diff --git a/.github/workflows/custom_build.yml b/.github/workflows/custom_build.yml
index 8ed3792..29b83dc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/custom_build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/custom_build.yml
@@ -165,6 +165,15 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
+      - name: Download Meshtastic ESP OTA companion (if applicable)
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set -e
+          ROOT=$(cat /tmp/fw-src-root.txt)
+          cd "$ROOT"
+          BUILD_DIR=".pio/build/${{ inputs.target_env }}"
+          bash "${{ github.workspace }}/scripts/download-meshtastic-ota.sh" "$ROOT/$BUILD_DIR"
+
       - name: Package and upload firmware bundle
         id: pio
         env:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/custom_build_test.yml b/.github/workflows/custom_build_test.yml
index 8ed3792..29b83dc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/custom_build_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/custom_build_test.yml
@@ -165,6 +165,15 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
+      - name: Download Meshtastic ESP OTA companion (if applicable)
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set -e
+          ROOT=$(cat /tmp/fw-src-root.txt)
+          cd "$ROOT"
+          BUILD_DIR=".pio/build/${{ inputs.target_env }}"
+          bash "${{ github.workspace }}/scripts/download-meshtastic-ota.sh" "$ROOT/$BUILD_DIR"
+
       - name: Package and upload firmware bundle
         id: pio
         env:
diff --git a/scripts/download-meshtastic-ota.sh b/scripts/download-meshtastic-ota.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..573c7d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/download-meshtastic-ota.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Download BLE/unified OTA companion image into PlatformIO BUILD_DIR when Meshtastic *.mt.json is present.
+# No-op for non-Meshtastic builds (no mt.json). Mirrors vendor/meshtastic-firmware/.github/workflows/build_firmware.yml.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+BUILD_DIR="${1:?usage: download-meshtastic-ota.sh BUILD_DIR}"
+
+shopt -s nullglob
+mt_json=( "$BUILD_DIR"/*.mt.json )
+shopt -u nullglob
+
+if [ "${#mt_json[@]}" -eq 0 ]; then
+  echo "No *.mt.json in $BUILD_DIR — skip OTA download"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# Prefer firmware-*.mt.json when multiple (same heuristic as emit-flash-manifest.py)
+MT_JSON=""
+for f in "${mt_json[@]}"; do
+  base=$(basename "$f")
+  if [[ "$base" =~ ^firmware-.+\.mt\.json$ ]]; then
+    MT_JSON=$f
+    break
+  fi
+done
+if [ -z "$MT_JSON" ]; then
+  MT_JSON="${mt_json[0]}"
+fi
+
+MCU=$(python3 -c "import json,sys; print((json.load(open(sys.argv[1], encoding='utf-8')).get('mcu') or '').lower())" "$MT_JSON")
+
+case "$MCU" in
+  esp32|esp32s3)
+    dest="$BUILD_DIR/mt-${MCU}-ota.bin"
+    if [ -f "$dest" ]; then
+      echo "OTA already present: $dest"
+      exit 0
+    fi
+    url="https://github.com/meshtastic/esp32-unified-ota/releases/latest/download/mt-${MCU}-ota.bin"
+    echo "Downloading $url -> $dest"
+    curl -fsSL -o "$dest" "$url"
+    ;;
+  esp32c3|esp32c6)
+    dest="$BUILD_DIR/bleota-c3.bin"
+    if [ -f "$dest" ]; then
+      echo "OTA already present: $dest"
+      exit 0
+    fi
+    url="https://github.com/meshtastic/firmware-ota/releases/latest/download/firmware-c3.bin"
+    echo "Downloading $url -> $dest"
+    curl -fsSL -o "$dest" "$url"
+    ;;
+  *)
+    echo "MCU '$MCU' — no Meshtastic GitHub OTA download rule; skip"
+    exit 0
+    ;;
+esac
diff --git a/scripts/emit-flash-manifest.py b/scripts/emit-flash-manifest.py
index 15c9ab9..7507e21 100644
--- a/scripts/emit-flash-manifest.py
+++ b/scripts/emit-flash-manifest.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ targetFamily from PlatformIO when missing.
 Otherwise, if Meshtastic-style *.mt.json is present, synthesize a manifest
 from partition table + on-disk split artifacts (no *.factory.bin — USB bundles
 omit the merged image). Only LittleFS rows use optional:true (Mesh Forge:
-Reset device storage).
+Reset device storage). OTA slots accept mt-*-ota.bin (ESP32/S3) or bleota-c3.bin (C3/C6).
 
 Optional args: PROJECT_ROOT TARGET_ENV — merged PIO config for that env fills
 targetFamily (and platform/board) for the USB flasher UI.
@@ -230,6 +230,12 @@ def emit_from_mt(build_dir: str, mt: dict) -> dict | None:
             if off is not None:
                 add(n, off, optional=False)
 
+    # ESP32-C3/C6 Meshtastic workflow uses bleota-c3.bin at ota_1 (see build_firmware.yml).
+    if "bleota-c3.bin" in names:
+        off = ota1_offset(parts)
+        if off is not None:
+            add("bleota-c3.bin", off, optional=False)
+
     if not images:
         return None