diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 713eda8..497f2e2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -25,9 +25,14 @@ All notable changes to this project are documented in this file.
   `{.ffi.}` / `{.ffiCtor.}` / `{.ffiDtor.}` / `{.ffiRaw.}` / `{.ffiEvent.}`
   inherits, and each annotation can override it with an `"abi = c"` /
   `"abi = cbor"` spec (e.g. `{.ffi: "abi = cbor".}`). `declareLibrary` is now
-  required before any FFI annotation. `c` is parsed and recorded but gated
-  until its codec lands; only `cbor` currently generates working bindings
+  required before any FFI annotation
   ([#78](https://github.com/logos-messaging/nim-ffi/issues/78)).
+- `c` (flat C-struct) ABI **codec**: every `{.ffi: "abi = c".}` type gets a
+  `<T>_CWire` companion plus `cwirePack` / `cwireUnpack` / `cwireFree`. This
+  first slice covers the flat path — POD scalars and `string` (as `cstring`);
+  composite fields follow. The `c` proc-dispatch path and the foreign (C++ /
+  Rust) generators are still pending, so `c` remains rejected on
+  proc/ctor/dtor/event annotations for now.
 - Queue-overflow handling: when the bounded event queue is full, the
   library sets a sticky "stuck" flag, logs an error, fires
   `not_responding` from the event thread, and rejects subsequent
diff --git a/ffi.nim b/ffi.nim
index 20f766c..4ef72bd 100644
--- a/ffi.nim
+++ b/ffi.nim
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import std/[atomics, tables]
 import chronos, chronicles
 import
-  ffi/internal/[ffi_library, ffi_macro],
+  ffi/internal/[ffi_library, ffi_macro, c_wire],
   ffi/[
     alloc, ffi_types, ffi_events, ffi_handles, ffi_context, ffi_context_pool,
     ffi_thread_request, cbor_serial,
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@ export atomics, tables
 export chronos, chronicles
 export
   atomics, alloc, ffi_library, ffi_macro, ffi_types, ffi_events, ffi_handles,
-  ffi_context, ffi_context_pool, ffi_thread_request, cbor_serial
+  ffi_context, ffi_context_pool, ffi_thread_request, cbor_serial, c_wire
diff --git a/ffi/codegen/meta.nim b/ffi/codegen/meta.nim
index c316724..d62b14b 100644
--- a/ffi/codegen/meta.nim
+++ b/ffi/codegen/meta.nim
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ import std/strutils
 
 type
   ABIFormat* {.pure.} = enum
-    ## Wire format for an FFI payload. `Cbor` is wired end-to-end; `C` (flat
-    ## C-struct) is recognized but gated by the macros until its codegen lands.
+    ## Wire format for an FFI payload. Only `Cbor` is wired end-to-end; `C`
+    ## (flat C-struct) has a type codec but no proc-dispatch path yet.
     Cbor = "cbor"
     C = "c"
 
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ var libraryDeclared* {.compileTime.}: bool = false
 var currentDefaultABIFormat* {.compileTime.}: ABIFormat = ABIFormat.Cbor
 
 proc abiCodegenImplemented*(fmt: ABIFormat): bool =
-  ## Whether `fmt` has a working end-to-end proc-dispatch path. Only `Cbor` does
-  ## today; this is the single seam a future PR flips when `c` dispatch lands.
+  ## Whether `fmt` has a working proc-dispatch path. Only `Cbor` does today; the
+  ## seam a future PR flips once the `c` dispatch path is wired.
   fmt == ABIFormat.Cbor
 
