diff --git a/wallet/entrypoints/background.ts b/wallet/entrypoints/background.ts
index a12ffae..ee3ea6b 100644
--- a/wallet/entrypoints/background.ts
+++ b/wallet/entrypoints/background.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 import { createPublicClient, http, parseEther, formatEther, type TypedDataDefinition } from "viem";
 import { Keyring } from "../src/keyring/keyring";
 import { parseTypedData } from "../src/provider/typed-data";
-import { WorkerOperator, NETWORKS, type MinimalPublicClient } from "lightnode-sdk";
+import { readWorkerStatus } from "../src/rpc/worker";
 import { encryptVault, decryptVault, type EncryptedVault } from "../src/keyring/vault";
 import { chainById, lightchainMainnet } from "../src/rpc/chains";
 import { type BgMessage, type WalletOp, type JsonRpcRequest, RpcError } from "../src/provider/protocol";
@@ -98,23 +98,10 @@ async function handleWalletOp(op: WalletOp): Promise<unknown> {
       const wei = await publicClient().getBalance({ address: op.address as `0x${string}` });
       return { wei: wei.toString(), lcai: formatEther(wei) };
     }
-    case "workerStatus": {
-      // Read-only worker registry/stake lookup via the SDK. No key needed; we
-      // return only number/bool fields (chrome.runtime can't structured-clone bigint).
-      const wo = new WorkerOperator(NETWORKS.mainnet, {
-        publicClient: publicClient() as unknown as MinimalPublicClient,
-        workerAddress: op.address as `0x${string}`,
-      });
-      const s = await wo.status();
-      return {
-        registered: s.registered,
-        belowFloor: s.belowFloor,
-        stakeLcai: s.stakeLcai,
-        minStakeLcai: Number(s.minStakeWei) / 1e18,
-        headroomLcai: s.headroomLcai,
-        claimableLcai: s.claimableLcai,
-      };
-    }
+    case "workerStatus":
+      // Read-only registry/stake lookup (no key). Already returns number/bool
+      // fields only, so it survives chrome.runtime's structured clone (no bigint).
+      return readWorkerStatus(publicClient(), op.address as `0x${string}`);
     case "send": {
       const kr = await restore();
       const acct = kr?.accountFor(op.from);
diff --git a/wallet/entrypoints/popup/wallet-api.ts b/wallet/entrypoints/popup/wallet-api.ts
index 7d05bd2..c77eafd 100644
--- a/wallet/entrypoints/popup/wallet-api.ts
+++ b/wallet/entrypoints/popup/wallet-api.ts
@@ -19,11 +19,4 @@ export interface PendingRequest {
   origin: string;
   params?: unknown[];
 }
-export interface WorkerStatusView {
-  registered: boolean;
-  belowFloor: boolean;
-  stakeLcai: number;
-  minStakeLcai: number;
-  headroomLcai: number;
-  claimableLcai: number;
-}
+export type { WorkerStatusView } from "../../src/rpc/worker";
diff --git a/wallet/package-lock.json b/wallet/package-lock.json
index 5c8359c..596907e 100644
--- a/wallet/package-lock.json
+++ b/wallet/package-lock.json
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
         "@noble/hashes": "^1.6.1",
         "@scure/bip32": "^1.6.2",
         "@scure/bip39": "^1.5.4",
-        "lightnode-sdk": "file:../sdk",
         "react": "^18.3.1",
         "react-dom": "^18.3.1",
         "viem": "^2.21.0"
@@ -30,6 +29,7 @@
     "../sdk": {
       "name": "lightnode-sdk",
       "version": "0.18.3",
+      "extraneous": true,
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@noble/ciphers": "^1.0.0",
@@ -4519,10 +4519,6 @@
         "url": "https://opencollective.com/parcel"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/lightnode-sdk": {
-      "resolved": "../sdk",
-      "link": true
-    },
