diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-main.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-main.yml
index ab2da32f..e3ee9057 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-main.yml
@@ -137,6 +137,20 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: true
         run: scripts/ci/check-text-size.sh builddir/libwirelog.so
 
+      - name: Path A example compile-check
+        if: runner.os == 'Linux' && matrix.compiler == 'gcc'
+        continue-on-error: true
+        run: |
+          meson install -C builddir --destdir="$PWD/staging"
+          staging_prefix="$PWD/staging/usr/local"
+          multiarch="$(dpkg-architecture -qDEB_HOST_MULTIARCH 2>/dev/null || true)"
+          PKG_CONFIG_SYSROOT_DIR="$PWD/staging" \
+          PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$staging_prefix/lib/${multiarch:+$multiarch/}pkgconfig:$staging_prefix/lib/pkgconfig" \
+            meson setup builddir-path-a examples/path_a_pcap_skeleton
+          meson compile -C builddir-path-a
+          LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$staging_prefix/lib/${multiarch:+$multiarch:}$staging_prefix/lib" \
+            ./builddir-path-a/pcap_skeleton
+
       - name: Publish results
         if: always()
         shell: bash
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-pr.yml
index b0a07912..9e52819e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-pr.yml
@@ -125,6 +125,24 @@ jobs:
         if: runner.os == 'Linux' && matrix.compiler == 'gcc'
         run: scripts/ci/check-text-size.sh builddir/libwirelog.so
 
+      # =======================================================================
+      # Path A example compile-check (Issue #462)
+      # Install wirelog to a staging dir, then build the example as a
+      # separate project to catch header-install regressions (#449).
+      # =======================================================================
+      - name: Path A example compile-check
+        if: runner.os == 'Linux' && matrix.compiler == 'gcc'
+        run: |
+          meson install -C builddir --destdir="$PWD/staging"
+          staging_prefix="$PWD/staging/usr/local"
+          multiarch="$(dpkg-architecture -qDEB_HOST_MULTIARCH 2>/dev/null || true)"
+          PKG_CONFIG_SYSROOT_DIR="$PWD/staging" \
+          PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$staging_prefix/lib/${multiarch:+$multiarch/}pkgconfig:$staging_prefix/lib/pkgconfig" \
+            meson setup builddir-path-a examples/path_a_pcap_skeleton
+          meson compile -C builddir-path-a
+          LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$staging_prefix/lib/${multiarch:+$multiarch:}$staging_prefix/lib" \
+            ./builddir-path-a/pcap_skeleton
+
       # =======================================================================
       # Phase 3: Sanitizers (ASan + UBSan) — runs on same platform after build
       # Linux: GCC + Clang; macOS: Clang (Windows: skipped)
diff --git a/examples/path_a_pcap_skeleton/main.c b/examples/path_a_pcap_skeleton/main.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..70b6c183
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/path_a_pcap_skeleton/main.c
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+/*
+ * Path A pcap skeleton — standalone I/O adapter example
+ *
+ * Demonstrates how a user registers a custom I/O adapter with libwirelog
+ * WITHOUT rebuilding the library.  The user compiles only this file and
+ * links against the installed libwirelog.
+ *
+ * Build (after `meson install`):
+ *   cc -o pcap_skeleton main.c $(pkg-config --cflags --libs wirelog)
+ *
+ * This is a compile-check skeleton; the read callback returns an empty
+ * result set.  A real adapter would parse pcap data here.
+ *
+ * See also: Issue #446 (Option C design), Issue #462 (CI compile gate).
+ */
+
+#include <wirelog/io/io_adapter.h>
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+/* ---------- adapter callbacks ---------- */
+
+static int
+pcap_validate(wl_io_ctx_t *ctx, char *errbuf, size_t errbuf_len,
+    void *user_data)
+{
+    (void)user_data;
+
+    const char *filename = wl_io_ctx_param(ctx, "filename");
+    if (!filename) {
+        snprintf(errbuf, errbuf_len, "missing required param 'filename'");
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int
+pcap_read(wl_io_ctx_t *ctx, int64_t **out_data, uint32_t *out_nrows,
+    void *user_data)
+{
+    (void)ctx;
+    (void)user_data;
+
+    /*
+     * Skeleton: return an empty result set.
+     * A real adapter would open the pcap file, parse packets,
+     * and fill a row-major int64_t buffer here.
+     */
+    *out_data = NULL;
+    *out_nrows = 0;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+/* ---------- adapter definition ---------- */
+
+static const wl_io_adapter_t pcap_adapter = {
+    .abi_version = WL_IO_ABI_VERSION,
+    .scheme = "pcap",
+    .description = "libpcap file reader (skeleton)",
+    .read = pcap_read,
+    .validate = pcap_validate,
+    .user_data = NULL,
+};
+
+/* ---------- main ---------- */
+
+int
+main(void)
+{
+    if (wl_io_register_adapter(&pcap_adapter) != 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "register failed: %s\n", wl_io_last_error());
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    const wl_io_adapter_t *found = wl_io_find_adapter("pcap");
+    if (!found) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "adapter lookup failed\n");
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    printf("registered adapter: scheme=%s desc=\"%s\"\n",
+        found->scheme, found->description);
+
+    wl_io_unregister_adapter("pcap");
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/examples/path_a_pcap_skeleton/meson.build b/examples/path_a_pcap_skeleton/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bf03a918
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/path_a_pcap_skeleton/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# examples/path_a_pcap_skeleton/meson.build
+#
+# Standalone meson project that builds against *installed* libwirelog.
+# This is NOT a subdirectory of the main wirelog build — it is compiled
+# as a separate project in CI to catch header-install regressions (#449).
+#
+# CI usage (see ci-pr.yml):
+#   meson install -C builddir --destdir=$PWD/staging
+#   PKG_CONFIG_PATH=staging/.../pkgconfig meson setup ... path_a_pcap_skeleton
+#   meson compile -C builddir-path-a
+
+project(
+  'path_a_pcap_skeleton',
+  'c',
+  version: '0.1.0',
+  meson_version: '>=0.62.0',
+  default_options: ['warning_level=3', 'c_std=c11'],
+)
+
+wirelog_dep = dependency('wirelog', required: true)
+
+executable(
+  'pcap_skeleton',
+  files('main.c'),
+  dependencies: [wirelog_dep],
+  install: false,
+)