diff --git a/compiler/ast2nif.nim b/compiler/ast2nif.nim
index f81b7eea8f..be97c5d5b0 100644
--- a/compiler/ast2nif.nim
+++ b/compiler/ast2nif.nim
@@ -801,7 +801,10 @@ proc writeOp(w: var Writer; content: var TokenBuf; op: LogEntry) =
     content.add symToken(pool.syms.getOrIncl(w.toNifSymName(op.sym)), NoLineInfo)
     content.addParRi()
   of MethodEntry:
-    discard "to implement"
+    content.addParLe repMethodTag, NoLineInfo
+    content.add strToken(pool.strings.getOrIncl(op.key), NoLineInfo)
+    content.add symToken(pool.syms.getOrIncl(w.toNifSymName(op.sym)), NoLineInfo)
+    content.addParRi()
   of EnumToStrEntry:
     content.addParLe repEnumToStrTag, NoLineInfo
     content.add strToken(pool.strings.getOrIncl(op.key), NoLineInfo)
diff --git a/compiler/cgen.nim b/compiler/cgen.nim
index c180e8e5f1..1681e0a0cf 100644
--- a/compiler/cgen.nim
+++ b/compiler/cgen.nim
@@ -1368,26 +1368,18 @@ proc genProcBody(p: BProc; procBody: PNode) =
     p.blocks[0].sections[cpsInit].addAssignmentWithValue("nimErr_"):
       p.blocks[0].sections[cpsInit].addCall(cgsymValue(p.module, "nimErrorFlag"))
 
-proc findMainBModule(g: BModuleList): BModule =
-  result = nil
-  for cand in g.mods:
-    if cand != nil and cand.module != nil and sfMainModule in cand.module.flags:
-      return cand
-
 proc genProcLvl3*(m: BModule, prc: PSym) =
   if m.config.cmd == cmdNifC:
     fillBackendName(m, prc)
     if sfDispatcher in prc.flags and sfMainModule notin m.module.flags:
-      # A method dispatcher enumerates the whole program's method set; a
-      # definition inside a reusable TU goes stale as soon as a method is
-      # added in an unrelated module. Route every dispatcher definition
-      # into the main TU, which is regenerated on every run.
+      # A method dispatcher enumerates the whole program's method set: its
+      # body is synthesized by `generateIfMethodDispatchers` only after all
+      # modules have been generated, and its single definition is emitted
+      # into the main TU by `finishModule` (main is finished last and never
+      # reused, so the definition can never go stale inside a cached TU).
+      # Any demand before that point yields a prototype.
       genProcPrototype(m, prc)
-      let mainMod = findMainBModule(m.g)
-      if mainMod != nil:
-        if not containsOrIncl(mainMod.declaredThings, prc.id):
-          genProcLvl3(mainMod, prc)
-        return
+      return
     # inline procs are emitted into every using TU; they are never shared
     # across translation units, so cached/cross-TU dedup must not touch
     # them. Dispatchers always (re)define in main, never from the cache.
@@ -1398,18 +1390,19 @@ proc genProcLvl3*(m: BModule, prc: PSym) =
         # already defined inside a reused TU from the previous run
         genProcPrototype(m, prc)
         return
-      if isSharedInstanceCName(m, prc) or
-          prc.itemId.module != m.module.position:
-        # one definition program-wide: shared instances by design; otherwise a
-        # definition redirected away from a reused TU — the first claimant's
-        # TU embeds it, everyone else declares it. The claim records the TU
-        # as well: with redirects the same symbol can be demanded into
-        # several TUs.
-        let claim = (sym: prc.itemId, tu: m.module.position)
-        if m.g.graph.icSharedDefOwner.hasKeyOrPut(key, claim) and
-            m.g.graph.icSharedDefOwner[key] != claim:
-          genProcPrototype(m, prc)
-          return
+      # one definition program-wide: the first claimant's TU embeds it,
+      # everyone else declares it. The claim records the TU as well: with
+      # redirects the same symbol can be demanded into several TUs. Home
+      # emissions must claim too — a hook's demand routing goes through the
+      # type-owner module (`findPendingModule` walks `s.owner`) while its
+      # eager emission uses the announcing module's TU; when the owner TU
+      # is reused, the very same symbol reaches this point through both
+      # paths and only the registry serializes them.
+      let claim = (sym: prc.itemId, tu: m.module.position)
+      if m.g.graph.icSharedDefOwner.hasKeyOrPut(key, claim) and
+          m.g.graph.icSharedDefOwner[key] != claim:
+        genProcPrototype(m, prc)
+        return
     if prc.itemId.module != m.module.position and
         not isBackendMinted(prc.itemId) and
         (prc.typ == nil or prc.typ.callConv != ccInline) and
@@ -2886,7 +2879,12 @@ proc finalCodegenActions*(graph: ModuleGraph; m: BModule; n: PNode) =
 
