+			// L4MFDSPLIT=2+ : exploded diagnostic view - each display
+			// in its own native-resolution desktop window instead of
+			// the composited glass cockpit.
+			if (atoi(split_string) >= 2)
+			{
+				explodedViews = True;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	for (int view = 0; view < SplitViewCount; ++view)
@@ -3856,7 +3864,56 @@ SVGA16::SVGA16(
 
    BuildWindows(init_width,init_height,windowed, secondaryIndex, aux1Index, aux2Index);
 
-	if (splitViews)
+	if (splitViews && explodedViews)
+	{
+		//---------------------------------------------------------------
+		// Exploded diagnostic view: every display in its own full-size
+		// desktop window (MFDs native 640x480, map 480x640 rotated),
+		// decoded exactly as the pod's VDB split them from the single
+		// gauge canvas - no cockpit compositing, no downscale. Each MFD
+		// can be read and screenshotted at full resolution, matching the
+		// emulator's per-channel reference windows. Laid out in the pod
+		// arrangement (top row / bottom row) across the work area; the
+		// windows are draggable (dragging a title bar briefly pauses the
+		// game's single-per-frame message pump, as expected).
+		//---------------------------------------------------------------
+		RECT work;
+		work.left = 0; work.top = 0; work.right = 1920; work.bottom = 1080;
+		SystemParametersInfoA(SPI_GETWORKAREA, 0, &work, 0);
+		int work_w = work.right - work.left;
+		int work_h = work.bottom - work.top;
+
+		int mid_x    = (work_w - init_width) / 2;   if (mid_x < 0)    mid_x = 0;
+		int right_x  =  work_w - init_width;         if (right_x < 0)  right_x = 0;
+		int bottom_y =  work_h - init_height;        if (bottom_y < 0) bottom_y = 0;
+
+		splitView[SplitMFDUpperLeft] = new MFDSplitView(
+			"MFD upper left", init_width, init_height,
+			init_width, init_height, work.left, work.top,
+			MFDSplitView::NoButtons, 0, 0, 0);
+		splitView[SplitMFDUpperCenter] = new MFDSplitView(
+			"MFD upper center", init_width, init_height,
+			init_width, init_height, work.left + mid_x, work.top,
+			MFDSplitView::NoButtons, 0, 0, 0);
+		splitView[SplitMFDUpperRight] = new MFDSplitView(
+			"MFD upper right", init_width, init_height,
+			init_width, init_height, work.left + right_x, work.top,
+			MFDSplitView::NoButtons, 0, 0, 0);
+		splitView[SplitMFDLowerLeft] = new MFDSplitView(
+			"MFD lower left", init_width, init_height,
+			init_width, init_height, work.left, work.top + bottom_y,
+			MFDSplitView::NoButtons, 0, 0, 0);
+		splitView[SplitMFDLowerRight] = new MFDSplitView(
+			"MFD lower right", init_width, init_height,
+			init_width, init_height, work.left + right_x, work.top + bottom_y,
+			MFDSplitView::NoButtons, 0, 0, 0);
+		// map is portrait-mounted: source rotated to 480x640
+		splitView[SplitMap] = new MFDSplitView(
+			"Map", init_height, init_width,
+			init_height, init_width, work.left + mid_x, work.top + bottom_y,
+			MFDSplitView::NoButtons, 0, 0, 0);
+	}
+	else if (splitViews)
 	{
 		//---------------------------------------------------------------
 		// The 1920x1080 internal cockpit canvas.