diff --git a/.changeset/fix-jsx-clean-teardown-race.md b/.changeset/fix-jsx-clean-teardown-race.md
index 1479c19c6..750af01a4 100644
--- a/.changeset/fix-jsx-clean-teardown-race.md
+++ b/.changeset/fix-jsx-clean-teardown-race.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-"@tko/utils.jsx": patch
+"@tko/utils.jsx": minor
 ---
 
 Add `options.jsxCleanBatchSize` (default `1000`) controlling JSX node cleanup
diff --git a/.changeset/modernize-utils-dead-polyfills.md b/.changeset/modernize-utils-dead-polyfills.md
index 49a9fd19f..99e1026cf 100644
--- a/.changeset/modernize-utils-dead-polyfills.md
+++ b/.changeset/modernize-utils-dead-polyfills.md
@@ -1,28 +1,34 @@
 ---
-"@tko/utils": minor
+"@tko/utils": patch
 "@tko/utils.parser": patch
 "@tko/observable": patch
 "@tko/binding.core": patch
 "@tko/binding.foreach": patch
 "@tko/computed": patch
 "@tko/lifecycle": patch
-"@tko/builder": minor
+"@tko/builder": patch
 ---
 
 Drop dead polyfill probes from `@tko/utils`
 
 Removes runtime feature detection for capabilities that all supported runtimes
-(modern browsers, Node, Bun, happy-dom) already expose unconditionally:
+(modern browsers, Node, Bun, happy-dom) already expose unconditionally. The
+public API surface is preserved as one-line passthroughs in
+`packages/utils/src/compat.ts` so existing consumers continue to work; these
+shims are slated for removal in the next major.
 
