diff --git a/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml b/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
index 7214836..79cb019 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
@@ -42,6 +42,15 @@ jobs:
           RAW="${{ github.event.release.tag_name || inputs.version }}"
           echo "value=${RAW#v}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
+      # The benchmark adapter loads lambda-api from the working tree via require('../../'),
+      # which resolves through the root package's "main" (./dist/cjs/index.js). That path
+      # only exists after a build, so the root package must be installed and built first.
+      - name: Install root dependencies
+        run: npm ci --ignore-scripts
+
+      - name: Build dist (CJS + ESM)
+        run: npm run build
+
       - name: Install benchmark dependencies
         working-directory: benchmarks
         run: npm ci
diff --git a/benchmarks/frameworks/lambda-api.js b/benchmarks/frameworks/lambda-api.js
index 96ed48e..67f80d8 100644
--- a/benchmarks/frameworks/lambda-api.js
+++ b/benchmarks/frameworks/lambda-api.js
@@ -26,4 +26,9 @@ function build() {
   return (event, context) => api.run(event, context);
 }
 
-module.exports = { name: 'lambda-api', version: pkg.version, build };
+// package.json ships a 0.0.0-development placeholder (the real version is stamped at
+// publish time), so prefer the release label the workflow passes in — same precedence
+// as the run metadata in run.js.
+const version = process.env.LAMBDA_API_VERSION || pkg.version;
+
+module.exports = { name: 'lambda-api', version, build };