diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 12cf50a..8d22af1 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ add_compile_options("-Werror")
 option(VE_BUILD_WEB "Build the Vigilant UI with npm when the embedded HTML is missing" ON)
 set(VE_VIGILANT_HTML "" CACHE FILEPATH "Path to a prebuilt vigilant.html file for firmware builds")
 
+if(NOT DEFINED ENV{IDF_PATH} OR "$ENV{IDF_PATH}" STREQUAL "")
+  message(FATAL_ERROR
+    "IDF_PATH is not set. Open the project from an exported ESP-IDF shell or use the VS Code ESP-IDF extension. "
+    "Generic CMake Tools launches do not load the ESP-IDF environment automatically.")
+endif()
+
 include($ENV{IDF_PATH}/tools/cmake/project.cmake)
 
 # "Trim" the build. Include the minimal set of components, main, and anything it depends on.
diff --git a/docs/partitions.md b/docs/partitions.md
index 01c6a7f..026ab5b 100644
--- a/docs/partitions.md
+++ b/docs/partitions.md
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ The project uses a custom partition layout defined in `partitions.csv`.
 
 ## Primary partitions
 
-- `factory`: Recovery firmware (1 MB at `0x10000`)
-- `ota_0`: Main firmware (~2.94 MB at `0x110000`)
+- `factory`: Recovery firmware (1.1875 MB at `0x10000`)
+- `ota_0`: Main firmware (2.75 MB at `0x140000`)
 - `otadata`: OTA selection data
 
 The `factory` partition is intended as a stable fallback and should not be overwritten during
diff --git a/docs/troubleshooting.md b/docs/troubleshooting.md
index e66dedc..68baed3 100644
--- a/docs/troubleshooting.md
+++ b/docs/troubleshooting.md
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ You are not in an ESP-IDF exported shell.
 
 - Windows: open ESP-IDF PowerShell
 - Linux/macOS: source `export.sh`
+- In VS Code, prefer the ESP-IDF extension over generic `CMake Tools`
+- If `CMake Tools` logs an include failure for `/tools/cmake/project.cmake`, it launched without the ESP-IDF environment
 
 ## `BIN not found`
 
diff --git a/partitions.csv b/partitions.csv
index b4e43e3..719efae 100644
--- a/partitions.csv
+++ b/partitions.csv
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 nvs,       data, nvs,     0x9000,   0x4000,
 otadata,   data, ota,     0xD000,   0x2000,
 phy_init,  data, phy,     0xF000,   0x1000,
-factory,   app,  factory, 0x10000,  0x100000,
-ota_0,     app,  ota_0,   0x110000, 0x2F0000,
+factory,   app,  factory, 0x10000,  0x130000,
+ota_0,     app,  ota_0,   0x140000, 0x2C0000,
 
-# esptool.py write_flash 0x110000 build/vigilant-engine.bin 
\ No newline at end of file
+# esptool.py write_flash 0x140000 build/vigilant-engine.bin
diff --git a/vigilant-engine-recovery/CMakeLists.txt b/vigilant-engine-recovery/CMakeLists.txt
index 3a114e1..bac0625 100644
--- a/vigilant-engine-recovery/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/vigilant-engine-recovery/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,16 @@
 # CMakeLists in this exact order for cmake to work correctly
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.16)
 
+if(NOT DEFINED ENV{IDF_PATH} OR "$ENV{IDF_PATH}" STREQUAL "")
+  message(FATAL_ERROR
+    "IDF_PATH is not set. Open the recovery firmware from an exported ESP-IDF shell or use the VS Code ESP-IDF extension. "
+    "Generic CMake Tools launches do not load the ESP-IDF environment automatically.")
+endif()
+
+if(NOT DEFINED IDF_TARGET AND NOT DEFINED ENV{IDF_TARGET})
+  set(IDF_TARGET "esp32c6")
+endif()
+
 include($ENV{IDF_PATH}/tools/cmake/project.cmake)
 # "Trim" the build. Include the minimal set of components, main, and anything it depends on.
 idf_build_set_property(MINIMAL_BUILD ON)
@@ -20,7 +30,7 @@ if(VE_BUILD_WEB)
   set(VE_NODE_ROOT_DIR "${VE_REPO_ROOT}")
   set(VE_WEB_DIR "${VE_REPO_ROOT}/vigilant-engine-frontend")
 
-  set(VE_OUT_RECOVERY "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/main/static/index.html")
+  set(VE_OUT_RECOVERY "${VE_REPO_ROOT}/build/static/recovery/index.html")
   set(VE_WEB_STAMP "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/ve_web_build.stamp")
 
   file(GLOB_RECURSE VE_WEB_SOURCES CONFIGURE_DEPENDS
diff --git a/vigilant-engine-recovery/main/CMakeLists.txt b/vigilant-engine-recovery/main/CMakeLists.txt
index b4a25bd..63b9651 100644
--- a/vigilant-engine-recovery/main/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/vigilant-engine-recovery/main/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
+get_filename_component(VE_REPO_ROOT "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/../.." ABSOLUTE)
+set(VE_RECOVERY_HTML "${VE_REPO_ROOT}/build/static/recovery/index.html")
+
 idf_component_register(
     SRCS "recovery_app.c"
     INCLUDE_DIRS "."
     EMBED_FILES 
-        "static/index.html"
+        "${VE_RECOVERY_HTML}"
     REQUIRES esp_wifi esp_netif esp_event nvs_flash esp_http_server app_update esp_partition
 )