diff --git a/.github/workflows/cd.yaml b/.github/workflows/_cd.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from .github/workflows/cd.yaml
rename to .github/workflows/_cd.yaml
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..667efec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+name: 'Test release'
+
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - "v*.*.*"
+  # workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  build-release:
+    needs: create-release
+    name: build-release
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    env:
+      RUST_BACKTRACE: 1
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        build:
+          - linux gnu x64
+          - linux gnu aarch64
+          - macos x64
+          - macos aarch64
+        include:
+          - build: linux gnu x64
+            os: ubuntu-latest
+            rust: stable
+            target: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
+          - build: linux gnu aarch64
+            os: ubuntu-latest
+            rust: stable
+            target: aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
+          - build: macos x64
+            os: macos-latest
+            rust: stable
+            target: x86_64-apple-darwin
+          - build: macos aarch64
+            os: macos-latest
+            rust: stable
+            target: aarch64-apple-darwin
+    steps:
+      - name: Set release tag
+        run: |
+          if [ "$GITHUB_EVENT_NAME" == 'workflow_dispatch' ]; then
+            echo "RELEASE_TAG=main" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          else
+            echo "RELEASE_TAG=${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/}"  >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          fi
+
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+      # - name: Install Protoc
+      #   uses: arduino/setup-protoc@v2
+      #   with:
+      #     repo-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Install Rust
+        uses: actions-rs/toolchain@v1
+        with:
+          toolchain: ${{ matrix.rust }}
+          profile: minimal
+          override: true
+          target: ${{ matrix.target }}
+
+      # - name: Add WASM target
+      #   run: rustup target add wasm32-wasi
+
+      # - name: Install musl-tools
+      #   if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest'
+      #   run: sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends musl-tools
+        
+      # # Workaround for <https://github.com/actions/virtual-environments/issues/2557>
+      # - name: Switch Xcode SDK
+      #   if: runner.os == 'macos'
+      #   run: |
+      #     cat <<EOF >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+      #     SDKROOT=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk
+      #     EOF
+
+      - name: Build release binary
+        # run: cargo xtask ci cross ${{ matrix.target }}
+        run: cargo build --release --target=${{ matrix.target }}
+
+      # this breaks on aarch64 and this if conditional isn't working for some reason: TODO: investigate
+      #- name: Strip release binary
+      #  if: runner.target != 'aarch64-unknown-linux-musl' && runner.target != 'aarch64-apple-darwin'
+      #  run: strip "target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/zellij"
+
+      - name: Create checksum
+        id: make-checksum
+        working-directory: ./target/${{ matrix.target }}/release
+        run: |
+          name="zellij-${{ matrix.target }}.sha256sum"
+          if [[ "$RUNNER_OS" != "macOS" ]]; then
+            sha256sum "zellij" > "${name}"
+          else
+            shasum -a 256 "zellij" > "${name}"
+          fi
+          echo "::set-output name=name::${name}"
+
+      - name: Tar release
+        id: make-artifact
+        working-directory: ./target/${{ matrix.target }}/release
+        run: |
+          name="zellij-${{ matrix.target }}.tar.gz"
+          tar cvzf "${name}" "zellij"
+          echo "::set-output name=name::${name}"
+
+      - name: Upload release archive
+        uses: actions/upload-release-asset@v1.0.2
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        with:
+          upload_url: ${{ needs.create-release.outputs.upload_url }} 
+          asset_path: ./target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/${{ steps.make-artifact.outputs.name }}
+          asset_name: zellij-${{matrix.target}}.tar.gz
+          asset_content_type: application/octet-stream
+
+      - name: Upload checksum
+        uses: actions/upload-release-asset@v1.0.2
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        with:
+          upload_url: ${{ needs.create-release.outputs.upload_url }} 
+          asset_path: ./target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/${{ steps.make-checksum.outputs.name }}
+          asset_name: zellij-${{matrix.target}}.sha256sum
+          asset_content_type: text/plain
+
+  create-release:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs: 
+      upload_url: ${{ steps.create_release.outputs.upload_url }}
+    steps:
+      - name: create_release 
+        id: create_release
+        uses: actions/create-release@v1
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        with:
+          tag_name: ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && '' || github.ref }}
+          release_name: Release ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && 'main' || github.ref }}
+          draft: ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' }}
+          prerelease: false  
diff --git a/DEV.md b/DEV.md
index 4d23338..55982c4 100644
--- a/DEV.md
+++ b/DEV.md
@@ -9,3 +9,7 @@
 ## Git
 `freeze = update-index --assume-unchanged`
 `thaw = update-index --no-assume-unchanged`
+
+## Github
+### Releasing binaries
+https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/releasing-projects-on-github/managing-releases-in-a-repository