diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 22c489a..9d4a09f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -22,19 +22,30 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install MAUI workload
         run: dotnet workload install maui
 
-      - name: Restore
+      - name: Restore (Windows)
+        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
         run: dotnet restore SlipItIn.slnx
 
-      - name: Build Server-Stack
+      - name: Restore (non-Windows)
+        if: runner.os != 'Windows'
+        # Skip restoring the Windows target frameworks to avoid requiring Windows runtime packs in non-Windows CI/tooling environments
+        run: dotnet restore SlipItIn.slnx -p:SkipWindowsTargetFramework=true
+
+      - name: Build Server-Stack (core projects)
         run: |
           dotnet build SlipItIn.Shared/SlipItIn.Shared.csproj --no-restore --configuration Release
           dotnet build SlipItIn.ServiceDefaults/SlipItIn.ServiceDefaults.csproj --no-restore --configuration Release
           dotnet build SlipItIn.Server/SlipItIn.Server.csproj --no-restore --configuration Release
           dotnet build SlipItIn.Server.Tests/SlipItIn.Server.Tests.csproj --no-restore --configuration Release
+
+      - name: Build AppHost
+        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+        run: |
           dotnet build SlipItIn.AppHost/SlipItIn.AppHost.csproj --no-restore --configuration Release
 
       - name: Build MAUI Client
-        run: dotnet build SlipItIn/SlipItIn.csproj --no-restore --configuration Debug
+        # Build the MAUI project for Android only in CI to avoid requiring Windows runtime packs
+        run: dotnet build SlipItIn/SlipItIn.csproj --no-restore --configuration Debug -f net10.0-android
 
       - name: Run Server Tests
         run: dotnet test SlipItIn.Server.Tests/SlipItIn.Server.Tests.csproj --no-restore --configuration Release
diff --git a/SlipItIn.AppHost/SlipItIn.AppHost.csproj b/SlipItIn.AppHost/SlipItIn.AppHost.csproj
index f78ea9f..690c337 100644
--- a/SlipItIn.AppHost/SlipItIn.AppHost.csproj
+++ b/SlipItIn.AppHost/SlipItIn.AppHost.csproj
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
-    <ProjectReference Include="..\SlipItIN\SlipItIn.csproj">
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\SlipItIn\SlipItIn.csproj">
       <SetTargetFramework>TargetFramework=net10.0-windows10.0.19041.0</SetTargetFramework>
     </ProjectReference>
     <ProjectReference Include="..\SlipItIn.Server\SlipItIn.Server.csproj" />
diff --git a/SlipItIn.Server.Tests/GameHubTests.cs b/SlipItIn.Server.Tests/GameHubTests.cs
index 0b9ab7b..669a609 100644
--- a/SlipItIn.Server.Tests/GameHubTests.cs
+++ b/SlipItIn.Server.Tests/GameHubTests.cs
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ public class GameHubTests
         {
             GameId = game.Id,
             LobbyCode = game.LobbyCode,
+            HostUserId = game.HostId,
             Players = [new PlayerInfoDto { Username = user.Username }]
         });
 
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@ public class GameHubTests
 
         var game = new Game { Id = 3, LobbyCode = "JOIN42", HostId = 99 };
         _gameService.Setup(s => s.JoinGameAsync("JOIN42", user.Id, ConnectionId)).ReturnsAsync(game);
-        _gameService.Setup(s => s.GetGameStateAsync(game.Id)).ReturnsAsync(new GameStateDto { GameId = 3 });
+        _gameService.Setup(s => s.GetGameStateAsync(game.Id)).ReturnsAsync(new GameStateDto { GameId = 3, HostUserId = 99 });
 
         await _hub.JoinLobby("JOIN42");
 
@@ -205,7 +206,7 @@ public class GameHubTests
 
         _gameService.Setup(s => s.SetPlayerReadyAsync(game.Id, player.Id))
             .ReturnsAsync(new Game { Id = game.Id, LobbyCode = game.LobbyCode });
-        _gameService.Setup(s => s.GetGameStateAsync(game.Id)).ReturnsAsync(new GameStateDto { GameId = game.Id });
+        _gameService.Setup(s => s.GetGameStateAsync(game.Id)).ReturnsAsync(new GameStateDto { GameId = game.Id, HostUserId = game.HostId });
 
         await _hub.PlayerReady(game.Id, player.Id);
 
@@ -540,7 +541,9 @@ public class GameHubTests
         SeedGameWithPlayers((user, ConnectionId));
         var gameId = db.Games.Single().Id;
 
