diff --git a/packages/react-native/scripts/react-native-xcode.sh b/packages/react-native/scripts/react-native-xcode.sh
index fcf05ff9c3a2..4744e694740a 100755
--- a/packages/react-native/scripts/react-native-xcode.sh
+++ b/packages/react-native/scripts/react-native-xcode.sh
@@ -80,18 +80,18 @@ source "$REACT_NATIVE_DIR/scripts/node-binary.sh"
 HERMES_ENGINE_PATH="$PODS_ROOT/hermes-engine"
 [ -z "$HERMES_CLI_PATH" ] && HERMES_CLI_PATH="$HERMES_ENGINE_PATH/destroot/bin/hermesc"
 
-# SwiftPM consumers have no Pods directory to provide hermesc. When there is
-# no Pods installation at all and the current HERMES_CLI_PATH does not exist
-# (unset, or an injector-baked path gone stale after a package-store move),
-# resolve the hermes-compiler npm package THROUGH react-native's own dependency
-# graph — react-native pins the hermes-compiler version, so the compiler's
-# bytecode version always matches the prebuilt hermes VM artifacts (a
-# mismatched pair crashes at launch with "Wrong bytecode version").
-# STRICTLY SwiftPM-scoped: in a CocoaPods build the hermes-engine pod owns both
-# the VM and hermesc, and its hermes train may legitimately differ from the npm
-# hermes-compiler — falling back there would compile bundles the podded VM
-# rejects.
-if [[ ( -z "$PODS_ROOT" || ! -d "$PODS_ROOT" ) && ! -f "$HERMES_CLI_PATH" ]]; then
+# SwiftPM consumers have no hermes-engine pod to provide hermesc, so resolve the
+# hermes-compiler npm package THROUGH react-native's own dependency graph —
+# react-native pins the hermes-compiler version, so the compiler's bytecode
+# version always matches the prebuilt hermes VM artifacts (a mismatched pair
+# crashes at launch with "Wrong bytecode version").
+# Fires only when Hermes is on, no hermes-engine pod is installed, and the
+# resolved path is not a file. Keyed on the pod DIRECTORY, not on PODS_ROOT: a
+# SwiftPM app may keep side-by-side non-RN pods, giving it a real PODS_ROOT.
+# Any app that does have the pod keeps its previous behavior exactly — including
+# a partial prebuild, where the missing hermesc must stay a build failure rather
+# than compile a bundle the podded VM rejects.
+if [[ "$USE_HERMES" != false && ! -d "$HERMES_ENGINE_PATH" && ! -f "$HERMES_CLI_PATH" ]]; then
   NODE_HERMESC=$(RN_DIR="$REACT_NATIVE_DIR" "$NODE_BINARY" --print \
     "require('path').join(require('path').dirname(require.resolve('hermes-compiler/package.json', {paths: [process.env.RN_DIR]})), 'hermesc', 'osx-bin', 'hermesc')" \
     2>/dev/null || true)
diff --git a/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/__tests__/inject-spm-xcodeproj-test.js b/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/__tests__/inject-spm-xcodeproj-test.js
index a7146820502e..67faac0bf1ee 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/__tests__/inject-spm-xcodeproj-test.js
+++ b/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/__tests__/inject-spm-xcodeproj-test.js
@@ -67,11 +67,6 @@ function withHeaderSearchPaths(value) {
 }
 
 const RN_PATH = '../node_modules/react-native';
-
-// Absolute, mirroring resolveHermesCliPathSetting (a `..`-relative path through
-// a symlinked react-native would resolve to the wrong dir at build time).
-const TEST_HERMES_CLI_PATH =
-  '/abs/node_modules/hermes-compiler/hermesc/osx-bin/hermesc';
 const TEST_FRAMEWORKS = [
   {
     id: 'react',
@@ -101,13 +96,7 @@ const TEST_FRAMEWORKS = [
   },
 ];
 
-function inject(
-  text,
-  remote = null,
-  hermesCliPath = TEST_HERMES_CLI_PATH,
-  generatedSources = [],
-  scriptPhases = [],
-) {
+function inject(text, remote = null, generatedSources = [], scriptPhases = []) {
   const plan = planInjection(text, {});
   expect(plan.ok).toBe(true);
   return injectSpmIntoPbxproj(
@@ -121,7 +110,6 @@ function inject(
     },
     RN_PATH,
     remote,
-    hermesCliPath,
     generatedSources,
     TEST_FRAMEWORKS,
     scriptPhases,
@@ -237,10 +225,6 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 2 (build settings + phase)', () => {
     expect(text.match(/CLANG_CXX_LANGUAGE_STANDARD = "c\+\+20"/g)).toHaveLength(
       2,
     );
-    // HERMES_CLI_PATH points react-native-xcode.sh at the hermes-compiler npm
-    // package (no hermes-engine pod under SPM), injected into both configs.
-    expect(text.match(/HERMES_CLI_PATH = /g)).toHaveLength(2);
-    expect(text).toContain(TEST_HERMES_CLI_PATH);
     expect(text).toContain('RN_SPM_FLAVOR = debug');
     expect(text).toContain('RN_SPM_FLAVOR = release');
     expect(text).toContain('RN_SPM_REACT_BINARY[sdk=iphoneos*]');
@@ -248,9 +232,15 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 2 (build settings + phase)', () => {
     expect(text).toContain('$(RN_SPM_REACT_BINARY)');
   });
 
