diff --git a/lib/android.js b/lib/android.js
index d023166..5c28f99 100644
--- a/lib/android.js
+++ b/lib/android.js
@@ -556,7 +556,35 @@ function tryGetEnvJvmti (vm, runtime) {
       'bool',
       ['pointer', 'pointer', 'pointer']);
     const errorPtr = Memory.alloc(pointerSize);
-    const success = ensurePluginLoaded(runtime, Memory.allocUtf8String('libopenjdkjvmti.so'), errorPtr);
+    // Android 17 (API >= 37): loading libopenjdkjvmti.so into an already-running
+    // ("live") VM makes the first Java.use() appear to hang and then aborts the
+    // target. EnsurePluginLoaded -> Plugin::Load -> dlopen -> ArtPlugin_Initialize
+    // -> DeoptManager::FinishSetup(); on a LIVE VM that runs the heavy debuggable
+    // transition, ending in Instrumentation::UpdateEntrypointsForDebuggable(). Its
+    // class walk (InstallStubsForClass -> GetOptimizedCodeFor ->
+    // ArtMethod::GetOatMethodQuickCode -> FindOatMethodFor ->
+    // OatFile::OatClass::GetOatMethodOffsets) hits a fatal
+    // CHECK_LT(method_index, num_methods_) on any class whose runtime method layout
+    // diverges from its AOT odex (e.g. pairip-protected apps, where the shipped
+    // base.odex is a stub and the real classes are loaded at runtime). ART's abort
+    // holds the mutator lock exclusively, so it presents as a hang before the
+    // process dies. A -f spawn dodges it: the VM is still in JVMTI_PHASE_ONLOAD,
+    // where FinishSetup takes a cheap early-return branch. The bridge only needs the
+    // jvmtiEnv for GetLoadedClasses + object tagging, neither of which needs the
+    // debuggable transition (method hooking uses the bridge's own ArtMethodMangler),
+    // so on 37+ we no-op FinishSetup for the duration of the load, then undo it. See
+    // installJvmtiFinishSetupWorkaround below.
+    const undoJvmtiLoadWorkaround = (getAndroidApiLevel() >= 37)
+      ? installJvmtiFinishSetupWorkaround()
+      : null;
+    let success;
+    try {
+      success = ensurePluginLoaded(runtime, Memory.allocUtf8String('libopenjdkjvmti.so'), errorPtr);
+    } finally {
+      if (undoJvmtiLoadWorkaround !== null) {
+        undoJvmtiLoadWorkaround();
+      }
+    }
     if (!success) {
       // FIXME: Avoid leaking error
       return;
@@ -580,6 +608,92 @@ function tryGetEnvJvmti (vm, runtime) {
   return env;
 }
 
+// Installs the FinishSetup workaround and returns an undo() that removes it. Scoped
+// to the plugin load: libopenjdkjvmti.so is loaded by art::Plugin::Load via
+// dlopen -> dlsym("ArtPlugin_Initialize") -> init(). We can't hook
+// ArtPlugin_Initialize before it exists, so we hook dlsym: when ART looks up
+// ArtPlugin_Initialize the module is mapped, and dlsym's return value is that
+// export's address. From it we locate the module and replace
+// DeoptManager::FinishSetup() with a no-op before init() runs, so
+// ArtPlugin_Initialize's cheap DeoptManager::Setup() still runs but the aborting
+// FinishSetup() transition is skipped. Once the load has returned, undo() detaches
+// the dlsym hooks and reverts FinishSetup, leaving nothing installed.
+function installJvmtiFinishSetupWorkaround () {
+  const ARTPLUGIN_INIT = 'ArtPlugin_Initialize';
+  const FINISH_SETUP = '_ZN12openjdkjvmti12DeoptManager11FinishSetupEv';
+
+  // Kept referenced for the lifetime of the replacement (until undo reverts it).
+  const noop = new NativeCallback(() => {}, 'void', ['pointer']);
+  const listeners = [];
+  let finishSetupAddr = null;
+
+  const neuterFinishSetup = (pluginInitAddr) => {
+    if (finishSetupAddr !== null) {
+      return;
+    }
+    let mod = null;
+    try { mod = Process.findModuleByAddress(pluginInitAddr); } catch (e) {}
+    if (mod === null) {
+      try { mod = Process.getModuleByName('libopenjdkjvmti.so'); } catch (e) {}
+    }
+    if (mod === null) {
+      return;
+    }
+    let addr = null;
+    try { addr = mod.findExportByName(FINISH_SETUP); } catch (e) {}
+    if (addr === null || addr === undefined) {
+      return;
+    }
+    Interceptor.replace(addr, noop);
+    Interceptor.flush();
+    finishSetupAddr = addr;
+  };
+
+  const hookDlsym = (name) => {
+    let addr = null;
+    for (const lib of ['libdl.so', 'libc.so']) {
+      try { addr = Process.getModuleByName(lib).findExportByName(name); } catch (e) {}
+      if (addr !== null && addr !== undefined) {
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+    if (addr === null || addr === undefined) {
+      try { addr = Module.getGlobalExportByName(name); } catch (e) {}
+    }
+    if (addr === null || addr === undefined) {
+      return;
+    }
+    listeners.push(Interceptor.attach(addr, {
+      onEnter (args) {
+        this.wanted = false;
+        try {
+          this.wanted = args[1].readCString() === ARTPLUGIN_INIT;
+        } catch (e) {}
+      },
+      onLeave (retval) {
+        if (this.wanted && !retval.isNull()) {
+          neuterFinishSetup(retval);
+        }
+      }
+    }));
+  };
+
+  hookDlsym('dlsym');
+  hookDlsym('__loader_dlsym');
+  Interceptor.flush();
+
+  return function undo () {
+    for (const listener of listeners) {
+      listener.detach();
+    }
+    if (finishSetupAddr !== null) {
+      Interceptor.revert(finishSetupAddr);
+      finishSetupAddr = null;
+    }
+    Interceptor.flush();
+  };
+}
+
 export function ensureClassInitialized (env, classRef) {
   const api = getApi();
   if (api.flavor !== 'art') {