diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index d3a25b72..b69ffc8a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -9,118 +9,97 @@ on:
       - 'client-v*'
   workflow_dispatch: # Allow manual creation of artifacts without a release
 
+defaults:
+  run:
+    shell: bash
+
 jobs:
   build:
     name: build release assets
-    runs-on: ${{ matrix.config.os }}
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.config.runnerOs }}
     outputs:
       version_output: ${{ steps.version_output.outputs.version }}
     strategy:
       matrix:
         config:
-          # NOTE: We are building on an older version of ubuntu because of libc compatibility
-          # issues. Namely, if we build on a new version of libc, it isn't backwards compatible with
-          # old versions. But if we build on the old version, it is compatible with the newer
-          # versions running in ubuntu 22 and its ilk
           - {
-              os: 'ubuntu-20.04',
-              arch: 'amd64',
-              extension: '',
-              targetPath: 'target/release/',
+              runnerOs: 'ubuntu-latest',
+              target: 'x86_64-unknown-linux-musl',
+              uploadArtifactSuffix: 'linux-amd64',
+              buildOutputPath: 'target/release/wadm',
             }
           - {
-              os: 'ubuntu-20.04',
-              arch: 'aarch64',
-              extension: '',
-              targetPath: 'target/aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu/release/',
+              runnerOs: 'ubuntu-latest',
+              target: 'aarch64-unknown-linux-musl',
+              uploadArtifactSuffix: 'linux-aarch64',
+              buildOutputPath: 'target/aarch64-unknown-linux-musl/release/wadm',
             }
           - {
-              os: 'macos-13',
-              arch: 'amd64',
-              extension: '',
-              targetPath: 'target/release/',
+              runnerOs: 'macos-14-large',
+              target: 'x86_64-apple-darwin',
+              uploadArtifactSuffix: 'macos-amd64',
+              buildOutputPath: 'target/release/wadm',
             }
           - {
-              os: 'windows-latest',
-              arch: 'amd64',
-              extension: '.exe',
-              targetPath: 'target/release/',
+              runnerOs: 'macos-14',
+              target: 'aarch64-apple-darwin',
+              uploadArtifactSuffix: 'macos-aarch64',
+              buildOutputPath: 'target/release/wadm',
             }
           - {
-              os: 'macos-latest',
-              arch: 'aarch64',
-              extension: '',
-              targetPath: 'target/release/',
+              runnerOs: 'windows-latest',
+              target: 'x86_64-pc-windows-msvc',
+              uploadArtifactSuffix: 'windows-amd64',
+              buildOutputPath: 'target/release/wadm.exe',
             }
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: set the release version (tag)
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
-        shell: bash
-        run: echo "RELEASE_VERSION=${GITHUB_REF/refs\/tags\//}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+        if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') }}
+        run: |
+          echo "RELEASE_VERSION=${GITHUB_REF/refs\/tags\//}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
       - name: set the release version (main)
-        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
-        shell: bash
-        run: echo "RELEASE_VERSION=canary" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+        if: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}
+        run: |
+          echo "RELEASE_VERSION=canary" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
       - name: Output Version
         id: version_output
         run: echo "version=$RELEASE_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
-      - name: lowercase the runner OS name
-        shell: bash
-        run: |
-          OS=$(echo "${{ runner.os }}" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
-          echo "RUNNER_OS=$OS" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+      - name: Install Zig
+        uses: goto-bus-stop/setup-zig@v2
 
       - name: Install latest Rust stable toolchain
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
-        if: matrix.config.arch != 'aarch64' || startsWith(matrix.config.os, 'macos')
         with:
           toolchain: stable
           components: clippy, rustfmt
+          target: ${{ matrix.config.target }}
 