       if m.g.forwardedProcs.len == 0:
         incl m.flags, objHasKidsValid
-      if optMultiMethods in m.g.config.globalOptions or
+      if m.config.cmd == cmdNifC:
+        # nifbackend synthesizes the dispatchers between the module loop
+        # and the finish loop (emitMethodDispatchers): TUs demand-created
+        # by the dispatcher bodies must still reach `modulesClosed`
+        discard
+      elif optMultiMethods in m.g.config.globalOptions or
           m.g.config.selectedGC notin {gcArc, gcOrc, gcAtomicArc, gcYrc} or
           vtables notin m.g.config.features:
         generateIfMethodDispatchers(graph, m.idgen)
diff --git a/compiler/cgmeth.nim b/compiler/cgmeth.nim
index 924d033144..a646b04746 100644
--- a/compiler/cgmeth.nim
+++ b/compiler/cgmeth.nim
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ proc methodDef*(g: ModuleGraph; idgen: IdGenerator; s: PSym) =
            g.methods[i].methods[0] != s:
         # already exists due to forwarding definition?
         localError(g.config, s.info, "method is not a base")
+      logMethodDef(g, s)
       return
     of No: discard
     of Invalid:
@@ -191,6 +192,7 @@ proc methodDef*(g: ModuleGraph; idgen: IdGenerator; s: PSym) =
   else:
     g.bucketTable.inc(s.typ.firstParamType.skipTypes(skipPtrs).itemId)
   g.methods.add((methods: @[s], dispatcher: createDispatcher(s, g, idgen)))
+  logMethodDef(g, s)
   #echo "adding ", s.info
   if witness != nil:
     localError(g.config, s.info, "invalid declaration order; cannot attach '" & s.name.s &
diff --git a/compiler/deps.nim b/compiler/deps.nim
index 857b3504b4..005e683c35 100644
--- a/compiler/deps.nim
+++ b/compiler/deps.nim
@@ -629,6 +629,11 @@ proc generateBuildFile(c: DepContext): string =
     # them — phantom outputs that re-fire the build on every rerun).
     if c.config.selectedGC != gcUnselected:
       forwardedArgs.add "--mm:" & $c.config.selectedGC
+    # method dispatch semantics must match across the child processes:
+    # a child compiled without --multimethods:on builds different dispatch
+    # buckets (and rejects calls as ambiguous that multi-dispatch accepts)
+    if optMultiMethods in c.config.globalOptions:
+      forwardedArgs.add "--multimethods:on"
 
