diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8b03957..60d8d51 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ x86/
 [Aa][Rr][Mm]64/
 bld/
 [Bb]in/
+# Bundled JRE for MfApi
+!ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Runtime/bin/
+!ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Runtime/bin/**
 [Oo]bj/
 [Oo]ut/
 [Ll]og/
diff --git a/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Models/AppSettings.cs b/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Models/AppSettings.cs
index 97ae614..416ab06 100644
--- a/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Models/AppSettings.cs
+++ b/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Models/AppSettings.cs
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public sealed class DatabaseSettings
 public sealed class RuntimeSettings
 {
     public string JavaExecutablePath { get; set; } =
-        @"C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre1.8.0_481\bin\java.exe";
+        @"Runtime\bin\java.exe";
 
     public string SonicClientLibraryPath { get; set; } =
         @"Runtime\SonicClient\lib";
diff --git a/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Services/JavaRuntimeLocator.cs b/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Services/JavaRuntimeLocator.cs
index 1352b63..09b7235 100644
--- a/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Services/JavaRuntimeLocator.cs
+++ b/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Services/JavaRuntimeLocator.cs
@@ -34,12 +34,22 @@ public static class JavaRuntimeLocator
             yield return configuredPath.Trim();
         }
 
+        // Relativ zum App-Output (bin\Debug\...\Runtime\bin\java.exe)
+        yield return Path.Combine(
+            AppContext.BaseDirectory,
+            "Runtime",
+            "bin",
+            "java.exe");
+
         yield return
             @"C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre1.8.0_481\bin\java.exe";
 
         yield return
             @"C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre1.8.0_501\bin\java.exe";
 
+        yield return
+            @"C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre1.8.0_501\bin\java.exe";
+
         yield return
             @"C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_481\bin\java.exe";
 
diff --git a/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager.csproj b/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager.csproj
index d21c56a..fda21c4 100644
--- a/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager.csproj
+++ b/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager.csproj
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Binder" Version="8.0.2" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <!-- SDK schließt **/bin/** aus – die gebündelte JRE unter Runtime\bin muss mit. -->
+    <DefaultItemExcludes>$(DefaultItemExcludes);Docs\**</DefaultItemExcludes>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+
 <ItemGroup>
   <None Update="Assets\**\*">
     <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
@@ -29,6 +34,12 @@
     <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
   </None>
 
+  <!-- Explizit: DefaultItemExcludes enthält **/bin/** und würde Runtime\bin sonst nie kopieren -->
+  <None Include="Runtime\bin\**\*">
+    <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
+    <Link>Runtime\bin\%(RecursiveDir)%(Filename)%(Extension)</Link>
+  </None>
+
   <None Update="appsettings.json">
     <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
   </None>
diff --git a/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/appsettings.json b/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/appsettings.json
index ae23177..ea9755d 100644
--- a/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/appsettings.json
+++ b/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/appsettings.json
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     "ConnectionString": "Server=VWEBDEV01;Database=EsbZertifikatManager;Integrated Security=True;Encrypt=True;Column Encryption Setting=Enabled;Application Name=ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager;TrustServerCertificate=True;"
   },
   "Runtime": {
-    "JavaExecutablePath": "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Java\\jre1.8.0_481\\bin\\java.exe",
+    "JavaExecutablePath": "Runtime\\bin\\java.exe",
     "SonicClientLibraryPath": "Runtime\\SonicClient\\lib",
     "SetupCompleted": true
   },