-      - name: setup for cross-compile builds
-        if: matrix.config.arch == 'aarch64' && matrix.config.os == 'ubuntu-20.04'
-        run: |
-          sudo apt-get update
-          sudo apt install gcc-aarch64-linux-gnu g++-aarch64-linux-gnu
-          rustup toolchain install stable-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
-          rustup target add --toolchain stable-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
-          echo "CARGO_TARGET_AARCH64_UNKNOWN_LINUX_GNU_LINKER=aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo "CC_aarch64_unknown_linux_gnu=aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo "CXX_aarch64_unknown_linux_gnu=aarch64-linux-gnu-g++" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-
-      - name: Install latest Rust stable toolchain
-        uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
-        if: matrix.config.arch == 'aarch64' && matrix.config.os == 'ubuntu-20.04'
+      - name: Install cargo zigbuild
+        uses: taiki-e/install-action@v2
         with:
-          toolchain: stable
-          components: clippy, rustfmt
-          target: aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
-
-      - name: build release (amd64 linux, macos, windows)
-        if: matrix.config.arch != 'aarch64' || startsWith(matrix.config.os, 'macos')
-        run: 'cargo build --release --bin wadm'
+          tool: cargo-zigbuild
 
-      - name: build release (arm64 linux)
-        if: matrix.config.arch == 'aarch64' && matrix.config.os == 'ubuntu-20.04'
-        run: 'cargo build --release --bin wadm --target aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu'
+      - name: Build wadm
+        run: |
+          cargo zigbuild --release --bin wadm --target ${{ matrix.config.target }}
 
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
-          name: wadm-${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}-${{ env.RUNNER_OS }}-${{ matrix.config.arch }}
+          name: wadm-${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.config.uploadArtifactSuffix }}
           if-no-files-found: error
           path: |
-            ${{ matrix.config.targetPath }}wadm${{ matrix.config.extension }}
+            ${{ matrix.config.buildOutputPath }}
 
   publish:
+    if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') }}
     name: publish release assets
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: build
-    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
     env:
       RELEASE_VERSION: ${{ needs.build.outputs.version_output }}
     steps:
@@ -151,9 +130,9 @@ jobs:
             wadm-${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}-windows-amd64.tar.gz
 
   crate:
+    if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') || startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/types-v') || startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/client-v') }}
     name: Publish crate
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') || startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/types-v') || startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/client-v')
     needs: build
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -161,25 +140,28 @@ jobs:
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
         with:
           toolchain: stable
+
       - name: Cargo login
-        run: cargo login ${{ secrets.CRATES_TOKEN }}
-        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          cargo login ${{ secrets.CRATES_TOKEN }}
 
       - name: Cargo publish wadm-types
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/types-v')
-        run: cargo publish
+        if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/types-v') }}
         working-directory: ./crates/wadm-types
-        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          cargo publish
+
       - name: Cargo publish wadm lib
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
-        run: cargo publish
+        if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') }}
         working-directory: ./crates/wadm
-        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          cargo publish
+
       - name: Cargo publish wadm-client
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/client-v')
-        run: cargo publish
+        if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/client-v') }}
         working-directory: ./crates/wadm-client
-        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          cargo publish
 
   docker-image:
     name: Build and push docker images
@@ -201,15 +183,11 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
-          name: wadm-${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}-linux-aarch64
-          path: ./artifacts
-      - run: mv ./artifacts/wadm ./artifacts/wadm-${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}-linux-aarch64 && chmod +x ./artifacts/wadm-${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}-linux-aarch64
-
-      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
-        with:
-          name: wadm-${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}-linux-amd64
           path: ./artifacts
-      - run: mv ./artifacts/wadm ./artifacts/wadm-${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}-linux-amd64 && chmod +x ./artifacts/wadm-${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}-linux-amd64
+          merge-multiple: true
+      - run: |
+          chmod +x ./artifacts/wadm-${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}-linux-aarch64
+          chmod +x ./artifacts/wadm-${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}-linux-amd64
 
       - name: Login to GitHub Container Registry
         uses: docker/login-action@v3
@@ -224,7 +202,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Build and push (tag)
         uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
+        if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') }}
         with:
           push: true
           platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
@@ -236,7 +214,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Build and push (main)
         uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
-        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
+        if: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}
         with:
           push: true
           platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64