diff --git a/.github/scripts/build-c-api-bindings.sh b/.github/scripts/build-c-api-bindings.sh
index 6967b6de..e0a8a495 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/build-c-api-bindings.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/build-c-api-bindings.sh
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ cmake -B"${BUILD_DIR}" -S"${WORKSPACE}/bindings/c" \
     -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="${INSTALL_DIR}" \
     -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=lib \
     -DSVS_BUILD_C_API_TESTS=ON \
-    -DSVS_BUILD_EXAMPLES=ON \
     -DSVS_RUNTIME_ENABLE_LVQ_LEANVEC="${ENABLE_LVQ_LEANVEC}" \
     -DSVS_REQUIRE_LTO_ARCHIVE="${REQUIRE_LTO_ARCHIVE}"
 
diff --git a/.github/scripts/test-c-api-bindings.sh b/.github/scripts/test-c-api-bindings.sh
index 81476a1e..45397e5b 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/test-c-api-bindings.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/test-c-api-bindings.sh
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ fi
 
 INSTALL_DIR="${STAGE_DIR}/install"
 CONSUMER_BUILD="${STAGE_DIR}/consumer-build"
+EXAMPLES_BUILD="${STAGE_DIR}/examples-build"
 
 rm -rf "${STAGE_DIR}"
 mkdir -p "${INSTALL_DIR}"
@@ -83,3 +84,16 @@ cmake -B"${CONSUMER_BUILD}" -S"${WORKSPACE}/bindings/c/tests/consumer" \
 cmake --build "${CONSUMER_BUILD}"
 
 LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${LIBDIR}" "${CONSUMER_BUILD}/c_api_consumer"
+
+# Build and run the examples
+cmake -B"${EXAMPLES_BUILD}" -S"${WORKSPACE}/examples/c" \
+    -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="${INSTALL_DIR}"
+cmake --build "${EXAMPLES_BUILD}"
+
+for example in c_api_simple c_api_save_load c_api_dynamic; do
+    echo "::group::${example}"
+    # Run from the build directory: save_load creates its index in the working
+    # directory, which must be writable.
+    (cd "${EXAMPLES_BUILD}" && LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${LIBDIR}" "./${example}")
+    echo "::endgroup::"
+done
diff --git a/.github/scripts/test-c-api-unit.sh b/.github/scripts/test-c-api-unit.sh
index 7ea6e322..4bd9b968 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/test-c-api-unit.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/test-c-api-unit.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-# Run the C API unit tests and samples out of an existing build tree.
+# Run the C API unit tests out of an existing build tree.
 #
 # Inputs:
 #   WORKSPACE   repository root; defaults to this script's repo so it also runs
@@ -36,12 +36,3 @@ echo "model:  $(grep -m1 'model name' /proc/cpuinfo || echo unknown)"
 echo "avx512: $(grep -o 'avx512[a-z_0-9]*' /proc/cpuinfo | sort -u | tr '\n' ' ')"
 