-  it('omits HERMES_CLI_PATH when hermesc could not be resolved', () => {
-    const {text} = inject(PLAIN, null, null);
+  // An absolute hermesc path is machine-specific, and the app commits its
+  // project.pbxproj. react-native-xcode.sh resolves hermesc through
+  // react-native's own dependency graph at build time instead.
+  it('never writes HERMES_CLI_PATH into either configuration', () => {
+    const {text, buildSettingChanges} = inject(PLAIN);
     expect(text).not.toContain('HERMES_CLI_PATH');
+    expect(
+      buildSettingChanges.flatMap(change => change.createdScalars ?? []),
+    ).not.toContain('HERMES_CLI_PATH');
   });
 
   // Swift's `#if DEBUG` — which AppDelegate.swift's bundleURL() uses to pick the
@@ -362,9 +352,7 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 2 (build settings + phase)', () => {
 
 describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 3 (plugin generated sources)', () => {
   it('wires a manifest entry into the app target (ref + build file + Sources + group)', () => {
-    const {text, generatedSourceUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [
-      PROVIDER_SOURCE,
-    ]);
+    const {text, generatedSourceUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, [PROVIDER_SOURCE]);
     const [fileRefUuid, buildFileUuid] =
       generatedSourceUuids[PROVIDER_SOURCE.path];
     expect(fileRefUuid).toMatch(/^[0-9A-F]{24}$/);
@@ -398,7 +386,7 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 3 (plugin generated sources)', () => {
       `${fileRefUuid} /* ExpoModulesProvider.swift */,`,
     );
     // File ref + build file UUIDs are tracked for deinit.
-    const {injectedUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [PROVIDER_SOURCE]);
+    const {injectedUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, [PROVIDER_SOURCE]);
     expect(injectedUuids).toEqual(
       expect.arrayContaining([fileRefUuid, buildFileUuid]),
     );
@@ -406,7 +394,7 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 3 (plugin generated sources)', () => {
   });
 
   it('is idempotent with generated sources — a second run is byte-for-byte identical', () => {
-    const first = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [PROVIDER_SOURCE]).text;
+    const first = inject(PLAIN, null, [PROVIDER_SOURCE]).text;
     const plan = planInjection(first, {});
     const second = injectSpmIntoPbxproj(
       first,
@@ -419,7 +407,6 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 3 (plugin generated sources)', () => {
       },
       RN_PATH,
       null,
-      null,
       [PROVIDER_SOURCE],
       TEST_FRAMEWORKS,
     ).text;
@@ -433,7 +420,7 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 3 (plugin generated sources)', () => {
       sourceTree: '"<absolute>"',
       fileType: 'sourcecode.swift',
     };
-    const {text} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [abs]);
+    const {text} = inject(PLAIN, null, [abs]);
     expect(text).toContain('path = /opt/generated/OtherProvider.swift;');
     expect(text).toContain('sourceTree = "<absolute>";');
   });
@@ -459,7 +446,6 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 3 (plugin generated sources)', () => {
       },
       RN_PATH,
       null,
-      null,
       [PROVIDER_SOURCE],
       TEST_FRAMEWORKS,
     );
@@ -496,7 +482,7 @@ describe.each(HOSTILE_SOURCE_NAMES)(
     };
 
     it('normalizes all three comments and keeps the project balanced', () => {
-      const {text, generatedSourceUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [src]);
+      const {text, generatedSourceUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, [src]);
       const [fileRefUuid, buildFileUuid] = generatedSourceUuids[src.path];
       expect(definitionComment(text, fileRefUuid)).toBe(comment);
       expect(definitionComment(text, buildFileUuid)).toBe(
@@ -513,14 +499,14 @@ describe.each(HOSTILE_SOURCE_NAMES)(
     });
 
     it('leaves the path and name VALUES verbatim', () => {
-      const {text} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [src]);
+      const {text} = inject(PLAIN, null, [src]);
       expect(text).toContain(`path = "${src.path}";`);
       expect(text).toContain(`name = "${fileName}";`);
     });
 
