diff --git a/external.go b/external.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6be874c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/external.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package displaywidth
+
+import "sync"
+
+var (
+	externalMu     sync.RWMutex
+	externalWidths map[string]int
+)
+
+// SetExternalWidths installs a map of grapheme-cluster-string → cell-width
+// that overrides the library's built-in width tables. This is for callers
+// that have probed the terminal directly (e.g. via CSI 6n cursor position
+// reports) and want String/Bytes/Rune — and consequently downstream
+// libraries like charmbracelet/x/ansi and charm.land/lipgloss — to use
+// the probed widths instead of the spec-derived ones.
+//
+// Lookup precedence per grapheme cluster:
+//  1. The external map, if non-nil and the cluster is present.
+//  2. The library's trie + VS16/skin-tone heuristics.
+//
+// The map is treated as immutable post-install. Callers must replace
+// the map by calling SetExternalWidths again with a new instance rather
+// than mutating the existing one. Pass nil to clear.
+func SetExternalWidths(m map[string]int) {
+	externalMu.Lock()
+	defer externalMu.Unlock()
+	externalWidths = m
+}
+
+// externalLookup returns (width, true) if s is in the external widths
+// map, or (0, false) otherwise. Uses a snapshot pattern so the lock is
+// held only briefly.
+func externalLookup[T ~string | []byte](s T) (int, bool) {
+	externalMu.RLock()
+	m := externalWidths
+	externalMu.RUnlock()
+	if m == nil {
+		return 0, false
+	}
+	w, ok := m[string(s)]
+	return w, ok
+}
diff --git a/external_test.go b/external_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e49f835
--- /dev/null
+++ b/external_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+package displaywidth
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestSetExternalWidths(t *testing.T) {
+	// Clear at end so other tests aren't affected.
+	defer SetExternalWidths(nil)
+
+	// Baseline: no external map.
+	SetExternalWidths(nil)
+	baseHeart := String("❤️")
+	baseThumbsup := String("👍")
+	if baseThumbsup == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("baseline thumbsup should be > 0")
+	}
+
+	// Install external override that contradicts the spec values.
+	SetExternalWidths(map[string]int{
+		"❤️": 1, // spec/PR says 2 (VS16 promotion); override to 1
+		"👍": 5, // spec says 2; override to 5 to verify override is used
+	})
+
+	if got := String("❤️"); got != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("with external override, String(❤️) = %d, want 1", got)
+	}
+	if got := String("👍"); got != 5 {
+		t.Errorf("with external override, String(👍) = %d, want 5", got)
+	}
+
+	// Strings not in the override fall back to spec.
+	if got := String("🔥"); got != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("fallback String(🔥) = %d, want 2 (no override)", got)
+	}
+
+	// Clearing returns to baseline.
+	SetExternalWidths(nil)
+	if got := String("❤️"); got != baseHeart {
+		t.Errorf("after clear, String(❤️) = %d, want baseline %d", got, baseHeart)
+	}
+	if got := String("👍"); got != baseThumbsup {
+		t.Errorf("after clear, String(👍) = %d, want baseline %d", got, baseThumbsup)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestExternalWidthsAffectsBytes(t *testing.T) {
+	defer SetExternalWidths(nil)
+
+	SetExternalWidths(map[string]int{"👍": 4})
+
+	if got := Bytes([]byte("👍")); got != 4 {
+		t.Errorf("Bytes(👍) with override = %d, want 4", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestExternalWidthsDoesNotAffectASCII(t *testing.T) {
+	defer SetExternalWidths(nil)
+
+	// Even if the override map says "a" is 99, ASCII fast paths should
+	// return the standard width — the override is checked only inside
+	// graphemeWidth, which doesn't run for printable ASCII.
+	SetExternalWidths(map[string]int{"a": 99})
+
+	if got := String("a"); got != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("String(\"a\") = %d, want 1 (ASCII bypass)", got)
+	}
+	if got := String("hello"); got != 5 {
+		t.Errorf("String(\"hello\") = %d, want 5 (ASCII bypass)", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestExternalWidthsMixedContent(t *testing.T) {
+	defer SetExternalWidths(nil)
+
+	SetExternalWidths(map[string]int{
+		"❤️": 1,
+		"👍": 4,
+	})
+
+	// "abc❤️def👍" → 3 + 1 + 3 + 4 = 11
+	if got := String("abc❤️def👍"); got != 11 {
+		t.Errorf("mixed content = %d, want 11", got)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/width.go b/width.go
index f6e0ab7..107b61c 100644
--- a/width.go
+++ b/width.go
@@ -168,18 +168,43 @@ func graphemeWidth[T ~string | []byte](s T, options Options) int {
 		return 0
 	}
 
+	// External (probed) widths override the spec tables. Skipped for
+	// ASCII because external maps are intended for emoji/CJK clusters,
+	// not single bytes.
+	if w, ok := externalLookup(s); ok {
+		return w
+	}
+
 	p, sz := lookup(s)
 	prop := property(p)
 
