diff --git a/armv7/Containerfile b/armv7/Containerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41c94b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/armv7/Containerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Native ARM64 apk verifies ARMv7 packages with the official ARMv7 signing keys.
+FROM docker.io/library/alpine@sha256:6db0aa37b0f1ba86c31102b0972cb082a1d22ed1390440de84f1076d78d4d399 AS armkeys
+FROM docker.io/library/alpine@sha256:e311ae748be7f56ae5cba304bc488f0786df68ee507513f654a5cc8597cffb42
+COPY --from=armkeys /etc/apk/keys /armroot/etc/apk/keys
+COPY --from=armkeys /etc/apk/keys /etc/apk/keys
+RUN apk --root /armroot --arch armv7 --initdb --no-scripts \
+    --keys-dir /etc/apk/keys --repositories-file /etc/apk/repositories \
+    add busybox musl python3 dropbear nfs-utils \
+    && mkdir -p /armroot/bin \
+    && cp /etc/apk/repositories /armroot/etc/apk/repositories \
+    && cp -a /etc/apk/keys /armroot/etc/apk/keys
diff --git a/armv7/README.md b/armv7/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fe7ad95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/armv7/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# ARMv7 recovery base
+
+Apple's 32-bit boards (the apple-armv7 platform, first the original iPad mini
+Wi-Fi) use an ARMv7 recovery environment. Build its Alpine package base in an
+ARM64 Podman environment:
+
+```sh
+python3 armv7/build-base.py --output /absolute/new/alpine-base.tar
+```
+
+Pass `--no-cache` to refresh the package layer. Each build uses its returned
+image ID, leaving existing Podman image tags untouched.
+
+The recipe uses pinned container images and the official ARMv7 Alpine signing
+keys. It extracts signed ARMv7 packages without running their scripts. A JSON
+receipt beside the archive records the target architecture, image identity,
+recipe hash and archive hash. The base does not contain owner firmware or
+calibration. A separate private recovery composer and the companion hardware
+and CLI contributions are required for a tethered boot.
diff --git a/armv7/build-base.py b/armv7/build-base.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..08bed6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/armv7/build-base.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Export signed Alpine ARMv7 packages for the 32-bit (apple-armv7) RAM recovery."""
+import argparse
+import hashlib
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+import re
+import subprocess
+import tempfile
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_argument('--output', type=Path, required=True)
+    parser.add_argument('--no-cache', action='store_true', help='refresh the package build without cached layers')
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    output = args.output.absolute()
+    receipt = output.with_suffix('.json')
+    if output.exists() or output.is_symlink() or receipt.exists() or receipt.is_symlink():
+        parser.error('Choose a fresh base output')
+    output.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    recipe = Path(__file__).with_name('Containerfile')
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix='armv7-recovery-base-') as temporary:
+        image_file = Path(temporary)/'image.id'
+        command = ['podman', 'build', '--iidfile', str(image_file)]
+        if args.no_cache:
+            command.append('--no-cache')
+        subprocess.run([*command, '-f', str(recipe), str(recipe.parent)], check=True)
+        image = image_file.read_text().strip()
+        if not re.fullmatch(r'(?:sha256:)?[0-9a-f]{64}', image):
+            parser.error('Podman returned an invalid base image ID')
+        observed = subprocess.check_output(['podman', 'image', 'inspect', image, '--format', '{{.Id}}'], text=True).strip()
+        if observed.removeprefix('sha256:') != image.removeprefix('sha256:'):
+            parser.error('Podman image inspection differs from the build output')
+        with output.open('xb') as stream:
+            subprocess.run(['podman', 'run', '--rm', '--network', 'none', image,
+                            'tar', '-C', '/armroot', '-cf', '-', '.'], stdout=stream, check=True)
+        with receipt.open('x') as stream:
+            stream.write(json.dumps({'schema': 1, 'architecture': 'armv7',
+                'signed_apk': True, 'image': image, 'bytes': output.stat().st_size,
+                'sha256': hashlib.sha256(output.read_bytes()).hexdigest(),
+                'recipe_sha256': hashlib.sha256(recipe.read_bytes()).hexdigest()}, indent=2)+'\n')
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()
diff --git a/tests/test_armv7_base.py b/tests/test_armv7_base.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f380765
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_armv7_base.py
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+"""Host-only checks for the signed ARMv7 recovery base exporter."""
