diff --git a/.github/workflows/makefile.yml b/.github/workflows/makefile.yml
index 5291f06..43eba31 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/makefile.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/makefile.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ on:
 
 jobs:
   ubuntu-build:
-
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -34,7 +33,6 @@ jobs:
         path: build
 
   macos-build:
-
     runs-on: macos-latest
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -61,7 +59,6 @@ jobs:
         path: build
 
   windows-build:
-
     runs-on: windows-2019
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -99,16 +96,19 @@ jobs:
 
 # Big thanks to @tomara-x and @timothyschoen for showing me how to do this! -ag
 
-  release:
+  github-release:
     if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: [ubuntu-build, macos-build, windows-build]
+
     steps:
     - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+
     - name: ziptie
       run: |
         mkdir dist
         for x in pdlua-*; do (cd $x && zip -r ../dist/$x.zip pdlua/); done
+
     - name: release
       uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
       with:
@@ -116,90 +116,83 @@ jobs:
         draft: true
         files: dist/*.zip
 
-  merge:
+  merge-for-deken:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: [ubuntu-build, macos-build, windows-build]
+    needs: [github-release]
     permissions:
       contents: write
       actions: read
     strategy:
       matrix:
         os: [windows, macos, ubuntu]
+
     steps:
-      - name: Download Artifacts # FIXME: currently downloads all artifacts redundantly for each OS
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
-        with:
-          path: artifacts
+    - name: download artifacts # FIXME: currently downloads all artifacts redundantly for each OS
+      uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        path: artifacts
 
-      - name: Merge Artifacts to Package
-        run: cp -rn artifacts/pdlua-${{ matrix.os }}*/* .
+    - name: merge artifacts to package
+      run: cp -rn artifacts/pdlua-${{ matrix.os }}*/* .
 
-      - name: Upload Package
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
-        with:
-          name: pdlua-${{ matrix.os }}
-          path: pdlua
+    - name: upload package
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        name: pdlua-${{ matrix.os }}
+        path: pdlua
 
-  deken_check_and_upload:
+  deken-check:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: [merge]
-    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+    needs: [merge-for-deken]
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        os: [windows, macos, ubuntu]
+
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        name: pdlua-${{ matrix.os }}
+        path: pdlua-${{ matrix.os }}
+
+    - name: check deken package
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        SHORT=${GITHUB_REF:10}
+        VERSION=${SHORT//\//_}
+        echo "## ${{ matrix.os }}" | tee -a $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+        mkdir -p package-${{ matrix.os }}
+        docker run --rm --user $(id -u) --volume ./pdlua-${{ matrix.os }}:/pdlua \
+          --volume ./package-${{ matrix.os }}:/package registry.git.iem.at/pd/deken \
+          deken package --output-dir /package -v "${VERSION}" /pdlua
+
+        dek_files=$(ls package-${{ matrix.os }}/*.dek)
+        for dek_file in $dek_files; do
+          filename=$(basename "$dek_file")
+          echo -e "#### \`$filename\`" | tee -a $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo '```' | tee -a $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          unzip -l "$dek_file" | awk 'NR>3 {print $4}' | sed '/^$/d' | sort | tee -a $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo '```' | tee -a $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+        done
+
+  deken-upload:
+    if: ${{ !contains(github.ref, 'test') }} # upload if not a "test" tag (maybe should be more restrictive?)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: [merge-for-deken]
+
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          path: pdlua-src
-
-      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
-        with:
-          name: pdlua-windows
-          path: pdlua-windows
-
-      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
-        with:
-          name: pdlua-macos
-          path: pdlua-macos
-
-      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
-        with:
-          name: pdlua-ubuntu
-          path: pdlua-ubuntu
-
-      - name: Check Deken Package
-        shell: bash
-        run: |
-          SHORT=${GITHUB_REF:10}
-          VERSION=${SHORT//\//_}
-          for os in ubuntu macos windows; do
-            echo "## ${os}" | tee -a $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-            mkdir -p package-${os}
-            docker run --rm --user $(id -u) --volume ./pdlua-${os}:/pdlua \
-              --volume ./package-${os}:/package registry.git.iem.at/pd/deken \
-              deken package --output-dir /package -v "${VERSION}" /pdlua
-
-            dek_files=$(ls package-${os}/*.dek)
-            for dek_file in $dek_files; do
-              filename=$(basename "$dek_file")
-              echo -e "#### \`$filename\`" | tee -a $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-              echo '```' | tee -a $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-              unzip -l "$dek_file" | awk 'NR>3 {print $4}' | sed '/^$/d' | sort | tee -a $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-              echo '```' | tee -a $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-            done
-          done
-
-      - name: Upload Deken Package
-        if: ${{ !contains(github.ref, 'test') }} # upload if not a "test" release
-        shell: bash
-        env:
-          DEKEN_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.DEKEN_USERNAME }}
-          DEKEN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.DEKEN_PASSWORD }}
-        run: |
-          SHORT=${GITHUB_REF:10}
-          VERSION=${SHORT//\//_}
-          for os in ubuntu macos windows; do
-            docker run --rm -e DEKEN_USERNAME -e DEKEN_PASSWORD \
-              --volume ./pdlua-${os}:/pdlua registry.git.iem.at/pd/deken \
-              deken upload --no-source-error -v "${VERSION}" /pdlua
-          done
+    - name: upload deken package
+      shell: bash
+      env:
+        DEKEN_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.DEKEN_USERNAME }}
+        DEKEN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.DEKEN_PASSWORD }}
+      run: |
+        SHORT=${GITHUB_REF:10}
+        VERSION=${SHORT//\//_}
+        for os in ubuntu macos windows; do
           docker run --rm -e DEKEN_USERNAME -e DEKEN_PASSWORD \
-            --volume ./pdlua-src:/pdlua registry.git.iem.at/pd/deken \
-            deken upload -v "${VERSION}" /pdlua
+            --volume ./pdlua-${os}:/pdlua registry.git.iem.at/pd/deken \
+            deken upload --no-source-error -v "${VERSION}" /pdlua
+        done
+        docker run --rm -e DEKEN_USERNAME -e DEKEN_PASSWORD \
+          --volume ./pdlua-src:/pdlua registry.git.iem.at/pd/deken \
+          deken upload -v "${VERSION}" /pdlua