     it('re-injects byte-identically', () => {
-      const first = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [src]).text;
-      expect(inject(first, null, null, [src]).text).toBe(first);
+      const first = inject(PLAIN, null, [src]).text;
+      expect(inject(first, null, [src]).text).toBe(first);
     });
   },
 );
@@ -529,9 +515,7 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — an ordinary generated-source name', () => {
   // Normalization must be invisible for every real-world filename, or every
   // already-injected project churns on its next sync.
   it('reaches all three comments byte-unchanged', () => {
-    const {text, generatedSourceUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [
-      PROVIDER_SOURCE,
-    ]);
+    const {text, generatedSourceUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, [PROVIDER_SOURCE]);
     const [fileRefUuid, buildFileUuid] =
       generatedSourceUuids[PROVIDER_SOURCE.path];
     expect(definitionComment(text, fileRefUuid)).toBe(
@@ -562,7 +546,6 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 4 (plugin script phases)', () => {
     const {text, scriptPhaseUuids} = inject(
       PLAIN,
       null,
-      null,
       [],
       [APP_CONFIG_PHASE],
     );
@@ -579,7 +562,7 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 4 (plugin script phases)', () => {
       '\t\t\t\t"$(TARGET_BUILD_DIR)/EXConstants.bundle/app.config",\n',
     );
     // Recorded so `deinit` reverses it and `update` reconciles it.
-    const {injectedUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], [APP_CONFIG_PHASE]);
+    const {injectedUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, [], [APP_CONFIG_PHASE]);
     expect(injectedUuids).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining([uuid]));
     expect(isBalanced(text)).toBe(true);
   });
@@ -588,7 +571,6 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 4 (plugin script phases)', () => {
     const withFlag = inject(
       PLAIN,
       null,
-      null,
       [],
       [{...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, alwaysOutOfDate: true}],
     ).text;
@@ -602,14 +584,14 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 4 (plugin script phases)', () => {
       APP_CONFIG_PHASE,
       {...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, alwaysOutOfDate: false},
     ]) {
-      expect(inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], [phase]).text).not.toContain(
+      expect(inject(PLAIN, null, [], [phase]).text).not.toContain(
         'alwaysOutOfDate',
       );
     }
   });
 
   it("places an 'end' phase last in buildPhases", () => {
-    const {text} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], [APP_CONFIG_PHASE]);
+    const {text} = inject(PLAIN, null, [], [APP_CONFIG_PHASE]);
     const comments = buildPhaseComments(text);
     expect(comments[comments.length - 1]).toBe('Bundle Expo app.config');
     // NOTE: the fixture target has only Sources/Frameworks/Resources — it has
@@ -622,7 +604,6 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 4 (plugin script phases)', () => {
     const {text} = inject(
       PLAIN,
       null,
-      null,
       [],
       [{...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, position: 'beforeCompile'}],
     );
@@ -644,7 +625,6 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 4 (plugin script phases)', () => {
     const {text} = inject(
       PLAIN,
       null,
-      null,
       [],
       [
         phase('pre-a', 'beforeCompile'),
@@ -668,8 +648,8 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 4 (plugin script phases)', () => {
       {...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, alwaysOutOfDate: true},
       {...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, id: 'other', name: 'Other', position: 'end'},
     ];
-    const first = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], phases).text;
-    const second = inject(first, null, null, [], phases).text;
+    const first = inject(PLAIN, null, [], phases).text;
+    const second = inject(first, null, [], phases).text;
     expect(second).toBe(first);
   });
 
@@ -677,37 +657,35 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — Tier 4 (plugin script phases)', () => {
     const script =
       'echo "a\\b" > "$(DERIVED_FILE_DIR)/x"\nprintf \'%s\\n\' done';
     const phases = [{...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, script}];
-    const {text} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], phases);
+    const {text} = inject(PLAIN, null, [], phases);
     expect(text).toContain(
       'shellScript = "echo \\"a\\\\b\\" > \\"$(DERIVED_FILE_DIR)/x\\"\\nprintf \'%s\\\\n\' done";',
     );
     expect(isBalanced(text)).toBe(true);
-    expect(inject(text, null, null, [], phases).text).toBe(text);
+    expect(inject(text, null, [], phases).text).toBe(text);
   });
 
   it('quotes a name containing a double quote in the field, dropping it from the comments', () => {
     const phases = [{...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, name: 'Bundle "app.config"'}];
-    const {text, scriptPhaseUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], phases);
+    const {text, scriptPhaseUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, [], phases);
     const uuid = scriptPhaseUuids[APP_CONFIG_PHASE.id];
     expect(text).toContain('name = "Bundle \\"app.config\\"";');
     expect(text).toContain(`${uuid} /* Bundle app.config */ = {`);
     expect(buildPhaseComments(text)).toContain('Bundle app.config');
     expect(isBalanced(text)).toBe(true);
-    expect(inject(text, null, null, [], phases).text).toBe(text);
+    expect(inject(text, null, [], phases).text).toBe(text);
   });
 
