diff --git a/src/cuphoton/core/dragon.py b/src/cuphoton/core/dragon.py
index e29790fe..eea6de0d 100644
--- a/src/cuphoton/core/dragon.py
+++ b/src/cuphoton/core/dragon.py
@@ -403,6 +403,10 @@ def run_dragon_work_items(
                     results_queue,
                 ),
                 policy=policy,
+                # Native Dragon workers use their own transport. Keep Python
+                # multiprocessing unpatched so local spawn children receive
+                # ordinary queues and can complete their bootstrap.
+                env={"DRAGON_PATCH_MP": ""},
             )
             if len(template.argdata) > _TEMPLATE_BUDGET_BYTES:
                 raise ValueError(
diff --git a/tests/core/test_dragon.py b/tests/core/test_dragon.py
index 21473467..34cecebf 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_dragon.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_dragon.py
@@ -6,8 +6,11 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import importlib.util
 import json
+import os
 import queue
+import subprocess
 import sys
 import threading
 import time
@@ -156,8 +159,9 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
             self.__dict__.update(kwargs)
 
     class Template:
-        def __init__(self, target, args, policy):
+        def __init__(self, target, args, policy, env=None):
             self.target, self.args, self.policy = target, args, policy
+            self.env = env
             self.argdata = repr(args).encode()
 
     class Group:
@@ -337,6 +341,40 @@ def finalizer(round_dir, records):
     assert len(run_ids) == 3
 
 
+def test_native_workers_keep_spawn_children_on_standard_multiprocessing(
+    monkeypatch, tmp_path
+):
+    if importlib.util.find_spec("dragon") is None:
+        pytest.skip("Dragon is not installed")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DRAGON_PATCH_MP", "True")
+    state = _install_runtime(monkeypatch)
+    result = _run(tmp_path)
+    assert result.status == "success", result.summary
+    assert all(channel.closed for channel in state.queues)
+    assert os.environ["DRAGON_PATCH_MP"] == "True"
+
+    # Import real Dragon before creating the worker's local spawn queue.
+    # Without the overlay, Dragon replaces that queue with its native type.
+    template = state.groups[0].templates[0]
+    completed = subprocess.run(
+        [
+            sys.executable,
+            "-c",
+            "import dragon; import multiprocessing as mp; "
+            "ctx = mp.get_context('spawn'); channel = ctx.Queue(); "
+            "assert type(channel).__module__ == 'multiprocessing.queues'; "
+            "child = ctx.Process(target=channel.put, args=('received',)); "
+            "child.start(); assert channel.get(timeout=5) == 'received'; "
+            "child.join(5); assert child.exitcode == 0; channel.close()",
+        ],
+        env={**os.environ, **(template.env or {})},
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        timeout=15,
+    )
+    assert completed.returncode == 0, completed.stderr
+
+
 def test_ordinary_workload_retains_root_artifacts(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
     state = _install_runtime(monkeypatch)
     result = _run(tmp_path)