diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 505c18b..770c674 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -36,8 +36,10 @@ interface) is never disrupted.
   (`patches/patch-*.c` and `patches/patch-Makefile`). Safe to re-run.
 - `build.sh` — builds `if_bwn.ko` (`sys/modules/bwn`), `bhndb_pci.ko`
   (`sys/modules/bhnd/bhndb_pci`), and `bwn_v4_n.ko` (from `src/firmware/`);
-  installs them to `/boot/modules` and `/boot/kernel`; and appends
-  `bwn_v4_n_load="YES"` to `/boot/loader.conf` if missing (Fix 5).
+  installs them to `/boot/modules` and `/boot/kernel`; appends
+  `bwn_v4_n_load="YES"` to `/boot/loader.conf` if missing (Fix 5); and
+  regenerates `/boot/kernel/linker.hints` and `/boot/modules/linker.hints`
+  with `kldxref` so the loader finds the new modules (no manual step).
 
 ### Manual build (equivalent to build.sh)
 
@@ -58,6 +60,12 @@ install -m 444 src/firmware/bwn_v4_n.ko /boot/modules/
 
 # 4. loader.conf (Fix 5)
 echo 'bwn_v4_n_load="YES"' >> /boot/loader.conf
+
+# 5. Regenerate linker.hints so the loader indexes the new modules
+#    (else /boot/kernel/linker.hints stays empty -> 'linker.hints file
+#    truncated' warnings and modules fail to auto-load at boot).
+kldxref /boot/kernel
+kldxref /boot/modules
 ```
 
 ## Directory layout
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 5f23899..6dff828 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 #   2. Builds bhndb_pci.ko(sys/modules/bhnd/bhndb_pci) -> /boot/kernel/bhndb_pci.ko
 #   3. Builds bwn_v4_n.ko (src/firmware)          -> /boot/modules/bwn_v4_n.ko
 #   4. Adds "bwn_v4_n_load=YES" to /boot/loader.conf (Fix 5) if missing.
+#   5. Regenerates /boot/kernel/linker.hints (for bhndb_pci.ko) and
+#      /boot/modules/linker.hints (for if_bwn.ko + bwn_v4_n.ko) with kldxref
+#      so the loader finds the new modules without manual intervention.
 #
 # All changes take effect on the NEXT reboot (modules are only loaded at
 # boot). The running kernel is NOT touched, so an active SSH session (e.g.
@@ -20,12 +23,19 @@
 # NO_MSI quirk), so TX interrupts are delivered and the "device timeout" /
 # detach-panic / heap-corruption issues are resolved.
 set -e
+
+# Re-exec as root if we are not already (build + install + kldxref need it).
+if [ "$(id -u)" -ne 0 ]; then
+  echo "build.sh needs root (install + kldxref); re-execing via sudo..."
+  exec sudo "$0" "$@"
+fi
+
 SRC="${1:-/usr/src}"
 HERE="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
 
 if [ ! -d "$SRC/sys" ]; then
-	echo "ERROR: $SRC/sys not found. Point SRC_ROOT at a FreeBSD 15.1 src tree." >&2
-	exit 1
+  echo "ERROR: $SRC/sys not found. Point SRC_ROOT at a FreeBSD 15.1 src tree." >&2
+  exit 1
 fi
 
 echo "==> [1/3] Building if_bwn.ko"
@@ -51,14 +61,26 @@ echo "    -> /boot/modules/bwn_v4_n.ko"
 
 echo "==> Adding firmware load to /boot/loader.conf (Fix 5)"
 if ! grep -q 'bwn_v4_n_load="YES"' /boot/loader.conf 2>/dev/null; then
-	cp /boot/loader.conf "$HERE/rc.conf.backups/loader.conf.before_build_$(date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S)"
-	printf '\n# bwn driver: load Broadcom v4 firmware at loader time (Fix 5)\nbwn_v4_n_load="YES"\n' >> /boot/loader.conf
-	echo "    added bwn_v4_n_load=YES"
+  cp /boot/loader.conf "$HERE/rc.conf.backups/loader.conf.before_build_$(date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S)"
+  printf '\n# bwn driver: load Broadcom v4 firmware at loader time (Fix 5)\nbwn_v4_n_load="YES"\n' >> /boot/loader.conf
+  echo "    added bwn_v4_n_load=YES"
 else
-	echo "    already present, skipped"
+  echo "    already present, skipped"
 fi
 
+echo "==> Regenerating linker.hints (no manual kldxref needed)"
+# The kernel hints file indexes /boot/kernel (where bhndb_pci.ko lives); the
+# modules hints file indexes /boot/modules (if_bwn.ko + bwn_v4_n.ko). If either
+# is stale/empty the loader prints "linker.hints file truncated" and may fail
+# to auto-load modules, so rebuild both from the modules currently present.
+kldxref /boot/kernel
+kldxref /boot/modules
+echo "    /boot/kernel/linker.hints:    $(wc -c < /boot/kernel/linker.hints) bytes"
+echo "    /boot/modules/linker.hints:   $(wc -c < /boot/modules/linker.hints) bytes"
+
 echo
-echo "==> All modules built and installed. REBOOT to activate."
+echo "==> All modules built, installed and indexed. REBOOT to activate."
 echo "    After reboot, create the interface with:"
 echo "        ifconfig wlan create wlandev bwn0 [wap]"
+
+exit 0