   # Define nifler command
   b.addTree "cmd"
diff --git a/compiler/main.nim b/compiler/main.nim
index 9dcc801657..4803248361 100644
--- a/compiler/main.nim
+++ b/compiler/main.nim
@@ -419,9 +419,14 @@ proc mainCommand*(graph: ModuleGraph) =
     # cmdM uses NIF files, not ROD files
     graph.config.symbolFiles = disabledSf
     setUseIc(true)
+    # vtable dispatch needs a whole-program vtable layout, which the
+    # per-module compilation model cannot provide (yet); methods dispatch
+    # through the classic if-chain dispatchers instead
+    excl conf.features, Feature.vtables
     commandCheck(graph)
   of cmdNifC:
     setUseIc(true)
+    excl conf.features, Feature.vtables
     # Generate C code from NIF files
     wantMainModule(conf)
     setOutFile(conf)
diff --git a/compiler/modulegraphs.nim b/compiler/modulegraphs.nim
index 56cdf7d09a..c908ce41d0 100644
--- a/compiler/modulegraphs.nim
+++ b/compiler/modulegraphs.nim
@@ -97,6 +97,9 @@ type
       # loads (reached only through system or demand-driven codegen)
     icFileReusedCnames*: HashSet[string] # their .c paths, so demand-created
                                   # BModules for them never write anything
+    pendingMethodReplays*: seq[PSym] # method registrations loaded under
+                                  # `nim nifc`, bucketed only after every
+                                  # module is loaded (`flushMethodReplays`)
     icPreserveDefs*: Table[int, seq[PSym]] # module position -> symbols whose
                                   # definitions the TU must keep emitting:
                                   # they were in its previous artifact and a
@@ -443,6 +446,49 @@ proc addMethodToGeneric*(g: ModuleGraph; module: int; t: PType; col: int; m: PSy
   let ownerModule = if t.sym != nil: t.sym.itemId.module.int else: module
   g.opsLog.add LogEntry(kind: MethodEntry, module: ownerModule, key: key, sym: m)
 
+proc logMethodDef*(g: ModuleGraph; s: PSym) =
+  ## Log a method registration (`cgmeth.methodDef`) so that importers and
+  ## the backend can rebuild the dispatch buckets (`g.methods`) from the
+  ## NIF replay log — the serialized method ast carries its dispatcher sym
+  ## at `dispatcherPos`, so replay reuses the original dispatcher that all
+  ## call sites reference by name (see `registerLoadedMethod`).
+  if g.config.cmd in {cmdNifC, cmdM}:
+    g.opsLog.add LogEntry(kind: MethodEntry, module: s.itemId.module.int,
+                          key: "", sym: s)
+
+proc registerLoadedMethod*(g: ModuleGraph; m: PSym) =
+  ## Rebuild the dispatch buckets from a serialized method registration.
+  ## Buckets group the methods sharing a dispatcher; the dispatcher's BODY
+  ## does not exist in serialized form — `generateIfMethodDispatchers`
+  ## synthesizes it in the backend from the complete bucket.
+  template dbg(msg: string) =
+    when defined(icDbgMeth):
+      echo "[icMeth] replay ", (if m != nil: m.name.s else: "nil"), ": ", msg
+  if m == nil or sfDispatcher in m.flags: dbg "skip self/nil"; return
+  if m.ast == nil or dispatcherPos >= m.ast.len:
+    dbg "no dispatcherPos (len " & $(if m.ast != nil: m.ast.len else: -1) & ")"
+    return
+  let dn = m.ast[dispatcherPos]
+  if dn == nil or dn.kind != nkSym or dn.sym == nil: dbg "empty dispatcher slot"; return
+  let disp = dn.sym
+  if sfDispatcher notin disp.flags: dbg "slot sym not a dispatcher"; return
+  dbg "ok -> bucket of " & disp.name.s & "." & $disp.disamb
+  for i in 0..<g.methods.len:
+    if g.methods[i].dispatcher.itemId == disp.itemId:
+      for existing in g.methods[i].methods:
+        if existing.itemId == m.itemId: return
+      g.methods[i].methods.add m
+      return
+  g.methods.add (methods: @[m], dispatcher: disp)
+
+proc flushMethodReplays*(g: ModuleGraph) =
+  ## Builds the dispatch buckets from the method registrations collected
+  ## during module loading; called once every module of the program is
+  ## loaded (`nifbackend.generateCode`).
+  for s in g.pendingMethodReplays:
+    registerLoadedMethod(g, s)
+  g.pendingMethodReplays.setLen 0
+
 proc logGenericInstance*(g: ModuleGraph; inst: PSym) =
   ## Log a generic instance so it gets written to the NIF file.
   ## This is needed when generic instances are created during compile-time
@@ -861,6 +907,20 @@ when not defined(nimKochBootstrap):
           g.loadedOps[x.op][x.key] = x.sym
       of EnumToStrEntry:
         g.loadedEnumToStringProcs[x.key] = x.sym
+      of MethodEntry:
+        # only `methodDef` registrations (empty key) rebuild dispatch
+        # buckets; the `addMethodToGeneric` flavor (typeKey key) announces
+        # the uninstantiated generic method, which must never enter a
+        # bucket (methodsPerGenericType replay is still a todo).
+        # Under `nim nifc` the replay is deferred: building a bucket forces
+        # the method's body, and a body loaded mid `loadModuleDependencies`
+        # registers modules it references in a different path context than
+        # the lazy loads during codegen do (`flushMethodReplays`).
+        if x.key.len == 0:
+          if g.config.cmd == cmdNifC:
+            g.pendingMethodReplays.add x.sym
+          else:
+            registerLoadedMethod(g, x.sym)
       else:
         discard
 
