diff --git a/.github/workflows/contraqctor.yml b/.github/workflows/contraqctor.yml
index 1cd7875..227315e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/contraqctor.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/contraqctor.yml
@@ -1,19 +1,6 @@
 name: contraqctor test suite
 
 on:
-  workflow_dispatch:
-    inputs:
-      bump_type:
-        description: "Version bump type"
-        required: false
-        default: "rc"
-        type: choice
-        options:
-          - rc
-          - patch
-          - minor
-          - major
-          - stable
   pull_request:
   push:
     branches:
@@ -21,7 +8,7 @@ on:
       - dev*
       - release*
   release:
-    types: [published]
+    types: [ published ]
 
 jobs:
   # ╔──────────────────────────╗
@@ -37,13 +24,13 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest]
-        python-version: [3.11, 3.12, 3.13]
+        os: [ ubuntu-latest, windows-latest ]
+        python-version: [ 3.11, 3.12, 3.13 ]
       fail-fast: false
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v5
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
 
-      - uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v6
+      - uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v8.1.0
         with:
           enable-cache: true
 
@@ -76,60 +63,6 @@ jobs:
   # │   \____|___\____|____/  |_| \_\___|_|\___|\__,_|___/\___| │
   # │                                                           │
   # ╚───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╝
-  github-rc-release:
-    needs: tests
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: >
-      github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' &&
-      github.event_name == 'push' &&
-      github.event.head_commit.author.email != 'github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com'
-    name: Create GitHub pre-release
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v5
-        with:
-          fetch-depth: 0
-          ref: main
-
-      - uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v6
-        with:
-          enable-cache: true
-
-      - name: Bump pre-release by default
-        # Note: Bumping the rc will fail if the version is not currently an rc
-        # To solve it, we bump the patch and rc atomically
-        run: |
-          if uv version --bump rc --dry-run; then
-            uv version --bump rc
-          else
-            uv version --bump rc --bump patch
-          fi
-
-      - name: Commit version
-        run: |
-          git config --global user.name "github-actions[bot]"
-          git config --global user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
-          git add .
-          git commit -m "Bump version [skip ci]" || echo "No changes to commit"
-          git push origin main
-
-      - name: Get version
-        id: get_version
-        run: |
-          version=$(uv run uv version --short)
-          echo "version=$version" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
-      - name: Create GitHub Release
-        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-        with:
-          tag_name: v${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}
-          name: v${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}
-          generate_release_notes: true
-          prerelease: true
-          body: |
-            Automated pre-release v${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}
-
   # ╔─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╗
   # │   ____        _     _ _        ____      _                      │
   # │  |  _ \ _   _| |__ | (_) ___  |  _ \ ___| | ___  __ _ ___  ___  │
@@ -139,134 +72,84 @@ jobs:
   # │                                                                 │
   # ╚─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╝
 
-  prepare-public-release:
+  prepare-release:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    name: Prepare files for public release
+    name: Set version from release tag
     needs: tests
-    if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
+    if: github.event_name == 'release' && github.event.action == 'published'
     outputs:
       version: ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}
-      is_prerelease: ${{ steps.check_prerelease.outputs.prerelease }}
 
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v5
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
           ref: main
 
-      - uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v6
+      - uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v8.1.0
         with:
           enable-cache: true
 
-      - name: Get target version
+      - name: Extract version from tag
         id: get_version
+        shell: bash
         run: |
-          # Use bump type from input (defaults to rc)
-          bump_type="${{ github.event.inputs.bump_type || 'rc' }}"
-          echo "Bumping version with type: $bump_type"
-
-          # Handle version bumping based on type
-          if [[ "$bump_type" == "rc" ]]; then
-            # Handle rc bumping logic (same as in github-rc-release)
-            if uv version --bump rc --dry-run; then
-              uv version --bump rc
-            else
-              uv version --bump rc --bump patch
-            fi
-          else
-            # Handle patch, minor, major, stable
-            uv version --bump $bump_type
-          fi
-
-          release_version=$(uv run uv version --short)
-          echo "version=$release_version" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo "Release version will be: $release_version"
+          version=$(echo "${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}" | sed 's/^v//')
+          echo "version=$version" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "Setting version to: $version"
 
       - name: Validate version format
         run: uv version ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }} --dry-run
 
-      - name: Update package version
+      - name: Set version
         run: uv version ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}
 
-      - name: Commit version and create tag
+      - name: Build
+        run: uv build
+
+      - name: Upload wheels as artifact
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: dist
+          path: dist/
+          retention-days: 1
+
+      - name: Commit version changes
+        shell: bash
         run: |
           git config --global user.name "github-actions[bot]"
           git config --global user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
           git add .
-          git commit -m "Release v${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }} [skip ci]"
-          git tag -a "v${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}" -m "Release v${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}"
+          git diff --cached --quiet && echo "No changes to commit" && exit 0
+          git commit -m "Set version ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }} [skip ci]"
           git push origin main
-          git push origin "v${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}"
-
-      - name: Determine if prerelease
-        id: check_prerelease
-        shell: bash
-        run: |
-          version="${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}"
-          if [[ "$version" == *"rc"* ]]; then
-            echo "prerelease=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          else
-            echo "prerelease=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          fi
-
-      - name: Create GitHub Release
-        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-        with:
-          tag_name: v${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}
-          name: Release v${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}
-          generate_release_notes: true
-          prerelease: ${{ steps.check_prerelease.outputs.prerelease }}
-          body: |
-            Release v${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}
-
-            This release was manually triggered.
+          # Move the release tag to point to this new commit.
+          git tag -fa "${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}" -m "${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}"
+          git push origin "${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}" --force
 
   publish-to-pypi:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     name: Publish to PyPI
-    needs: [tests, prepare-public-release]
-    if: |
-      (github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch') ||
-      (github.event_name == 'release' &&
-       github.event.action == 'published' &&
-       !github.event.release.prerelease &&
-       startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v'))
+    needs: prepare-release
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v5
+      - name: Download wheels artifact
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
-          fetch-depth: 0
-          ref: ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && 'main' || github.ref_name }}
+          name: dist
+          path: dist/
 
-      - uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v6
+      - uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v8.1.0
         with:
           enable-cache: true
 
-      - name: Verify version consistency (for automatic releases)
-        if: github.event_name == 'release'
-        shell: bash
-        run: |
-          tag_version=$(echo "${{ github.ref_name }}" | sed 's/^v//')
-          package_version=$(uv run uv version --short)
-          if [[ "$tag_version" != "$package_version" ]]; then
-            echo "ERROR: Tag version ($tag_version) doesn't match package version ($package_version)"
-            exit 1
-          fi
-          echo "✅ Version consistency verified: $tag_version"
-
-      - name: Get current version (for manual releases)
-        if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
-        run: |
-          package_version=$(uv run uv version --short)
-          echo "📦 Publishing version: $package_version"
-
-      - name: Build
-        run: uv build
-
       - name: Publish to PyPI
         run: uv publish --token ${{ secrets.AIND_PYPI_TOKEN }}
 
+      - name: Upload wheels to GitHub release
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v3
+        with:
+          files: dist/*
+
   # ╔─────────────────────────╗
   # │   ____                  │
   # │  |  _ \  ___   ___ ___  │
@@ -278,14 +161,14 @@ jobs:
   build-docs:
     name: Build and deploy documentation to GitHub Pages
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: publish-to-pypi
+    needs: prepare-release
     if: github.event_name == 'release' && !github.event.release.prerelease
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v5
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
 
       - name: Install uv
-        uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v6
+        uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v8.1.0
         with:
           enable-cache: true