   it('a rename refreshes the name field AND both /* … */ comments', () => {
     const first = inject(
       PLAIN,
       null,
-      null,
       [],
       [{...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, name: 'Write App Config'}],
     ).text;
     const renamed = inject(
       first,
       null,
-      null,
       [],
       [{...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, name: 'Write Expo Config'}],
     ).text;
@@ -733,11 +711,11 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — repositioning plugin script phases', () => {
   });
 
   it('moves a phase from end to beforeCompile and back again', () => {
-    const atEnd = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], [phase('a', 'end')]).text;
+    const atEnd = inject(PLAIN, null, [], [phase('a', 'end')]).text;
     expect(buildPhaseComments(atEnd).slice(-1)).toEqual(['a']);
 
     const beforeCompile = [phase('a', 'beforeCompile')];
-    const moved = inject(atEnd, null, null, [], beforeCompile).text;
+    const moved = inject(atEnd, null, [], beforeCompile).text;
     expect(buildPhaseComments(moved).slice(0, 3)).toEqual([
       'Sync SPM Autolinking',
       'a',
@@ -745,17 +723,16 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — repositioning plugin script phases', () => {
     ]);
     expect(isBalanced(moved)).toBe(true);
     // Re-syncing the now-matching declaration changes nothing.
-    expect(inject(moved, null, null, [], beforeCompile).text).toBe(moved);
+    expect(inject(moved, null, [], beforeCompile).text).toBe(moved);
 
     // And back: a move is a pure reordering of the membership lines.
-    expect(inject(moved, null, null, [], [phase('a', 'end')]).text).toBe(atEnd);
+    expect(inject(moved, null, [], [phase('a', 'end')]).text).toBe(atEnd);
   });
 
   it('reorders two phases sharing a position when their declared order swaps', () => {
     const inOrder = inject(
       PLAIN,
       null,
-      null,
       [],
       [phase('b1', 'beforeCompile'), phase('b2', 'beforeCompile')],
     ).text;
@@ -769,7 +746,6 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — repositioning plugin script phases', () => {
     const swapped = inject(
       inOrder,
       null,
-      null,
       [],
       [phase('b2', 'beforeCompile'), phase('b1', 'beforeCompile')],
     ).text;
@@ -787,7 +763,7 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — repositioning plugin script phases', () => {
       phase('b', 'beforeCompile'),
       phase('c', 'beforeCompile'),
     ];
-    const first = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], declared).text;
+    const first = inject(PLAIN, null, [], declared).text;
     expect(buildPhaseComments(first).slice(0, 5)).toEqual([
       'Sync SPM Autolinking',
       'a',
@@ -799,7 +775,6 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — repositioning plugin script phases', () => {
     const {text} = inject(
       first,
       null,
-      null,
       [],
       [declared[0], {...declared[1], position: 'end'}, declared[2]],
     );
@@ -815,13 +790,7 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — repositioning plugin script phases', () => {
 
   it('moves a phase the user dragged in Xcode back to its declared position', () => {
     const phases = [phase('a', 'end')];
-    const {text: first, scriptPhaseUuids} = inject(
-      PLAIN,
-      null,
-      null,
-      [],
-      phases,
-    );
+    const {text: first, scriptPhaseUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, [], phases);
     const memberLine = `\n\t\t\t\t${scriptPhaseUuids.a} /* a */,`;
     expect(first).toContain(memberLine);
     const dragged = first
@@ -829,7 +798,7 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — repositioning plugin script phases', () => {
       .replace('buildPhases = (\n', `buildPhases = (${memberLine}\n`);
     expect(buildPhaseComments(dragged)[0]).toBe('a');
 
-    expect(inject(dragged, null, null, [], phases).text).toBe(first);
+    expect(inject(dragged, null, [], phases).text).toBe(first);
   });
 
