diff --git a/projects/ArchR/packages/archr/package.mk b/projects/ArchR/packages/archr/package.mk
index e80b6bc952..cd7699e561 100644
--- a/projects/ArchR/packages/archr/package.mk
+++ b/projects/ArchR/packages/archr/package.mk
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ EOF
   # Always install the update script
   mkdir -p $INSTALL/usr/share/bootloader
   find_file_path bootloader/update.sh && cp -av ${FOUND_PATH} ${INSTALL}/usr/share/bootloader
+
+  ### FHS bridge symlinks: make Arch-standard cache locations resolve into
+  ### the /storage overlay. Apps and inspection tools see /var/cache/<x>;
+  ### writes land in /storage/.cache/<x> (rw overlay).
+  mkdir -p ${INSTALL}/var/cache
+  ln -sf /storage/.cache/mesa_shader_cache ${INSTALL}/var/cache/mesa
 }
 
 post_install() {
diff --git a/projects/ArchR/packages/archr/sources/scripts/runemu.sh b/projects/ArchR/packages/archr/sources/scripts/runemu.sh
index 2f5e43a850..57974e0e3c 100755
--- a/projects/ArchR/packages/archr/sources/scripts/runemu.sh
+++ b/projects/ArchR/packages/archr/sources/scripts/runemu.sh
@@ -419,7 +419,10 @@ get_gpu_performance_level >/tmp/.gpu_performance_level
 ### root path itself when MESA_SHADER_CACHE_DIR points somewhere new; the
 ### result is silent fall-through to "no cache" and a stutter every time
 ### the user re-launches a game whose shaders should already be hot.
-[ -d /storage/.cache/mesa_shader_cache ] || mkdir -p /storage/.cache/mesa_shader_cache 2>/dev/null
+### /var/cache/mesa is a symlink into /storage/.cache/mesa_shader_cache
+### installed by the archr meta-package; create through the symlink so
+### the underlying overlay path exists.
+[ -d /var/cache/mesa ] || mkdir -p /var/cache/mesa 2>/dev/null
 
 if [ "${DEVICE_HAS_FAN}" = "true" ]
 then
diff --git a/projects/ArchR/packages/hardware/quirks/profile.d/041-panfrost b/projects/ArchR/packages/hardware/quirks/profile.d/041-panfrost
index 1c64c4abd3..4ddfa22a69 100644
--- a/projects/ArchR/packages/hardware/quirks/profile.d/041-panfrost
+++ b/projects/ArchR/packages/hardware/quirks/profile.d/041-panfrost
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@ export PAN_MESA_DEBUG=forcepack
 # Skip GL error checking — emulators don't query glGetError defensively.
 export MESA_NO_ERROR=1
 
-# Persistent shader cache on /storage to survive reboots and avoid
-# recompilation every launch. Mesa creates the dir on first write.
-export MESA_SHADER_CACHE_DIR=/storage/.cache/mesa_shader_cache
+# Persistent shader cache via the FHS bridge symlink set up by the
+# archr meta-package: /var/cache/mesa -> /storage/.cache/mesa_shader_cache.
+# Surfaces an Arch-friendly path while the writes still land on the rw
+# storage overlay so the cache survives reboots.
+export MESA_SHADER_CACHE_DIR=/var/cache/mesa
 export MESA_SHADER_CACHE_MAX_SIZE=128MB