diff --git a/.github/workflows/core-release.yml b/.github/workflows/core-release.yml
index 36436ffa0..b63a2ce31 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/core-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/core-release.yml
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Build mbgl-core for macOS
         run: |
-          cmake --preset macos-metal -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER="" -DMLN_WITH_GLFW=OFF
+          cmake --preset macos-metal -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER="" -DMLN_WITH_GLFW=OFF -DMLN_CREATE_AMALGAMATION=ON
           cmake --build build-macos-metal --target mbgl-core
 
       - name: Rename artifact
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Build mbgl-core for Linux
         run: |
-          cmake --preset linux-${{ matrix.renderer }} -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=""
+          cmake --preset linux-${{ matrix.renderer }} -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER="" -DMLN_CREATE_AMALGAMATION=ON
           cmake --build build-linux-${{ matrix.renderer }} --target mbgl-core
 
       - name: Rename artifact
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Build mbgl-core for Windows
         run: |
-          cmake --preset windows-${{ matrix.renderer }}-core -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=""
+          cmake --preset windows-${{ matrix.renderer }} -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=""
           cmake --build --preset windows-${{ matrix.renderer }}-core
 
       - name: Rename artifact
diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/linux-ci.yml
index 2a51187bc..087b56e2a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux-ci.yml
@@ -79,14 +79,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: .github/scripts/install-linux-deps
 
-      - run: cargo install armerge@2.2.0
-      # TODO: use below once
-      # https://github.com/tux3/armerge/issues/14
-      # is fixed
-
-      # - uses: taiki-e/install-action@020705266844b275b711684191e11281be48860c # v2
-      #   with:
-      #     tool: armerge@2
+      - uses: taiki-e/install-action@020705266844b275b711684191e11281be48860c # v2
+        with:
+          tool: armerge@2
 
       - if: matrix.variant.rust
         run: cargo install cxxbridge-cmd --version 1.0.157 --locked
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 329c66e62..2959da094 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ option(MLN_USE_UNORDERED_DENSE "Use ankerl dense containers for performance" ON)
 option(MLN_USE_TRACY "Enable Tracy instrumentation" OFF)
 option(MLN_USE_RUST "Use components in Rust" OFF)
 option(MLN_TEXT_SHAPING_HARFBUZZ "Use haffbuzz to shape complex text" ON)
-option(MLN_CORE_INCLUDE_DEPS "Include depdendencies in static build of core" OFF)
 option(MLN_CREATE_AUTORELEASEPOOL "Create autoreleasepool in render loop" OFF)
+option(MLN_CREATE_AMALGAMATION "Create static amalgamation of core (requires amerge)" OFF)
 
 include(cmake/validate-backend-options.cmake)
 include(cmake/clang-tidy.cmake)
diff --git a/CMakePresets.json b/CMakePresets.json
index 7f98bcd1e..5210c1dee 100644
--- a/CMakePresets.json
+++ b/CMakePresets.json
@@ -219,14 +219,6 @@
         "MLN_WITH_OPENGL": "ON"
       }
     },
-    {
-      "name": "windows-opengl-core",
-      "inherits": "windows-opengl",
-      "cacheVariables": {
-        "MLN_CORE_INCLUDE_DEPS": "ON",
-        "MLN_USE_BUILTIN_ICU": "ON"
-      }
-    },
     {
       "name": "windows-opengl-node",
       "inherits": "windows",
@@ -249,14 +241,6 @@
         "MLN_WITH_EGL": "ON"
       }
     },
-    {
-      "name": "windows-egl-core",
-      "inherits": "windows-egl",
-      "cacheVariables": {
-        "MLN_CORE_INCLUDE_DEPS": "ON",
-        "MLN_USE_BUILTIN_ICU": "ON"
-      }
-    },
     {
       "name": "windows-vulkan",
       "binaryDir": "${sourceDir}/build-windows-vulkan",
@@ -267,14 +251,6 @@
         "MLN_WITH_VULKAN": "ON"
       }
     },
-    {
-      "name": "windows-vulkan-core",
-      "inherits": "windows-vulkan",
-      "cacheVariables": {
-        "MLN_CORE_INCLUDE_DEPS": "ON",
-        "MLN_USE_BUILTIN_ICU": "ON"
-      }
-    },
     {
       "name": "windows-arm64",
       "hidden": true,
diff --git a/cmake/clang-tidy.cmake b/cmake/clang-tidy.cmake
index 6b4768921..9e6588988 100644
--- a/cmake/clang-tidy.cmake
+++ b/cmake/clang-tidy.cmake
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 if (MLN_WITH_CLANG_TIDY OR MLN_CLANG_TIDY_COMMAND)
     if(MLN_CLANG_TIDY_COMMAND)
-        set(CLANG_TIDY_COMMAND MLN_CLANG_TIDY_COMMAND)
+        set(CLANG_TIDY_COMMAND "${MLN_CLANG_TIDY_COMMAND}")
         message(STATUS "Using clang-tidy at ${CLANG_TIDY_COMMAND}")
     else()
         find_program(CLANG_TIDY_COMMAND NAMES clang-tidy)
diff --git a/platform/linux/linux.cmake b/platform/linux/linux.cmake
index e7a7800c1..fe28abf00 100644
--- a/platform/linux/linux.cmake
+++ b/platform/linux/linux.cmake
@@ -181,8 +181,10 @@ target_link_libraries(
         mbgl-vendor-sqlite
 )
 