     "node_modules/lines-and-columns": {
       "version": "2.0.4",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/lines-and-columns/-/lines-and-columns-2.0.4.tgz",
diff --git a/wallet/package.json b/wallet/package.json
index c4cc170..ee9daba 100644
--- a/wallet/package.json
+++ b/wallet/package.json
@@ -5,10 +5,7 @@
   "type": "module",
   "description": "Self-custodial EOA browser wallet for LightChain. Non-custodial: keys never leave the device. Not an official LightChain package.",
   "scripts": {
-    "build:sdk": "npm --prefix ../sdk install --no-audit --no-fund && npm --prefix ../sdk run build",
-    "predev": "npm run build:sdk",
     "dev": "wxt",
-    "prebuild": "npm run build:sdk",
     "build": "wxt build",
     "zip": "wxt zip",
     "compile": "tsc --noEmit",
@@ -19,7 +16,6 @@
     "@noble/hashes": "^1.6.1",
     "@scure/bip32": "^1.6.2",
     "@scure/bip39": "^1.5.4",
-    "lightnode-sdk": "file:../sdk",
     "react": "^18.3.1",
     "react-dom": "^18.3.1",
     "viem": "^2.21.0"
diff --git a/wallet/src/rpc/worker.ts b/wallet/src/rpc/worker.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..980c9f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wallet/src/rpc/worker.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/**
+ * Worker-status reads, inlined with viem so the wallet has ZERO build-time
+ * dependency on the lightnode-sdk monorepo package (which needs the repo's
+ * hoisted @types/node to compile). Same 4 calls the SDK's WorkerOperator.status()
+ * makes, against the LightChain mainnet worker contracts.
+ */
+import { type PublicClient, parseAbi } from "viem";
+
+// LightChain mainnet: WorkerRegistry is a genesis predeploy; AIConfig + JobRegistry are proxies.
+const WORKER_REGISTRY = "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000001002" as const;
+const AI_CONFIG = "0x24D11533C354092ed6E18b964257819cE78Ce77D" as const;
+const JOB_REGISTRY = "0xfB15F90298e4CcD7106E76fFB5e520315cC42B0b" as const;
+
+const REGISTRY_ABI = parseAbi([
+  "function isWorkerRegistered(address) view returns (bool)",
+  "function getWorkerStake(address) view returns (uint256)",
+]);
+const AI_CONFIG_ABI = parseAbi(["function getMinWorkerStake() view returns (uint256)"]);
+const JOB_REGISTRY_ABI = parseAbi(["function workerBalance(address) view returns (uint256)"]);
+
+export interface WorkerStatusView {
+  registered: boolean;
+  belowFloor: boolean;
+  stakeLcai: number;
+  minStakeLcai: number;
+  headroomLcai: number;
+  claimableLcai: number;
+}
+
+const toLcai = (wei: bigint) => Number(wei) / 1e18;
+
+export async function readWorkerStatus(client: PublicClient, address: `0x${string}`): Promise<WorkerStatusView> {
+  // minStake comes from AIConfig (canonical on both networks), not the registry getter.
+  const [registered, stakeWei, minStakeWei, claimableWei] = await Promise.all([
+    client.readContract({ address: WORKER_REGISTRY, abi: REGISTRY_ABI, functionName: "isWorkerRegistered", args: [address] }),
+    client.readContract({ address: WORKER_REGISTRY, abi: REGISTRY_ABI, functionName: "getWorkerStake", args: [address] }),
+    client.readContract({ address: AI_CONFIG, abi: AI_CONFIG_ABI, functionName: "getMinWorkerStake" }),
+    client.readContract({ address: JOB_REGISTRY, abi: JOB_REGISTRY_ABI, functionName: "workerBalance", args: [address] }),
+  ]);
+  return {
+    registered,
+    belowFloor: registered && stakeWei < minStakeWei,
+    stakeLcai: toLcai(stakeWei),
+    minStakeLcai: toLcai(minStakeWei),
+    headroomLcai: toLcai(stakeWei - minStakeWei),
+    claimableLcai: toLcai(claimableWei),
+  };
+}