+import hashlib
+import importlib.util
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+
+PROJECT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location('armv7_base_test', PROJECT / 'armv7/build-base.py')
+base = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+spec.loader.exec_module(base)
+
+
+class Armv7Base(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_export_receipt_binds_image_recipe_and_stream(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temporary:
+            output = Path(temporary) / 'base.tar'
+            image = 'sha256:' + 'a' * 64
+            commands = []
+            def run(command, **kwargs):
+                commands.append(command)
+                if command[1] == 'build':
+                    Path(command[command.index('--iidfile') + 1]).write_text(image + '\n')
+                elif command[1] == 'run':
+                    kwargs['stdout'].write(b'fixture base')
+            with patch('sys.argv', ['build-base', '--output', str(output)]), \
+                 patch.object(base.subprocess, 'run', side_effect=run), \
+                 patch.object(base.subprocess, 'check_output', return_value=image + '\n'):
+                base.main()
+            receipt = json.loads(output.with_suffix('.json').read_text())
+            self.assertEqual(receipt['image'], image)
+            self.assertEqual(receipt['architecture'], 'armv7')
+            self.assertTrue(receipt['signed_apk'])
+            self.assertEqual(receipt['sha256'], hashlib.sha256(output.read_bytes()).hexdigest())
+            self.assertEqual(receipt['recipe_sha256'], hashlib.sha256((PROJECT / 'armv7/Containerfile').read_bytes()).hexdigest())
+            self.assertEqual([command[1] for command in commands], ['build', 'run'])
+            self.assertNotIn('-t', commands[0])
+            self.assertNotIn('--tag', commands[0])
+            self.assertNotIn('--no-cache', commands[0])
+            self.assertEqual(commands[1][commands[1].index('none') + 1], image)
+            self.assertIn('--network', commands[1])
+            self.assertIn('none', commands[1])
+
+    def test_no_cache_uses_image_id_and_leaves_existing_tags_untouched(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temporary:
+            output = Path(temporary) / 'base.tar'
+            image = 'sha256:' + 'a' * 64
+            commands = []
+            def run(command, **kwargs):
+                commands.append(command)
+                if command[1] == 'build':
+                    Path(command[command.index('--iidfile') + 1]).write_text(image + '\n')
+                elif command[1] == 'run':
+                    kwargs['stdout'].write(b'fixture base')
+            with patch('sys.argv', ['build-base', '--output', str(output), '--no-cache']), \
+                 patch.object(base.subprocess, 'run', side_effect=run), \
+                 patch.object(base.subprocess, 'check_output', return_value=image.removeprefix('sha256:') + '\n') as inspect:
+                base.main()
+            self.assertIn('--no-cache', commands[0])
+            self.assertNotIn('-t', commands[0])
+            self.assertNotIn('--tag', commands[0])
+            self.assertEqual(inspect.call_args.args[0][3], image)
+            self.assertEqual(json.loads(output.with_suffix('.json').read_text())['image'], image)
+
+    def test_mismatched_inspection_is_rejected_before_export(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temporary:
+            output = Path(temporary) / 'base.tar'
+            image = 'sha256:' + 'a' * 64
+            def build(command, **_kwargs):
+                Path(command[command.index('--iidfile') + 1]).write_text(image + '\n')
+            with patch('sys.argv', ['build-base', '--output', str(output)]), \
+                 patch.object(base.subprocess, 'run', side_effect=build) as run, \
+                 patch.object(base.subprocess, 'check_output', return_value='b' * 64 + '\n'):
+                with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
+                    base.main()
+            self.assertEqual(run.call_count, 1)
+            self.assertFalse(output.exists())
+            self.assertFalse(output.with_suffix('.json').exists())
+
+    def test_existing_output_or_receipt_stops_before_build(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temporary:
+            output = Path(temporary) / 'base.tar'
+            for present in (output, output.with_suffix('.json')):
+                with self.subTest(present=present):
+                    present.write_bytes(b'existing')
+                    with patch('sys.argv', ['build-base', '--output', str(output)]), \
+                         patch.object(base.subprocess, 'run') as run:
+                        with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
+                            base.main()
+                    run.assert_not_called()
+                    self.assertEqual(present.read_bytes(), b'existing')
+                    present.unlink()
+            receipt = output.with_suffix('.json')
+            receipt.symlink_to(Path(temporary) / 'missing')
+            with patch('sys.argv', ['build-base', '--output', str(output)]), \
+                 patch.object(base.subprocess, 'run') as run:
+                with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
+                    base.main()
+            run.assert_not_called()
+            self.assertTrue(receipt.is_symlink())
+
+    def test_recipe_pins_images_and_uses_verified_armv7_packages(self):
+        recipe = (PROJECT / 'armv7/Containerfile').read_text()
+        images = [line for line in recipe.splitlines() if line.startswith('FROM ')]
+        self.assertEqual(len(images), 2)
+        self.assertTrue(all('@sha256:' in line for line in images))
+        self.assertIn('--arch armv7', recipe)
+        self.assertIn('--no-scripts', recipe)
+        self.assertIn('/etc/apk/keys', recipe)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()