-        _gameService.Setup(s => s.GetGameStateAsync(gameId)).ReturnsAsync(new GameStateDto { GameId = gameId });
+        var hostId = db.Games.Single().HostId;
+
+        _gameService.Setup(s => s.GetGameStateAsync(gameId)).ReturnsAsync(new GameStateDto { GameId = gameId, HostUserId = hostId });
 
         await _hub.RequestGameState(gameId);
 
diff --git a/SlipItIn.Server.Tests/GameServiceTests.cs b/SlipItIn.Server.Tests/GameServiceTests.cs
index a97b32d..f9fab2a 100644
--- a/SlipItIn.Server.Tests/GameServiceTests.cs
+++ b/SlipItIn.Server.Tests/GameServiceTests.cs
@@ -40,6 +40,18 @@ public class GameServiceTests
         await Assert.ThrowsAsync<InvalidOperationException>(() => _sut.CreateGameAsync(999));
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task GetGameStateAsync_IncludesHostUserId()
+    {
+        using var db = _factory.CreateDbContext();
+        var host = TestDbHelper.SeedUser(db);
+        var (game, _) = TestDbHelper.SeedGame(db, host);
+
+        var dto = await _sut.GetGameStateAsync(game.Id);
+
+        Assert.Equal(game.HostId, dto.HostUserId);
+    }
+
     // ---------- JoinGameAsync ----------
 
     [Fact]
diff --git a/SlipItIn.Server/Services/GameService.cs b/SlipItIn.Server/Services/GameService.cs
index b57f4ff..50ee4a8 100644
--- a/SlipItIn.Server/Services/GameService.cs
+++ b/SlipItIn.Server/Services/GameService.cs
@@ -293,6 +293,7 @@ public class GameService : IGameService
             LobbyCode = game.LobbyCode,
             Status = game.Status.ToString(),
             Players = playerInfos,
+            HostUserId = game.HostId,
             CurrentRound = currentRound?.RoundNumber ?? 0,
             RoundTimeRemaining = roundTimeRemaining
         };
diff --git a/SlipItIn.Shared/DTOs/GameStateDto.cs b/SlipItIn.Shared/DTOs/GameStateDto.cs
index 8bbccbb..7ca3424 100644
--- a/SlipItIn.Shared/DTOs/GameStateDto.cs
+++ b/SlipItIn.Shared/DTOs/GameStateDto.cs
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ public class GameStateDto
     public string LobbyCode { get; set; } = string.Empty;
     public string Status { get; set; } = string.Empty;
     public List<PlayerInfoDto> Players { get; set; } = [];
+    // Host user id to let clients determine whether the current user is the host
+    public int HostUserId { get; set; }
     public int CurrentRound { get; set; }
     public int RoundTimeRemaining { get; set; }
 }
diff --git a/SlipItIn/SlipItIn.csproj b/SlipItIn/SlipItIn.csproj
index 8d2acfa..f58135f 100644
--- a/SlipItIn/SlipItIn.csproj
+++ b/SlipItIn/SlipItIn.csproj
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 	<PropertyGroup>
 		<TargetFrameworks>net10.0-android</TargetFrameworks>
 		<TargetFrameworks Condition="!$([MSBuild]::IsOSPlatform('linux'))">$(TargetFrameworks);</TargetFrameworks>
-		<TargetFrameworks Condition="$([MSBuild]::IsOSPlatform('windows'))">$(TargetFrameworks);net10.0-windows10.0.19041.0</TargetFrameworks>
+		<!-- Windows target framework can be skipped by setting SkipWindowsTargetFramework=true during restore/build (useful for CI or tooling without Windows runtime packs).
+		     Include the Windows TFM by default so restores which evaluate OS differently still generate assets for the Windows TFM unless explicitly skipped. -->
+		<TargetFrameworks Condition="'$(SkipWindowsTargetFramework)' != 'true'">$(TargetFrameworks);net10.0-windows10.0.19041.0</TargetFrameworks>
     <LangVersion>preview</LangVersion>
 
 		<!-- Note for MacCatalyst:
diff --git a/SlipItIn/ViewModels/LobbyViewModel.cs b/SlipItIn/ViewModels/LobbyViewModel.cs
index 87184f1..cb62a8d 100644
--- a/SlipItIn/ViewModels/LobbyViewModel.cs
+++ b/SlipItIn/ViewModels/LobbyViewModel.cs
@@ -144,8 +144,14 @@ public partial class LobbyViewModel : BaseViewModel,
                 Players.Add(player);
 
             var currentUsername = _authSession.CurrentUser?.Username;
+            var currentUserId = _authSession.CurrentUser?.UserId ?? 0;
+
             IsCurrentPlayerReady = message.Value.Players.Any(p =>
                 p.IsReady && string.Equals(p.Username, currentUsername, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase));
+
+            // Determine whether the current user is the host based on server-provided HostUserId
+            IsHost = currentUserId > 0 && message.Value.HostUserId > 0 && currentUserId == message.Value.HostUserId;
+
             CanStartGame = message.Value.Players.Count >= 2 && message.Value.Players.All(p => p.IsReady);
         });
     }