 ctest --test-dir "${BUILD_DIR}" --output-on-failure --no-tests=error
-
-# The samples are the only executable check that the public headers are usable
-# from C and that an end-to-end build/search runs. They regressed to a non-zero
-# exit once already, so they are part of the gate.
-for sample in c_api_simple c_api_save_load c_api_dynamic; do
-    echo "::group::${sample}"
-    "${BUILD_DIR}/samples/${sample}"
-    echo "::endgroup::"
-done
diff --git a/bindings/c/CMakeLists.txt b/bindings/c/CMakeLists.txt
index 1b5e7805..7a7c50ec 100644
--- a/bindings/c/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/bindings/c/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -274,6 +274,6 @@ endif()
 if(SVS_BUILD_EXAMPLES)
     add_subdirectory(
         "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../../examples/c"
-        "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/samples"
+        "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/examples"
     )
 endif()
diff --git a/examples/c/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/c/CMakeLists.txt
index c23b1a02..a1d0ebac 100644
--- a/examples/c/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/c/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,12 +12,29 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-foreach(SAMPLE_NAME simple save_load dynamic)
-    set(SAMPLE_TARGET c_api_${SAMPLE_NAME})
-    list(APPEND SAMPLE_TARGETS ${SAMPLE_TARGET})
-    add_executable(${SAMPLE_TARGET} ${SAMPLE_NAME}.c)
+# These build two ways:
+#
+#   - as a subdirectory of the C API build, which bindings/c adds when
+#     SVS_BUILD_EXAMPLES is on;
+#   - as a standalone project against an *installed* C API package, which is how
+#     CI runs them. The examples need nothing from the build tree, so testing
+#     them against the package makes them consumers of the shipped headers and
+#     exported target instead of only of freshly compiled objects.
+if(CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR STREQUAL CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR)
+    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.21)
+    project(svs_c_api_examples LANGUAGES C)
+    find_package(svs_c_api REQUIRED)
+    set(EXAMPLE_LINK_TARGET svs::svs_c_api)
+else()
+    set(EXAMPLE_LINK_TARGET svs_c_api)
+endif()
+
+foreach(EXAMPLE_NAME simple save_load dynamic)
+    set(EXAMPLE_TARGET c_api_${EXAMPLE_NAME})
+    list(APPEND EXAMPLE_TARGETS ${EXAMPLE_TARGET})
+    add_executable(${EXAMPLE_TARGET} ${EXAMPLE_NAME}.c)
 
-    target_link_libraries(${SAMPLE_TARGET} PRIVATE svs_c_api)
-endforeach(SAMPLE_NAME)
+    target_link_libraries(${EXAMPLE_TARGET} PRIVATE ${EXAMPLE_LINK_TARGET})
+endforeach(EXAMPLE_NAME)
 
-add_custom_target(c_api_samples ALL DEPENDS ${SAMPLE_TARGETS})
+add_custom_target(c_api_examples ALL DEPENDS ${EXAMPLE_TARGETS})
diff --git a/examples/c/dynamic.c b/examples/c/dynamic.c
index 9f74cc43..b11341b5 100644
--- a/examples/c/dynamic.c
+++ b/examples/c/dynamic.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ int main() {
     // LeanVec/LVQ are only available in builds that include the compression
     // backend. When they are unavailable the build reports NOT_IMPLEMENTED (or
     // UNSUPPORTED_HW on hardware lacking the required ISA); fall back to simple
-    // storage so this sample stays runnable against a public build.
+    // storage so this example stays runnable against a public build.
     if (!storage) {
         svs_error_code_t code = svs_error_get_code(error);
         if (code == SVS_ERROR_NOT_IMPLEMENTED || code == SVS_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED_HW) {
diff --git a/examples/c/save_load.c b/examples/c/save_load.c
index 97cc5995..aac11cc1 100644
--- a/examples/c/save_load.c
+++ b/examples/c/save_load.c
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ int main() {
     // LeanVec/LVQ are only available in builds that include the compression
     // backend. When they are unavailable the build reports NOT_IMPLEMENTED (or
     // UNSUPPORTED_HW on hardware lacking the required ISA); fall back to simple
-    // storage so this sample stays runnable against a public build.
+    // storage so this example stays runnable against a public build.
     if (!storage) {
         svs_error_code_t code = svs_error_get_code(error);
         if (code == SVS_ERROR_NOT_IMPLEMENTED || code == SVS_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED_HW) {
diff --git a/examples/c/simple.c b/examples/c/simple.c
index 6d00e496..403858dd 100644
--- a/examples/c/simple.c
+++ b/examples/c/simple.c
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ int main() {
     // LeanVec/LVQ are only available in builds that include the compression
     // backend. When they are unavailable the build reports NOT_IMPLEMENTED (or
     // UNSUPPORTED_HW on hardware lacking the required ISA); fall back to simple
-    // storage so this sample stays runnable against a public build.
+    // storage so this example stays runnable against a public build.
     if (!storage) {
         svs_error_code_t code = svs_error_get_code(error);
         if (code == SVS_ERROR_NOT_IMPLEMENTED || code == SVS_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED_HW) {