 proc parseABIFormatName*(name: string): tuple[ok: bool, fmt: ABIFormat] =
diff --git a/ffi/internal/c_macro_helpers.nim b/ffi/internal/c_macro_helpers.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00e728e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ffi/internal/c_macro_helpers.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,209 @@
+## Compile-time helpers used by `ffi_macro.nim` for the `c` (flat C-struct) ABI.
+## For each `{.ffi: "abi = c".}` object T, emits a `T_CWire` companion (`string`
+## → `cstring`, POD unchanged) plus `cwirePack` / `cwireUnpack` / `cwireFree`.
+
+import std/macros
+import ../codegen/meta
+
+var emittedCWireTypes {.compileTime.}: seq[string]
+
+proc isCWireEmitted(typeName: string): bool {.compileTime.} =
+  ## Indexed scan: works around a Nim 2.2 compile-time VM quirk where `for x in
+  ## seq` over a freshly-mutated `{.compileTime.}` seq goes stale.
+  for i in 0 ..< emittedCWireTypes.len:
+    if emittedCWireTypes[i] == typeName:
+      return true
+  false
+
+proc markCWireEmitted(typeName: string) {.compileTime.} =
+  if not isCWireEmitted(typeName):
+    emittedCWireTypes.add(typeName)
+
+proc cwireTypeName(userTypeName: string): string =
+  ## Companion-type naming convention; stable so generated tests reach in by name.
+  userTypeName & "_CWire"
+
+proc isStringType(t: NimNode): bool =
+  t.kind == nnkIdent and ($t == "string" or $t == "cstring")
+
+const cWireSupportedTypes = [
+  "int", "int8", "int16", "int32", "int64", "uint", "uint8", "uint16", "uint32",
+  "uint64", "float", "float32", "float64", "bool", "char", "byte", "string", "cstring",
+]
+
+proc assertCWireFieldSupported(
+    typeName, fieldName: string, fieldType: NimNode
+) {.compileTime.} =
+  ## Gate the `abi = c` whitelist: the flat C codec handles only fixed-width
+  ## scalars, `bool`, `char`/`byte`, and `string`. Composite types (`seq[T]`,
+  ## `Opt[T]`, nested objects, ...) must use `abi = cbor`, which supports every
+  ## type. Future PRs widen this list as the codec grows.
+  if fieldType.kind == nnkIdent and $fieldType in cWireSupportedTypes:
+    return
+  error(
+    "ffi 'abi = c' type '" & typeName & "': field '" & fieldName & "' of type '" &
+      repr(fieldType) &
+      "' is not supported by the flat C codec (supported: scalars, bool, char, " &
+      "string). Use 'abi = cbor' for composite types."
+  )
+
+proc wireFieldType(userType: NimNode): NimNode =
+  ## Map a user field type AST → its wire-form AST: `string` → `cstring`,
+  ## everything else unchanged.
+  if isStringType(userType):
+    return ident("cstring")
+  userType
+
+proc wireFieldsFor(fieldName: string, fieldType: NimNode): seq[NimNode] =
+  ## IdentDefs for `fieldName: fieldType` in the wire object. A seq because
+  ## composite fields later split into two physical fields.
+  @[newIdentDefs(ident(fieldName), wireFieldType(fieldType), newEmptyNode())]
+
+proc buildCWireTypeDef(
+    userTypeName: string, fieldNames: seq[string], fieldTypes: seq[NimNode]
+): NimNode =
+  ## Build the bare `nnkTypeDef` (no enclosing TypeSection) for the wire
+  ## companion of `userTypeName`.
+  let wireName = ident(cwireTypeName(userTypeName))
+  var fields: seq[NimNode] = @[]
+  for i in 0 ..< fieldNames.len:
+    for fd in wireFieldsFor(fieldNames[i], fieldTypes[i]):
+      fields.add(fd)
+  let recList =
+    if fields.len > 0:
+      newTree(nnkRecList, fields)
+    else:
+      newTree(
+        nnkRecList, newIdentDefs(ident("_placeholder"), ident("uint8"), newEmptyNode())
+      )
+  let objTy = newTree(nnkObjectTy, newEmptyNode(), newEmptyNode(), recList)
+  newTree(nnkTypeDef, postfix(wireName, "*"), newEmptyNode(), objTy)
+
+proc emitPackStmt(dstObj, srcObj, fieldNameIdent, userType: NimNode): seq[NimNode] =
+  ## Populate `dstObj.<field>` from `srcObj.<field>`: cstring allocation for
+  ## strings, direct copy for POD.
+  let srcAccess = newDotExpr(srcObj, fieldNameIdent)
+  let dstAccess = newDotExpr(dstObj, fieldNameIdent)
+  if isStringType(userType):
+    return @[newAssignment(dstAccess, newCall(ident("cwireAllocStr"), srcAccess))]
+  @[newAssignment(dstAccess, srcAccess)]
+
+proc emitUnpackStmt(
+    resultObj, srcObj, fieldNameIdent, userType: NimNode
+): seq[NimNode] =
+  ## Fill `resultObj.<field>` from `srcObj.<field>`: `$cstring` copies into
+  ## Nim-managed memory, POD is a direct copy.
+  let srcAccess = newDotExpr(srcObj, fieldNameIdent)
+  let dstAccess = newDotExpr(resultObj, fieldNameIdent)
+  if isStringType(userType):
+    return @[newAssignment(dstAccess, newCall(ident("$"), srcAccess))]
+  @[newAssignment(dstAccess, srcAccess)]
+
+proc emitFreeStmt(dstObj, fieldNameIdent, userType: NimNode): seq[NimNode] =
+  ## Release `dstObj.<field>`: free the cstring for strings, nothing for POD.
+  let dstAccess = newDotExpr(dstObj, fieldNameIdent)
+  if isStringType(userType):
+    return @[newCall(ident("cwireFreeStr"), dstAccess)]
+  @[]
+
+proc buildCWireProcs(
+    userTypeName: string, fieldNames: seq[string], fieldTypes: seq[NimNode]
+): seq[NimNode] =
+  ## Generate cwirePack / cwireUnpack / cwireFree procs for `userTypeName`. All
+  ## three are public (`*`) so the macro-expanded code can call them.
+  let userName = ident(userTypeName)
+  let wireName = ident(cwireTypeName(userTypeName))
+
+  let packDst = ident("dst")
+  let packSrc = ident("src")
+  var packBody = newStmtList()
+  for i in 0 ..< fieldNames.len:
+    let fIdent = ident(fieldNames[i])
+    for s in emitPackStmt(packDst, packSrc, fIdent, fieldTypes[i]):
+      packBody.add(s)
+  if fieldNames.len == 0:
+    packBody.add quote do:
+      discard
+  let packProc = newProc(
+    name = postfix(ident("cwirePack"), "*"),
+    params = @[
+      newEmptyNode(),
+      newIdentDefs(packDst, nnkVarTy.newTree(wireName)),
+      newIdentDefs(packSrc, userName),
+    ],
+    body = packBody,
+  )
+
+  let unpSrc = ident("src")
+  let unpRes = ident("res")
+  var unpBody = newStmtList()
+  unpBody.add quote do:
+    var `unpRes`: `userName`
+  for i in 0 ..< fieldNames.len:
+    let fIdent = ident(fieldNames[i])
+    for s in emitUnpackStmt(unpRes, unpSrc, fIdent, fieldTypes[i]):
+      unpBody.add(s)
+  unpBody.add quote do:
+    return `unpRes`
+  let unpProc = newProc(
+    name = postfix(ident("cwireUnpack"), "*"),
+    params = @[userName, newIdentDefs(unpSrc, wireName)],
+    body = unpBody,
+  )
+
+  let freeDst = ident("dst")
+  var freeBody = newStmtList()
+  for i in 0 ..< fieldNames.len:
+    let fIdent = ident(fieldNames[i])
+    for s in emitFreeStmt(freeDst, fIdent, fieldTypes[i]):
+      freeBody.add(s)
+  if freeBody.len == 0:
+    freeBody.add quote do:
+      discard
+  let freeProc = newProc(
+    name = postfix(ident("cwireFree"), "*"),
+    params = @[newEmptyNode(), newIdentDefs(freeDst, nnkVarTy.newTree(wireName))],
+    body = freeBody,
+  )
+
+  @[packProc, unpProc, freeProc]
+
+proc fieldInfoForType(
+    typeName: string
+): tuple[names: seq[string], types: seq[NimNode]] {.compileTime.} =
+  ## Look up an ffi type's fields from the compile-time registry and parse each
+  ## field's recorded type back into a NimNode AST.
+  for typeMeta in ffiTypeRegistry:
+    if typeMeta.name != typeName:
+      continue
+    var names: seq[string] = @[]
+    var types: seq[NimNode] = @[]
+    for f in typeMeta.fields:
+      names.add(f.name)
+      types.add(parseExpr(f.typeName))
+    return (names, types)
+  error("fieldInfoForType: ffi type '" & typeName & "' not in registry")
+
+proc ensureCWireFor(typeName: string, sink: NimNode) {.compileTime.} =
+  ## Idempotent: if `typeName`'s cwire companion has not yet been emitted,
+  ## append its TypeSection and conversion procs to `sink` and mark it emitted.
+  if isCWireEmitted(typeName):
+    return
+  markCWireEmitted(typeName)
+  let info = fieldInfoForType(typeName)
+  for i in 0 ..< info.names.len:
+    assertCWireFieldSupported(typeName, info.names[i], info.types[i])
+  let section = newNimNode(nnkTypeSection)
+  section.add(buildCWireTypeDef(typeName, info.names, info.types))
+  sink.add(section)
+  for p in buildCWireProcs(typeName, info.names, info.types):
+    sink.add(p)
+
+proc flushCWireCompanions*(): NimNode {.compileTime.} =
+  ## Emit the `_CWire` companion + conversion procs for every registered
+  ## `abi = c` type. Called by `genBindings()` (a type-pragma macro can't).
+  let sink = newStmtList()
+  for typeMeta in ffiTypeRegistry:
+    if typeMeta.abiFormat == ABIFormat.C:
+      ensureCWireFor(typeMeta.name, sink)
+  sink
diff --git a/ffi/internal/c_wire.nim b/ffi/internal/c_wire.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..973da35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ffi/internal/c_wire.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+## Runtime helpers for the macro-generated `*_CWire` companion types: only the
+## `cstring` fields need allocation, packed on pack and released on free.
+
+import ../alloc
+
+proc cwireAllocStr*(s: string): cstring {.inline.} =
+  ## NUL-terminated `malloc` copy of `s` (see `ffi/alloc.nim`); pair with
+  ## `cwireFreeStr`. Empty input still yields a valid buffer, never NULL.
+  alloc.alloc(s)
+
+proc cwireFreeStr*(s: var cstring) {.inline.} =
+  ## Idempotent free for a `cwireAllocStr` cstring; `nil` is a no-op. Taken by
+  ## `var` and reset to `nil` after release so a repeated call can't double-free.
+  if s.isNil():
+    return
+  alloc.dealloc(s)
+  s = nil
diff --git a/ffi/internal/ffi_library.nim b/ffi/internal/ffi_library.nim
index b820f24..5eadba6 100644
--- a/ffi/internal/ffi_library.nim
+++ b/ffi/internal/ffi_library.nim
@@ -26,10 +26,8 @@ macro declareLibraryBase*(libraryName: static[string]): untyped =
   ## Generate {.passc: "-fPIC".}
   res.add nnkPragma.newTree(nnkExprColonExpr.newTree(ident"passc", newLit("-fPIC")))
 