-	// Variation Selector 16 (VS16) requests emoji presentation
-	if prop != _Wide && sz > 0 && len(s) >= sz+3 {
-		vs := s[sz : sz+3]
-		if isVS16(vs) {
-			prop = _Wide
+	// Check remaining bytes in the grapheme cluster for modifiers that
+	// indicate emoji presentation (width 2).
+	//
+	// VS16 (U+FE0F) requests emoji presentation per Unicode TR51.
+	// Emoji modifiers (U+1F3FB–U+1F3FF, skin tones) form an
+	// emoji_modifier_sequence per UTS#51 ED-13, which is always
+	// rendered in emoji presentation.
+	//
+	// We scan the full cluster because these modifiers may not be
+	// immediately adjacent to the base character (e.g., in ZWJ
+	// sequences like ⛹🏻‍♂️ where VS16 is at the end).
+	if prop != _Wide && sz > 0 && len(s) > sz {
+		for i := sz; i < len(s); i++ {
+			// VS16: U+FE0F, UTF-8 is EF B8 8F
+			if i+2 < len(s) && s[i] == 0xEF && s[i+1] == 0xB8 && s[i+2] == 0x8F {
+				prop = _Wide
+				break
+			}
+			// Emoji modifier (skin tone): U+1F3FB–U+1F3FF
+			// UTF-8 is F0 9F 8F BB through F0 9F 8F BF
+			if i+3 < len(s) && s[i] == 0xF0 && s[i+1] == 0x9F && s[i+2] == 0x8F && s[i+3] >= 0xBB && s[i+3] <= 0xBF {
+				prop = _Wide
+				break
+			}
 		}
-		// VS15 (0x8E) requests text presentation but does not affect width,
-		// in my reading of Unicode TR51. Falls through to return the base
-		// character's property.
+		// VS15 (U+FE0E) requests text presentation but does not affect
+		// width, in my reading of Unicode TR51.
 	}
 
 	if options.EastAsianWidth && prop == _East_Asian_Ambiguous {
diff --git a/width_test.go b/width_test.go
index bcf5a9d..b4dd49d 100644
--- a/width_test.go
+++ b/width_test.go
@@ -60,6 +60,26 @@ func TestStringWidth(t *testing.T) {
 		{"keycap 1️⃣", "1️⃣", defaultOptions, 2},        // Keycap sequence: 1 + VS16 + U+20E3 (always width 2)
 		{"keycap #️⃣", "#️⃣", defaultOptions, 2},        // Keycap sequence: # + VS16 + U+20E3 (always width 2)
 
+		// Bug fix: VS16 not adjacent to first rune in ZWJ + skin-tone + gender sequences.
+		// VS16 appears at the end, many bytes after the first rune.
+		{"⛹🏻‍♂️ bouncing ball m tone1", "\u26F9\U0001F3FB\u200D\u2642\uFE0F", defaultOptions, 2},
+		{"🕵🏻‍♂️ detective m tone1", "\U0001F575\U0001F3FB\u200D\u2642\uFE0F", defaultOptions, 2},
+		{"🏌🏻‍♀️ golfing f tone1", "\U0001F3CC\U0001F3FB\u200D\u2640\uFE0F", defaultOptions, 2},
+		{"🏋🏿‍♂️ weights m tone5", "\U0001F3CB\U0001F3FF\u200D\u2642\uFE0F", defaultOptions, 2},
+		{"⛹🏾‍♀️ bouncing ball f tone4", "\u26F9\U0001F3FE\u200D\u2640\uFE0F", defaultOptions, 2},
+		{"🕵🏿‍♀️ detective f tone5", "\U0001F575\U0001F3FF\u200D\u2640\uFE0F", defaultOptions, 2},
+
+		// Bug fix: skin-tone modifier on text-default Extended_Pictographic base.
+		// These form emoji_modifier_sequences (UTS#51 ED-13) and should be width 2.
+		{"🕵🏻 detective skin", "\U0001F575\U0001F3FB", defaultOptions, 2},
+		{"☝🏽 point up skin", "\u261D\U0001F3FD", defaultOptions, 2},
+		{"✌🏾 victory skin", "\u270C\U0001F3FE", defaultOptions, 2},
+		{"✍🏿 writing hand skin", "\u270D\U0001F3FF", defaultOptions, 2},
+		{"🖐🏻 hand splayed skin", "\U0001F590\U0001F3FB", defaultOptions, 2},
+		{"⛹🏼 bouncing ball skin", "\u26F9\U0001F3FC", defaultOptions, 2},
+		{"🏌🏽 golfing skin", "\U0001F3CC\U0001F3FD", defaultOptions, 2},
+		{"🏋🏾 weights skin", "\U0001F3CB\U0001F3FE", defaultOptions, 2},
+
 		// Flags (regional indicator pairs form a single grapheme, always width 2 per TR51)
 		{"flag US", "🇺🇸", defaultOptions, 2},
 		{"flag JP", "🇯🇵", defaultOptions, 2},