   // RN never re-seats its own sync phase, so a user who drags it below Sources
@@ -843,7 +812,7 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — repositioning plugin script phases', () => {
     ]);
 
     const declared = [phase('a', 'beforeCompile')];
-    const {text} = inject(dragged, null, null, [], declared);
+    const {text} = inject(dragged, null, [], declared);
     expect(buildPhaseComments(text)).toEqual([
       'a',
       'Sources',
@@ -853,7 +822,7 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — repositioning plugin script phases', () => {
       'Resources',
     ]);
     expect(isBalanced(text)).toBe(true);
-    expect(inject(text, null, null, [], declared).text).toBe(text);
+    expect(inject(text, null, [], declared).text).toBe(text);
   });
 
   it('falls back to the sync phase as the anchor when the target has no Sources phase', () => {
@@ -861,13 +830,7 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — repositioning plugin script phases', () => {
       /\/\* Begin PBXSourcesBuildPhase section \*\/[\s\S]*?\/\* End PBXSourcesBuildPhase section \*\/\n\n/,
       '',
     );
-    const {text} = inject(
-      noSources,
-      null,
-      null,
-      [],
-      [phase('a', 'beforeCompile')],
-    );
+    const {text} = inject(noSources, null, [], [phase('a', 'beforeCompile')]);
     expect(buildPhaseComments(text).slice(0, 2)).toEqual([
       'Sync SPM Autolinking',
       'a',
@@ -892,8 +855,8 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — repositioning plugin script phases', () => {
       ],
     ],
   ])('re-syncs %s byte-identically', (_label, phases) => {
-    const first = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], phases).text;
-    expect(inject(first, null, null, [], phases).text).toBe(first);
+    const first = inject(PLAIN, null, [], phases).text;
+    expect(inject(first, null, [], phases).text).toBe(first);
   });
 });
 
@@ -908,7 +871,6 @@ describe('buildPhaseOrder', () => {
     const {text} = inject(
       PLAIN,
       null,
-      null,
       [],
       [{...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, name: PHANTOM}],
     );
@@ -924,13 +886,13 @@ describe('buildPhaseOrder', () => {
     const phases = [
       {...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, name: PHANTOM, position: 'beforeCompile'},
     ];
-    const first = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], phases).text;
+    const first = inject(PLAIN, null, [], phases).text;
     expect(buildPhaseComments(first).slice(0, 3)).toEqual([
       'Sync SPM Autolinking',
       PHANTOM,
       'Sources',
     ]);
-    expect(inject(first, null, null, [], phases).text).toBe(first);
+    expect(inject(first, null, [], phases).text).toBe(first);
   });
 });
 
@@ -976,7 +938,7 @@ describe.each(HOSTILE_NAMES)(
     const phases = [{...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, name}];
 
     it('normalizes it in both comments and keeps the project balanced', () => {
-      const {text, scriptPhaseUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], phases);
+      const {text, scriptPhaseUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, [], phases);
       const uuid = scriptPhaseUuids[APP_CONFIG_PHASE.id];
       expect(definitionComment(text, uuid)).toBe(comment);
       expect(buildPhaseComments(text)).toContain(comment);
@@ -988,8 +950,8 @@ describe.each(HOSTILE_NAMES)(
     });
 
     it('re-injects byte-identically', () => {
-      const first = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], phases).text;
-      expect(inject(first, null, null, [], phases).text).toBe(first);
+      const first = inject(PLAIN, null, [], phases).text;
+      expect(inject(first, null, [], phases).text).toBe(first);
     });
   },
 );
@@ -1002,31 +964,31 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — a scoped-npm-name phase id', () => {
   const SCOPED = {...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, id: '@expo/log-box'};
 
   it('keys the phase UUID on the scoped id verbatim', () => {
-    const {scriptPhaseUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], [SCOPED]);
+    const {scriptPhaseUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, [], [SCOPED]);
     expect(Object.keys(scriptPhaseUuids)).toEqual(['@expo/log-box']);
     expect(scriptPhaseUuids['@expo/log-box']).toMatch(/^[0-9A-F]{24}$/);
   });
 
   it('normalizes the id when nothing in the name survives', () => {
     const phases = [{...SCOPED, name: '*/*'}];
-    const {text, scriptPhaseUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], phases);
+    const {text, scriptPhaseUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, [], phases);
     const uuid = scriptPhaseUuids['@expo/log-box'];
     expect(definitionComment(text, uuid)).toBe('@expo log-box');
     expect(buildPhaseComments(text)).toContain('@expo log-box');
     expect(text).toContain(`${uuid} /* @expo log-box */ = {`);
     expect(isBalanced(text)).toBe(true);
-    expect(inject(text, null, null, [], phases).text).toBe(text);
+    expect(inject(text, null, [], phases).text).toBe(text);
   });
 
   it('writes no comment at all when neither the name nor the id survives', () => {
     const phases = [{...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, id: '//', name: '*/*'}];
-    const {text, scriptPhaseUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], phases);
+    const {text, scriptPhaseUuids} = inject(PLAIN, null, [], phases);
     const uuid = scriptPhaseUuids['//'];
     expect(definitionComment(text, uuid)).toBe(null);
     expect(text).toContain(`${uuid} = {`);
     expect(text).toMatch(new RegExp(`\\n\\t+${uuid},`));
     expect(isBalanced(text)).toBe(true);
-    expect(inject(text, null, null, [], phases).text).toBe(text);
+    expect(inject(text, null, [], phases).text).toBe(text);
   });
 });
 
@@ -1039,19 +1001,13 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — phase name field vs. comment', () => {
       ['*/*', 'name = "*/*";'],
     ];
     for (const [name, expected] of cases) {
-      const {text} = inject(
-        PLAIN,
-        null,
-        null,
-        [],
-        [{...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, name}],
-      );
+      const {text} = inject(PLAIN, null, [], [{...APP_CONFIG_PHASE, name}]);
       expect(text).toContain(expected);
     }
   });
 
   it("leaves React Native's own two phase comments byte-identical", () => {
-    const {text} = inject(PLAIN, null, null, [], [APP_CONFIG_PHASE]);
+    const {text} = inject(PLAIN, null, [], [APP_CONFIG_PHASE]);
     for (const label of [
       'Sync SPM Autolinking',
       'Embed React Native Flavored Frameworks',
@@ -1069,13 +1025,7 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — phase name field vs. comment', () => {
   // slashes. Normalizing those would rewrite bytes Xcode itself produces, so
   // only untrusted labels go through commentSafe.
   it("preserves Xcode's comment convention for the package references", () => {
-    const {text} = inject(
-      PLAIN,
-      null,
-      null,
-      [PROVIDER_SOURCE],
-      [APP_CONFIG_PHASE],
-    );
+    const {text} = inject(PLAIN, null, [PROVIDER_SOURCE], [APP_CONFIG_PHASE]);
     expect(text).toContain(
       '/* XCLocalSwiftPackageReference "build/generated/autolinking" */',
     );
@@ -1104,7 +1054,6 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — invariants', () => {
       },
       RN_PATH,
       null,
-      null,
       [],
       TEST_FRAMEWORKS,
     ).text;
@@ -1145,7 +1094,6 @@ describe('injectSpmIntoPbxproj — invariants', () => {
       },
       RN_PATH,
       null,
-      null,
       [],
       TEST_FRAMEWORKS,
     ).text;
diff --git a/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/__tests__/remove-spm-injection-test.js b/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/__tests__/remove-spm-injection-test.js
index 348fb3b99234..2974e310af4e 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/__tests__/remove-spm-injection-test.js
+++ b/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/__tests__/remove-spm-injection-test.js
@@ -86,6 +86,26 @@ function scaffoldApp(pbxproj /*: string */ = PLAIN) {
   return {appRoot, xcodeprojPath, rnRoot};
 }
 
+// The hoisted `hermes-compiler` layout a real installed app has: the package
+// sits in the app's node_modules, NOT next to react-native, and carries the
+// host hermesc binary. Returns its absolute path — the value the injector used
+// to bake into the project.
+function withHermesCompiler(appRoot /*: string */) {
+  const pkgRoot = path.join(appRoot, 'node_modules', 'hermes-compiler');
+  const binDir = path.join(pkgRoot, 'hermesc', 'osx-bin');
+  fs.mkdirSync(binDir, {recursive: true});
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    path.join(pkgRoot, 'package.json'),
+    JSON.stringify({name: 'hermes-compiler', version: '1.0.0'}),
+    'utf8',
+  );
+  const hermesc = path.join(binDir, 'hermesc');
+  fs.writeFileSync(hermesc, '#!/bin/sh\n', 'utf8');
+  // os.tmpdir() is a symlink on macOS; require.resolve reports the real path,
+  // which is what the injector would have written.
+  return fs.realpathSync(hermesc);
+}
+
 function pbxprojOf(xcodeprojPath) {
   return fs.readFileSync(path.join(xcodeprojPath, 'project.pbxproj'), 'utf8');
 }
@@ -156,6 +176,42 @@ function schemePathOf(xcodeprojPath) {
   );
 }
 