-# Bundle system provided libraries
-if(NOT MLN_USE_BUILTIN_ICU AND NOT "${ARMERGE}" STREQUAL "ARMERGE-NOTFOUND")
+if(MLN_CREATE_AMALGAMATION)
+    if ("${ARMERGE}" STREQUAL "MLN_CREATE_AMALGAMATION")
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "armerge required when MLN_CREATE_AMALGAMATION=ON")
+    endif()
     message(STATUS "Found armerge: ${ARMERGE}")
     include(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/find_static_library.cmake)
     set(STATIC_LIBS "")
diff --git a/platform/macos/macos.cmake b/platform/macos/macos.cmake
index 816108d2f..2c7395183 100644
--- a/platform/macos/macos.cmake
+++ b/platform/macos/macos.cmake
@@ -145,7 +145,10 @@ add_test(
 
 find_program(ARMERGE NAMES armerge)
 
-if(NOT "${ARMERGE}" STREQUAL "ARMERGE-NOTFOUND")
+if(MLN_CREATE_AMALGAMATION)
+    if ("${ARMERGE}" STREQUAL "ARMERGE-NOTFOUND")
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "armerge required when MLN_CREATE_AMALGAMATION=ON")
+    endif()
     message(STATUS "Found armerge: ${ARMERGE}")
     include(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/find_static_library.cmake)
     set(STATIC_LIBS "")
diff --git a/platform/windows/windows.cmake b/platform/windows/windows.cmake
index b4a3aba62..0473e0114 100644
--- a/platform/windows/windows.cmake
+++ b/platform/windows/windows.cmake
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ target_link_libraries(
         $<$<NOT:$<BOOL:${MLN_USE_BUILTIN_ICU}>>:ICU::i18n>
         $<$<NOT:$<BOOL:${MLN_USE_BUILTIN_ICU}>>:ICU::uc>
         $<$<NOT:$<BOOL:${MLN_USE_BUILTIN_ICU}>>:ICU::data>
-        $<$<BOOL:${MLN_USE_BUILTIN_ICU}>:$<IF:$<BOOL:${MLN_CORE_INCLUDE_DEPS}>,$<TARGET_OBJECTS:mbgl-vendor-icu>,mbgl-vendor-icu>>
+        $<$<BOOL:${MLN_USE_BUILTIN_ICU}>:mbgl-vendor-icu>
         PNG::PNG
         mbgl-vendor-nunicode
         mbgl-vendor-sqlite
diff --git a/vendor/csscolorparser.cmake b/vendor/csscolorparser.cmake
index 22d26ccfb..e5f15cc38 100644
--- a/vendor/csscolorparser.cmake
+++ b/vendor/csscolorparser.cmake
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ if(TARGET mbgl-vendor-csscolorparser)
     return()
 endif()
 
-if(MLN_WITH_QT OR MLN_CORE_INCLUDE_DEPS)
+if(MLN_WITH_QT)
     add_library(mbgl-vendor-csscolorparser OBJECT)
 else()
     add_library(mbgl-vendor-csscolorparser STATIC)
diff --git a/vendor/icu.cmake b/vendor/icu.cmake
index 5f1169e31..e43dc5ad0 100644
--- a/vendor/icu.cmake
+++ b/vendor/icu.cmake
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ if(TARGET mbgl-vendor-icu)
     return()
 endif()
 
-if(MLN_WITH_QT OR MLN_CORE_INCLUDE_DEPS)
+if(MLN_WITH_QT)
     add_library(mbgl-vendor-icu OBJECT)
 else()
     add_library(mbgl-vendor-icu STATIC)
diff --git a/vendor/nunicode.cmake b/vendor/nunicode.cmake
index 0ecda14dd..640539bb1 100644
--- a/vendor/nunicode.cmake
+++ b/vendor/nunicode.cmake
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ if(TARGET mbgl-vendor-nunicode)
     return()
 endif()
 
-if(MLN_WITH_QT OR MLN_CORE_INCLUDE_DEPS)
+if(MLN_WITH_QT)
     add_library(mbgl-vendor-nunicode OBJECT)
 else()
     add_library(mbgl-vendor-nunicode STATIC)
diff --git a/vendor/parsedate.cmake b/vendor/parsedate.cmake
index d16d496ca..9cdedf20e 100644
--- a/vendor/parsedate.cmake
+++ b/vendor/parsedate.cmake
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ if(TARGET mbgl-vendor-parsedate)
     return()
 endif()
 
-if(MLN_WITH_QT OR MLN_CORE_INCLUDE_DEPS)
+if(MLN_WITH_QT)
     add_library(mbgl-vendor-parsedate OBJECT)
 else()
     add_library(mbgl-vendor-parsedate STATIC)
diff --git a/vendor/sqlite.cmake b/vendor/sqlite.cmake
index be3083c90..f0efcf2a4 100644
--- a/vendor/sqlite.cmake
+++ b/vendor/sqlite.cmake
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ if(TARGET mbgl-vendor-sqlite)
     return()
 endif()
 
-if(MLN_WITH_QT OR MLN_CORE_INCLUDE_DEPS)
+if(MLN_WITH_QT)
     add_library(mbgl-vendor-sqlite OBJECT)
 else()
     add_library(mbgl-vendor-sqlite STATIC)