@@ -918,7 +978,7 @@ when not defined(nimKochBootstrap):
       of ConverterEntry:
         g.ifaces[fileIdx.int].converters.add x.sym
       of MethodEntry:
-        discard "todo"
+        discard "dispatch buckets already rebuilt by registerLoadedHooks"
       of GenericInstEntry:
         raiseAssert "GenericInstEntry should not be in the NIF index"
       of HookEntry, EnumToStrEntry:
diff --git a/compiler/nifbackend.nim b/compiler/nifbackend.nim
index 9551638057..bfe2fcf9d1 100644
--- a/compiler/nifbackend.nim
+++ b/compiler/nifbackend.nim
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ when defined(nimPreviewSlimSystem):
 import ast, options, lineinfos, modulegraphs, cgendata, cgen,
   pathutils, extccomp, msgs, modulepaths, idents, types, ast2nif, typekeys, dce,
   cnif
+from cgmeth import generateIfMethodDispatchers
 import ic / replayer
 
 proc loadModuleDependencies(g: ModuleGraph; mainFileIdx: FileIndex;
@@ -159,7 +160,13 @@ proc enforceDefRetention(g: ModuleGraph; mainPos: int;
             # NB: reading `sym.kind` forces the lazy stub, so the kind is real
             var action = 0 # un-reuse any visibly referencing TUs
             if sym != nil:
-              if sym.kind in routineKinds or sym.kind == skConst:
+              if sfDispatcher in sym.flags:
+                # method dispatchers are synthesized from the whole
+                # program's method set and emitted into the main TU on
+                # every run; re-demanding the serialized sym would emit
+                # its (empty) serialized body
+                action = 1
+              elif sym.kind in routineKinds or sym.kind == skConst:
                 # routine and const definitions exist only by demand (the
                 # serialized top level holds just the eager init statements,
                 # not a proc listing!), and reused TUs never demand — so
@@ -407,15 +414,29 @@ proc finishModule(g: ModuleGraph; bmod: BModule) =
   let initStmt = newNode(nkStmtList)
   finalCodegenActions(g, bmod, initStmt)
 
-  # Dispatcher definitions live in the main TU only: their bodies enumerate
-  # the whole program's method set, so a copy inside a reusable TU would go
-  # stale when a method is added in an unrelated module (genProcLvl3 routes
-  # demand-driven dispatcher definitions to main the same way). Main is
-  # finished last, after all method registrations have been replayed.
-  if sfMainModule in bmod.module.flags:
-    for disp in getDispatchers(g):
-      if not containsOrIncl(bmod.declaredThings, disp.id):
-        genProcLvl3(bmod, disp)
+  # NB: the method dispatchers are emitted in `emitMethodDispatchers`,
+  # between the module loop and this finish loop: their bodies demand the
+  # method definitions, which can in turn demand definitions from modules
+  # the backend never loaded — and a TU demand-created during the LAST
+  # finishModule call would miss `modulesClosed` and never be written.
+
+proc emitMethodDispatchers(g: ModuleGraph) =
+  ## Synthesizes the method dispatcher bodies from the replayed dispatch
+  ## buckets (`registerLoadedMethod`) and emits their definitions into the
+  ## main TU. Main is regenerated on every run, so a dispatcher — whose
+  ## body enumerates the whole program's method set — can never go stale
+  ## inside a cached TU; cross-TU callers prototype it (see genProcLvl3).
+  let bl = BModuleList(g.backend)
+  var mainMod: BModule = nil
+  for m in bl.mods:
+    if m != nil and m.module != nil and sfMainModule in m.module.flags:
+      mainMod = m
+      break
+  if mainMod == nil: return
+  generateIfMethodDispatchers(g, mainMod.idgen)
+  for disp in getDispatchers(g):
+    if not containsOrIncl(mainMod.declaredThings, disp.id):
+      genProcLvl3(mainMod, disp)
 