+// An absolute hermesc path is machine-specific and the app commits its
+// project.pbxproj, so `spm add` must never write one. react-native-xcode.sh
+// resolves hermesc through react-native's own dependency graph at build time.
+describe('injectSpmIntoExistingXcodeproj — HERMES_CLI_PATH', () => {
+  it('writes no HERMES_CLI_PATH, in any configuration or the marker', () => {
+    const {appRoot, xcodeprojPath, rnRoot} = scaffoldApp();
+    const hermesc = withHermesCompiler(appRoot);
+    // Guard against a vacuous pass: hermesc must be resolvable from rnRoot,
+    // which is the only condition under which a path could be written at all.
+    expect(
+      require.resolve('hermes-compiler/package.json', {paths: [rnRoot]}),
+    ).toBe(
+      fs.realpathSync(
+        path.join(appRoot, 'node_modules', 'hermes-compiler', 'package.json'),
+      ),
+    );
+    expect(fs.existsSync(hermesc)).toBe(true);
+
+    expect(
+      injectSpmIntoExistingXcodeproj({
+        appRoot,
+        reactNativeRoot: rnRoot,
+        xcodeprojPath,
+      }).status,
+    ).toBe('injected');
+
+    expect(pbxprojOf(xcodeprojPath)).not.toContain('HERMES_CLI_PATH');
+    expect(pbxprojOf(xcodeprojPath)).not.toContain(hermesc);
+    expect(
+      readMarker(xcodeprojPath).buildSettingChanges.flatMap(
+        change => change.createdScalars ?? [],
+      ),
+    ).not.toContain('HERMES_CLI_PATH');
+  });
+});
+
 describe('removeSpmInjection — the surgical inverse of add', () => {
   it('round-trips: add then deinit restores the pbxproj byte-for-byte', () => {
     const {appRoot, xcodeprojPath, rnRoot} = scaffoldApp();
diff --git a/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/download-spm-artifacts.js b/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/download-spm-artifacts.js
index ba6cc6ea74b3..6d4f62554491 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/download-spm-artifacts.js
+++ b/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/download-spm-artifacts.js
@@ -454,10 +454,9 @@ async function resolveRNDepsArtifact(
 
 /**
  * Resolves the `hermes-compiler` npm package's version from THIS project's own
- * node_modules — the exact same lookup generate-spm-xcodeproj.js's
- * resolveHermesCliPathSetting() uses to find the hermesc binary that will
- * compile the JS bundle, and the same one react-native-xcode.sh falls back to
- * for SwiftPM builds. Returns null when the package isn't resolvable (e.g.
+ * node_modules — the exact same lookup react-native-xcode.sh performs, through
+ * react-native's dependency graph, to find the hermesc binary that compiles the
+ * JS bundle. Returns null when the package isn't resolvable (e.g.
  * USE_HERMES=false apps that never installed it) so the caller can fall back
  * to the npm dist-tag lookup.
  */
@@ -499,11 +498,11 @@ function resolveLocalHermesCompilerVersion(
  *   HERMES_VERSION unset       → version pinned by the locally installed
  *                                hermes-compiler package (node_modules).
  *                                This is the SAME source
- *                                resolveHermesCliPathSetting() reads for
- *                                HERMES_CLI_PATH, so the downloaded VM and
- *                                the hermesc that compiles the JS bundle
- *                                always agree — a mismatched pair crashes at
- *                                launch with "Wrong bytecode version" (#57917).
+ *                                react-native-xcode.sh resolves hermesc from,
+ *                                so the downloaded VM and the hermesc that
+ *                                compiles the JS bundle always agree — a
+ *                                mismatched pair crashes at launch with
+ *                                "Wrong bytecode version" (#57917).
  *                                Falls back to the 'latest-v1' npm dist-tag
  *                                (RN's CocoaPods prebuild default; see
  *                                scripts/ios-prebuild/hermes.js) only when
diff --git a/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/generate-spm-xcodeproj.js b/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/generate-spm-xcodeproj.js
index 5c0c5d35ce33..0e86cff7fa53 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/generate-spm-xcodeproj.js
+++ b/packages/react-native/scripts/spm/generate-spm-xcodeproj.js
@@ -1250,7 +1250,6 @@ function injectSpmIntoPbxproj(
   plan /*: {rootUuid: string, targetUuid: string, configUuids: Array<string>, frameworksPhaseUuid: string, sourcesPhaseUuid?: ?string} */,
   reactNativePath /*: string */,
   remote /*: ?RemoteCfg */,
-  hermesCliPath /*: ?string */ = null,
   generatedSources /*: ReadonlyArray<GeneratedSource> */ = [],
   flavoredFrameworks /*: ReadonlyArray<FlavoredFrameworkManifestEntry> */ = [],
   scriptPhases /*: ReadonlyArray<PluginScriptPhase> */ = [],
@@ -1350,7 +1349,6 @@ function injectSpmIntoPbxproj(
       configUuid,
       buildConfigurationName(text, configUuid),
       reactNativePath,
-      hermesCliPath,
       flavoredFrameworks,
     );
     text = merged.text;
@@ -1659,48 +1657,6 @@ function findApplicationTargetByUuid(
   return obj;
 }
 