-  # The soname / install_name only make sense for an actual shared library and
-  # break a plain-executable link (fatally so on macOS: `-install_name` requires
-  # `-dynamiclib`). Emit them only when building `--app:lib` so that declaring a
-  # library is safe in unit tests that compile the FFI code as an executable.
+  # soname / install_name only apply to a shared library and break an executable
+  # link (fatally on macOS), so emit them only under `--app:lib`.
   if compileOption("app", "lib"):
     when defined(linux):
       ## Generates {.passl: "-Wl,-soname,libwaku.so".} (considering libraryName=="waku", for example)
@@ -131,9 +129,8 @@ macro declareLibrary*(
   ## the `ctx: ptr FFIContext[libType]` parameter. See
   ## `examples/timer/timer.nim` for a working call site.
   ##
-  ## `defaultABIFormat` selects the wire format inherited by every `{.ffi.}`,
-  ## `{.ffiEvent.}`, `{.ffiCtor.}`, ... in this library — `"cbor"` (default) or
-  ## `"c"`. Individual annotations override it with an `"abi = ..."` spec.
+  ## `defaultABIFormat` (`"cbor"` default, or `"c"`) is the wire format every
+  ## annotation inherits unless it overrides with an `"abi = ..."` spec.
   currentLibType = $libType # so handle-receiver `.ffi.` procs can resolve the pool
 
   let (abiOk, abiFmt) = parseABIFormatName(defaultABIFormat)
diff --git a/ffi/internal/ffi_macro.nim b/ffi/internal/ffi_macro.nim
index 137c4b5..200c8da 100644
--- a/ffi/internal/ffi_macro.nim
+++ b/ffi/internal/ffi_macro.nim
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import std/[macros, tables, strutils]
 import chronos
 import ../ffi_types
 import ../codegen/[meta, string_helpers]
+import ./c_macro_helpers
 when defined(ffiGenBindings):
   import ../codegen/rust
   import ../codegen/cpp
@@ -41,6 +42,12 @@ proc gateABIFormat(fmt: ABIFormat, where: string) {.compileTime.} =
         $fmt
     )
 
+proc gateFFITypeABIFormat(fmt: ABIFormat, where: string) {.compileTime.} =
+  ## Type annotations only register metadata. `cbor` uses the generic CBOR
+  ## overloads, while `c` emits its flat `_CWire` companion from `genBindings()`.
+  case fmt
+  of ABIFormat.Cbor, ABIFormat.C: discard
+
 proc isPtr(typ: NimNode): bool =
   ## True iff `typ` is a `ptr T` type expression — i.e. an `nnkPtrTy` AST node.
   ## Used by the binding-generator metadata path to flag pointer-typed params
@@ -739,16 +746,15 @@ macro ffi*(args: varargs[untyped]): untyped =
   ##   proc mylib_send*(w: MyLib, cfg: SendConfig): Future[Result[string, string]] {.ffi.} =
   ##     return ok("done")
 
-  # The annotated node is always the last vararg; any leading args are ABI
-  # override specs (`"abi = ..."`).
+  # Annotated node is the last vararg; leading args are `"abi = ..."` specs.
   let prc = args[^1]
   let abiFormat = resolveABIFormat(args[0 ..^ 2])
 
-  # A `{.ffi.}` value type is a passive data definition (it can stand alone, so
-  # it does not require a declared library). `cbor` serialization rides the
-  # generic overloads; `c` is recognized but gated until its codec lands.
+  # A value type stands alone (no library required). Its `c` companion is
+  # emitted later by `genBindings()`, since a type-pragma macro can only return
+  # a TypeDef; `cbor` rides the generic overloads. Both abis are valid here.
   if prc.kind == nnkTypeDef:
-    gateABIFormat(abiFormat, "`.ffi.` type")
+    gateFFITypeABIFormat(abiFormat, "`.ffi.` type")
     var cleanTypeDef = prc.copyNimTree()
     if cleanTypeDef[0].kind == nnkPragmaExpr:
       cleanTypeDef[0] = cleanTypeDef[0][0]
@@ -1655,7 +1661,9 @@ macro genBindings*(
   ## Supported languages (-d:targetLang): "rust" (default), "cpp".
   ## Output path and nim source path default to -d:ffiOutputDir and
   ## -d:ffiSrcPath, or can be passed as explicit arguments.
-  ## This macro is a no-op unless -d:ffiGenBindings is set.
+  ## Foreign-binding file emission is a no-op unless -d:ffiGenBindings is set;
+  ## the `abi = c` `_CWire` companions are emitted unconditionally (runtime
+  ## code, not generated files).
   ##
   ## Example (all via compile flags):
   ##   genBindings()
@@ -1691,4 +1699,7 @@ macro genBindings*(
         "genBindings: unknown targetLang '" & lang & "'. Use 'rust', 'cpp', or 'cddl'."
       )
 
-  return newEmptyNode()
+  let cwireCompanions = flushCWireCompanions()
+  when defined(ffiDumpMacros):
+    echo cwireCompanions.repr
+  cwireCompanions
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_c_wire.nim b/tests/unit/test_c_wire.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ecc0f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_c_wire.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+## Round-trip correctness for the `c` (flat C-struct) ABI codec — flat path.
+##
+## Each `{.ffi: "abi = c".}` type gets a `<T>_CWire` companion plus
+## `cwirePack` / `cwireUnpack` / `cwireFree`. This asserts
+## `cwireUnpack(cwirePack(x)) == x` for the flat scalar+string field shapes,
+## including the empty-string edge case the cstring encoding must handle.
+##
+## `genBindings()` flushes the cwire companions for every abi=c type declared
+## above it (a type-pragma macro can't splice them in at the type site).
+
+import unittest2
+import ffi
+
+type Flat {.ffi: "abi = c".} = object
+  name: string
+  label: string
+  count: int
+  size: uint32
+  ratio: float64
+  flag: bool
+
+genBindings()
+
+proc roundTrip(o: Flat): Flat =
+  ## Pack into the flat wire struct, copy back out, then release the wire
+  ## allocations — the exact lifecycle a boundary crossing would use.
+  var wire: Flat_CWire
+  cwirePack(wire, o)
+  let back = cwireUnpack(wire)
+  cwireFree(wire)
+  return back
+
+suite "c-ABI cwire round-trip (flat)":
+  test "populated scalars and strings survive pack/unpack/free":
+    let o = Flat(
+      name: "hello",
+      label: "world",
+      count: -42,
+      size: 4_000_000_000'u32,
+      ratio: 3.5,
+      flag: true,
+    )
+    let back = roundTrip(o)
+    check back == o
+    # Distinct strings must not alias one another.
+    check back.name == "hello"
+    check back.label == "world"
+
+  test "empty strings survive pack/unpack/free":
+    let o = Flat(name: "", label: "", count: 0, size: 0, ratio: 0.0, flag: false)
+    let back = roundTrip(o)
+    check back == o
+    check back.name == ""
+    check back.label == ""