 proc generateCodeForModule(g: ModuleGraph; precomp: PrecompiledModule) =
   ## Generate C code for a single module.
@@ -484,6 +505,8 @@ proc generateCode*(g: ModuleGraph; mainFileIdx: FileIndex) =
   # This must happen BEFORE any code generation so that hooks are loaded into loadedOps
   var nifFiles: seq[string] = @[toNifFilename(g.config, systemFileIdx)]
   let modules = loadModuleDependencies(g, mainFileIdx, nifFiles)
+  # build the method dispatch buckets now that every module is loaded
+  flushMethodReplays(g)
   phaseDone "load (" & $ (modules.len + 1) & " modules)"
   if modules.len == 0:
     rawMessage(g.config, errGenerated,
@@ -531,6 +554,8 @@ proc generateCode*(g: ModuleGraph; mainFileIdx: FileIndex) =
   for m in modules:
     if not processed.containsOrIncl(m.module.position):
       generateOrReuse(m)
+
+  emitMethodDispatchers(g)
   phaseDone "cgen"
 
   # during code generation of `main.nim` we can trigger the code generation
diff --git a/compiler/semexprs.nim b/compiler/semexprs.nim
index aa0489cd22..74d3751900 100644
--- a/compiler/semexprs.nim
+++ b/compiler/semexprs.nim
@@ -197,6 +197,29 @@ proc semOpenSym(c: PContext, n: PNode, flags: TExprFlags, expectedType: PType,
       # set symchoice node type back to None
       n.typ = newTypeS(tyNone, c)
 
+proc resolveOpenSymDotRhs(c: PContext, n: PNode): PNode =
+  ## Resolves an `nkOpenSym` in the field position of a dot expression.
+  ## The dot handling (`builtinFieldAccess`, `dotTransformation`) matches on
+  ## the node kind of the RHS directly, so the wrapper cannot be left for
+  ## `semExpr` to unwrap; without this the captured symbol degrades to a
+  ## plain identifier that is then only looked up in the instantiation
+  ## context. Mirrors `semOpenSym`: a symbol injected during instantiation
+  ## under the current proc replaces the captured symbol, otherwise the
+  ## captured node is used.
+  let inner = n[0]
+  result = inner
+  if inner.kind != nkSym: return
+  let id = newIdentNode(inner.sym.name, n.info)
+  c.isAmbiguous = false
+  let s2 = qualifiedLookUp(c, id, {})
+  if s2 != nil and not c.isAmbiguous and s2 != inner.sym:
+    # only consider symbols defined under the current proc:
+    var o = s2.owner
+    while o != nil:
+      if o == c.p.owner:
+        return id
+      o = o.owner
+
 proc semSymChoice(c: PContext, n: PNode, flags: TExprFlags = {}, expectedType: PType = nil): PNode =
   if n.kind == nkOpenSymChoice:
     result = semOpenSym(c, n, flags, expectedType,
@@ -1524,6 +1547,9 @@ proc builtinFieldAccess(c: PContext; n: PNode; flags: var TExprFlags): PNode =
       suggestExpr(c, n)
       if exactEquals(c.config.m.trackPos, n[1].info): suggestExprNoCheck(c, n)
 
+  if n[1].kind == nkOpenSym:
+    n[1] = resolveOpenSymDotRhs(c, n[1])
+
   var s = qualifiedLookUp(c, n, {checkAmbiguity, checkUndeclared, checkModule})
   if s != nil:
     if s.kind in OverloadableSyms: