diff --git a/include/engine/uci.h b/include/engine/uci.h
index 6704667..3f18d54 100644
--- a/include/engine/uci.h
+++ b/include/engine/uci.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ struct uci {
   chess::board position = chess::board::start_pos();
 
   nnue::quantized_weights weights_{};
+  bool weights_loaded_{false};
   search::worker_orchestrator orchestrator_;
 
   std::atomic_bool ponder_{false};
diff --git a/include/nnue/embedded_weights.h b/include/nnue/embedded_weights.h
index 39261d6..10c2eee 100644
--- a/include/nnue/embedded_weights.h
+++ b/include/nnue/embedded_weights.h
@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@
 
 namespace nnue::embed {
 
+#ifndef SEER_NO_EMBED_NET
 extern "C" {
 INCBIN(weights_file, EVALFILE);
 }
+#endif
 
 }  // namespace nnue::embed
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/include/nnue/simd.h b/include/nnue/simd.h
index b02c969..460b1ef 100644
--- a/include/nnue/simd.h
+++ b/include/nnue/simd.h
@@ -17,7 +17,17 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#if defined(__x86_64__) || defined(__i386__)
 #include <x86intrin.h>
+#elif defined(SEER_SIMDE_SSSE3)
+// Rama Chess Android arm64 build: the SSSE3 code path is mapped to NEON by SIMDe (MIT)
+#define SIMDE_ENABLE_NATIVE_ALIASES
+#include <simde/x86/sse4.1.h>
+// SIMDe aliases are macros; template commas inside the argument break them, so use a real function
+#undef _mm_load_ps
+static inline simde__m128 _mm_load_ps(const float* p) { return simde_mm_load_ps(p); }
+#define __SSSE3__ 1
+#endif
 
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <cstdint>
diff --git a/src/engine/uci.cc b/src/engine/uci.cc
index 003995d..ade2842 100644
--- a/src/engine/uci.cc
+++ b/src/engine/uci.cc
@@ -34,10 +34,27 @@ namespace engine {
 auto uci::options() noexcept {
   auto quantized_weight_path = option_callback(string_option("QuantizedWeights", std::string(embedded_weight_path)), [this](const std::string& path) {
     if (path == std::string(embedded_weight_path)) {
+#ifndef SEER_NO_EMBED_NET
       nnue::embedded_weight_streamer embedded(nnue::embed::weights_file_data);
       weights_.load(embedded);
+      weights_loaded_ = true;
+#else
+      return;
+#endif
     } else {
-      weights_.load(path);
+      // Rama Chess Android build: check the file before trusting it
+      weights_loaded_ = false;
+      nnue::weights_streamer streamer(path);
+      if (!streamer.reader.is_open()) {
+        os << "info string ERROR: QuantizedWeights " << path << ": cannot open file" << std::endl;
+        return;
+      }
+      weights_.load(streamer);
+      if (!streamer.reader.good() || streamer.reader.peek() != std::char_traits<char>::eof()) {
+        os << "info string ERROR: QuantizedWeights " << path << ": wrong file size, not a Seer quantized net" << std::endl;
+        return;
+      }
+      weights_loaded_ = true;
     }
 
     weights_info_string();
@@ -50,6 +67,7 @@ auto uci::options() noexcept {
     raw_weights.load(path);
 
     weights_ = raw_weights.to<nnue::quantized_weights>();
+    weights_loaded_ = true;
     weights_info_string();
   });
 
@@ -128,6 +146,11 @@ void uci::init_time_manager(Ts&&... args) noexcept {
 void uci::go() noexcept {
   std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(mutex_);
   if (orchestrator_.is_searching()) { return; }
+  if (!weights_loaded_) {
+    os << "info string ERROR: no network loaded, use setoption name QuantizedWeights value <path>" << std::endl;
+    os << "bestmove 0000" << std::endl;
+    return;
+  }
 
   timer_.lap();
   orchestrator_.go(history, position);
@@ -174,6 +197,10 @@ void uci::id_info() noexcept {
 void uci::bench() noexcept {
   std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(mutex_);
   if (orchestrator_.is_searching()) { return; }
+  if (!weights_loaded_) {
+    os << "info string ERROR: no network loaded, use setoption name QuantizedWeights value <path>" << std::endl;
+    return;
+  }
 
   os << get_bench_info(weights_) << std::endl;
 }
@@ -301,8 +328,11 @@ uci::uci() noexcept
           [this](const auto& worker) {
             if (manager_.should_stop_on_update(update_info{worker.nodes()})) { stop(); }
           }) {
+#ifndef SEER_NO_EMBED_NET
   nnue::embedded_weight_streamer embedded(nnue::embed::weights_file_data);
   weights_.load(embedded);
+  weights_loaded_ = true;
+#endif
   orchestrator_.resize(default_thread_count);
 }