-/**
- * Merge the React build settings into one XCBuildConfiguration's dict. Returns
- * the modified text plus a precise record of what was actually added — so
- * `deinit` (removeSpmInjection) can reverse exactly these edits, never touching
- * a value the user already had (key insight: ensureScalarField/
- * addArrayStringValues are no-ops / dedupe when a value is already present).
- */
-/**
- * Resolves the host `hermesc` from the `hermes-compiler` npm package and returns
- * its ABSOLUTE path as the HERMES_CLI_PATH value, or null when it can't be found
- * (e.g. USE_HERMES=false apps without the package). require.resolve (anchored at
- * reactNativeRoot) follows Node's lookup, so a hoisted monorepo layout — where
- * hermes-compiler sits in the workspace-root node_modules, NOT next to
- * react-native — resolves correctly.
- *
- * The value is intentionally ABSOLUTE, not `$(REACT_NATIVE_PATH)/../...`: when
- * react-native is a symlink (the monorepo default, and common in real apps), a
- * `..` after it resolves — kernel-side — to the symlink TARGET's parent, not the
- * node_modules dir, so the relative form points at a non-existent
- * `<rn-target>/../hermes-compiler`. An absolute path sidesteps that entirely
- * (and matches how the CocoaPods hermes-engine pod sets HERMES_CLI_PATH). It is
- * regenerated on every `spm add`, so machine-specificity is a non-issue.
- */
-function resolveHermesCliPathSetting(
-  reactNativeRoot /*: string */,
-) /*: ?string */ {
-  try {
-    const pkg = require.resolve('hermes-compiler/package.json', {
-      paths: [reactNativeRoot],
-    });
-    const hermesc = path.join(
-      path.dirname(pkg),
-      'hermesc',
-      'osx-bin',
-      'hermesc',
-    );
-    return fs.existsSync(hermesc) ? hermesc : null;
-  } catch {
-    return null;
-  }
-}
-
 /** Strip the surrounding plist quotes from a build-setting token, if any. */
 function unquotePlist(s /*: string */) /*: string */ {
   return s.replace(/^"/, '').replace(/"$/, '');
@@ -1723,29 +1679,24 @@ function buildSettingValueTokens(value /*: string */) /*: Set<string> */ {
   );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Merge the React build settings into one XCBuildConfiguration's dict. Returns
+ * the modified text plus a precise record of what was actually added — so
+ * `deinit` (removeSpmInjection) can reverse exactly these edits, never touching
+ * a value the user already had (key insight: ensureScalarField/
+ * addArrayStringValues are no-ops / dedupe when a value is already present).
+ */
 function mergeReactBuildSettings(
   input /*: string */,
   configUuid /*: string */,
   configurationName /*: string */,
   reactNativePath /*: string */,
-  hermesCliPath /*: ?string */ = null,
   flavoredFrameworks /*: ReadonlyArray<FlavoredFrameworkManifestEntry> */ = [],
 ) /*: {text: string, change: BuildSettingChange} */ {
   let text = input;
   const scalars = [
     {key: 'CLANG_CXX_LANGUAGE_STANDARD', value: '"c++20"'},
     {key: 'REACT_NATIVE_PATH', value: quoteIfNeeded(reactNativePath)},
-    // Under SwiftPM there is no hermes-engine pod, so react-native-xcode.sh's
-    // fallback ($PODS_ROOT/hermes-engine/destroot/bin/hermesc) resolves to a
-    // non-existent "/hermes-engine/..." and the Release JS→Hermes bundling
-    // fails. Point HERMES_CLI_PATH at the hermes-compiler npm package's host
-    // hermesc (an ABSOLUTE path resolved by the caller — see
-    // resolveHermesCliPathSetting). react-native-xcode.sh honors an already-set
-    // HERMES_CLI_PATH before its pod fallback; ensureScalarField leaves any
-    // user-provided value untouched.
-    ...(hermesCliPath != null
-      ? [{key: 'HERMES_CLI_PATH', value: quoteIfNeeded(hermesCliPath)}]
-      : []),
   ];
   // Re-locate the buildSettings dict before each edit (offsets shift).
   const dict = () => {
@@ -2368,7 +2319,6 @@ function injectSpmIntoExistingXcodeproj(
   }
   const reactNativePath = path.relative(appRoot, reactNativeRoot);
   const remote = remotePackageConfig(appRoot);
-  const hermesCliPath = resolveHermesCliPathSetting(reactNativeRoot);
   const generatedSources = readGeneratedSourcesManifest(appRoot);
   const scriptPhases = readScriptPhasesManifest(appRoot);
   const flavoredFrameworks = readFlavoredFrameworksManifest(appRoot).frameworks;
@@ -2441,7 +2391,6 @@ function injectSpmIntoExistingXcodeproj(
     },
     reactNativePath,
     remote,
-    hermesCliPath,
     generatedSources,
     flavoredFrameworks,
     scriptPhases,