 - `functionSupportsLengthOverwrite` + `overwriteLengthPropertyIfSupported` —
   `Object.defineProperty(fn, 'length', …)` has worked since IE9. Call sites
-  in `@tko/observable` now invoke `Object.defineProperty` directly.
+  in `@tko/observable` now invoke `Object.defineProperty` directly. The
+  internal probe is gone; `overwriteLengthPropertyIfSupported` is preserved
+  on `@tko/utils` exports as an inline `Object.defineProperty` call.
 - `useSymbols` + `createSymbolOrString` — `Symbol` is always defined; call
-  sites now use `Symbol(identifier)` directly. `createSymbolOrString` is no
-  longer exposed on `ko.utils` (public API removal — minor bump for
-  `@tko/utils` and `@tko/builder`).
-- `stringTrim` + `stringStartsWith` — removed; call sites use
-  `String(value ?? '').trim()` / `value.startsWith(prefix)` inline.
+  sites now use `Symbol(identifier)` directly. `createSymbolOrString` is
+  preserved as `s => Symbol(s)` on both `@tko/utils` exports and
+  `ko.utils.createSymbolOrString`.
+- `stringTrim` + `stringStartsWith` — call sites use `String(value ?? '')
+  .trim()` / `value.startsWith(prefix)` inline. Both names remain exported
+  from `@tko/utils` as inline passthroughs.
 - `toggleDomNodeCssClass` SVGAnimatedString fallback — `classList` is
   available on every supported `Element` (including SVG since SVG2).
 - `parseJson` no longer routes through `stringTrim`; it trims inline when the
@@ -31,3 +37,7 @@ Removes runtime feature detection for capabilities that all supported runtimes
 `packages/utils.parser/src/preparse.ts` also guards `str.match(bindingToken)`
 against the `null` return case using `?? []` — previously relied on the match
 never returning `null` for the transformed input.
+
+Patch-level for all packages: zero observable surface change for consumers
+not reaching into internal probes (`useSymbols`, `functionSupportsLengthOverwrite`),
+which had no monorepo callers.
diff --git a/bun.lock b/bun.lock
index 0dbc5630a..c7637a11e 100644
--- a/bun.lock
+++ b/bun.lock
@@ -76,9 +76,6 @@
         "@tko/provider": "^4.0.1",
         "@tko/utils": "^4.0.1",
       },
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "@tko/binding.foreach": "^4.0.1",
-      },
     },
     "packages/binding.component": {
       "name": "@tko/binding.component",
@@ -130,9 +127,6 @@
         "@tko/observable": "^4.0.1",
         "@tko/utils": "^4.0.1",
       },
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "@tko/binding.if": "^4.0.1",
-      },
     },
     "packages/builder": {
       "name": "@tko/builder",
@@ -170,9 +164,6 @@
         "@tko/computed": "^4.0.1",
         "@tko/utils": "^4.0.1",
       },
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "@tko/observable": "^4.0.1",
-      },
     },
     "packages/observable": {
       "name": "@tko/observable",
@@ -276,13 +267,6 @@
         "@tko/observable": "^4.0.1",
         "@tko/utils": "^4.0.1",
       },
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "@tko/bind": "^4.0.1",
-        "@tko/binding.core": "^4.0.1",
-        "@tko/computed": "^4.0.1",
-        "@tko/provider.multi": "^4.0.1",
-        "@tko/provider.virtual": "^4.0.1",
-      },
     },
     "packages/utils.functionrewrite": {
       "name": "@tko/utils.functionrewrite",
@@ -307,11 +291,6 @@
         "@tko/observable": "^4.0.1",
         "@tko/utils": "^4.0.1",
       },
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "@tko/bind": "^4.0.1",
-        "@tko/binding.core": "^4.0.1",
-        "@tko/provider.databind": "^4.0.1",
-      },
     },
   },
   "packages": {
diff --git a/packages/bind/package.json b/packages/bind/package.json
index 2ff5d3306..57760e669 100644
--- a/packages/bind/package.json
+++ b/packages/bind/package.json
@@ -11,9 +11,6 @@
     "@tko/utils": "^4.0.1",
     "@tko/builder": "^4.0.1"
   },
-  "peerDependencies": {
-    "@tko/binding.foreach": "^4.0.1"
-  },
   "files": [
     "dist/"
   ],
diff --git a/packages/binding.template/package.json b/packages/binding.template/package.json
index f526228c6..62c735911 100644
--- a/packages/binding.template/package.json
+++ b/packages/binding.template/package.json
@@ -29,9 +29,6 @@
     "@tko/observable": "^4.0.1",
     "@tko/utils": "^4.0.1"
   },
-  "peerDependencies": {
-    "@tko/binding.if": "^4.0.1"
-  },
   "licenses": [
     {
       "type": "MIT",
diff --git a/packages/builder/src/Builder.ts b/packages/builder/src/Builder.ts
index 3295ba213..a5e1da4be 100644
--- a/packages/builder/src/Builder.ts
+++ b/packages/builder/src/Builder.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
   cleanNode,
   cloneNodes,
   compareArrays,
+  createSymbolOrString,
   domData,
   extend,
   memoization,
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ export type Utils = {
   arrayRemoveItem: typeof arrayRemoveItem
   cloneNodes: typeof cloneNodes
   compareArrays: typeof compareArrays
+  createSymbolOrString: typeof createSymbolOrString
   domData: typeof domData
   domNodeDisposal: typeof domNodeDisposal
   extend: typeof extend
@@ -147,6 +149,7 @@ const utils: Utils = {
   arrayRemoveItem,
   cloneNodes,
   compareArrays,
+  createSymbolOrString,
   domData,
   domNodeDisposal,
   extend,
diff --git a/packages/lifecycle/package.json b/packages/lifecycle/package.json
index 3a04e1849..8afc1b335 100644
--- a/packages/lifecycle/package.json
+++ b/packages/lifecycle/package.json
@@ -3,11 +3,9 @@
   "module": "dist/index.js",
   "dependencies": {
     "@tko/computed": "^4.0.1",
+    "@tko/observable": "^4.0.1",
     "@tko/utils": "^4.0.1"
   },
-  "peerDependencies": {
-    "@tko/observable": "^4.0.1"
-  },
   "files": [
     "dist/"
   ],
diff --git a/packages/utils.component/package.json b/packages/utils.component/package.json
index 94f08c45d..3479aba02 100644
--- a/packages/utils.component/package.json
+++ b/packages/utils.component/package.json
@@ -12,13 +12,6 @@
     "@tko/observable": "^4.0.1",
     "@tko/utils": "^4.0.1"
   },
-  "peerDependencies": {
-    "@tko/bind": "^4.0.1",
-    "@tko/binding.core": "^4.0.1",
-    "@tko/computed": "^4.0.1",
-    "@tko/provider.multi": "^4.0.1",
-    "@tko/provider.virtual": "^4.0.1"
-  },
   "homepage": "https://tko.io",
   "licenses": [
     {
diff --git a/packages/utils.parser/package.json b/packages/utils.parser/package.json
index f360fecbb..9f9f73cb1 100644
--- a/packages/utils.parser/package.json
+++ b/packages/utils.parser/package.json
@@ -11,11 +11,6 @@
     "@tko/observable": "^4.0.1",
     "@tko/utils": "^4.0.1"
   },
-  "peerDependencies": {
-    "@tko/bind": "^4.0.1",
-    "@tko/binding.core": "^4.0.1",
-    "@tko/provider.databind": "^4.0.1"
-  },
   "homepage": "https://tko.io",
   "licenses": [
     {
diff --git a/packages/utils/src/compat.ts b/packages/utils/src/compat.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ca5bc4693
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/utils/src/compat.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+// Compat passthroughs preserving the public @tko/utils API after the
+// post-Symbol/post-IE9 polyfill removals. Each function delegates to a
+// native API; kept so consumers importing these names continue to work.
+// All entries here are slated for removal in the next major version.
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use `Symbol(identifier)` directly. Will be removed in a future major.
+ */
+export function createSymbolOrString(identifier: string): symbol {
+  return Symbol(identifier)
+}
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use `String(value ?? '').trim()` directly (or `String.prototype.trim`
+ * when the input is known to be a string). Will be removed in a future major.
+ */
+export function stringTrim(value: any): string {
+  return String(value ?? '').trim()
+}
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use `String.prototype.startsWith` directly. Will be removed in a future major.
+ */
+export function stringStartsWith(value: string, prefix: string): boolean {
+  return (value ?? '').startsWith(prefix)
+}
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use `Object.defineProperty(fn, 'length', descriptor)` directly.
+ * Will be removed in a future major.
+ */
+export function overwriteLengthPropertyIfSupported(fn: Function, descriptor: PropertyDescriptor): void {
+  Object.defineProperty(fn, 'length', descriptor)
+}
diff --git a/packages/utils/src/index.ts b/packages/utils/src/index.ts
index a55923b00..607e4121f 100644
--- a/packages/utils/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/utils/src/index.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 export * from './array'
 export * from './async'
+export * from './compat'
 export * from './error'
 export * from './object'
 export * from './string'