diff --git a/.github/actions/build-cmake-preset/action.yml b/.github/actions/build-cmake-preset/action.yml
index e1ac34ac2..66b38a51a 100644
--- a/.github/actions/build-cmake-preset/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/build-cmake-preset/action.yml
@@ -13,20 +13,56 @@ inputs:
   cmake-args:
     description: "Additional CMake arguments"
     required: false
-
+  do-package-symbols:
+    description: "In Debug builds, split symbols and provide a zip package"
+    required: false
+    type: boolean
+  do-package:
+    description: "Run `cmake --target package` and upload artifact"
+    required: false
+    type: boolean
+  run-tests:
+    description: "Run tests"
+    required: false
+    default: true
+    type: boolean
+  toolset:
+    type: string
+    default: '14.1'
+    description: "MSVC tool set to use"
+    required: false
+  build-arch:
+    type: string
+    default: "x64"
+    description: "MSVC build architecture to use"
+    required: false
+ 
+outputs:
+  package-name:
+    description: artifact name of the distribution zip
+    value: "${{ steps.cmake-package.outputs.package-name }}"
+  package-path:
+    description: file path of the distribution zip
+    value: "${{ steps.cmake-package.outputs.package-path }}"
+  symbols-package-path:
+    description: file path of the symbols zip
+    value: "${{ steps.cmake-package.outputs.symbols-package-path }}"
+  symbols-package-name:
+    description: artifact name of the symbols zip
+    value: "${{ steps.cmake-package.outputs.symbols-package-name }}"
+ 
 runs:
   using: composite
   steps:
 
-    - name: Setup host
-      if: runner.os == 'Linux'
-      run: sudo apt install -y ninja-build doxygen clang-12 llvm-12
-      id: setup-host-linux
-      shell: bash
-
     - name: Setup host
       if: runner.os == 'Windows'
-      run: choco install -y ninja
+      run: |
+        choco install -y ninja
+        choco install -y doxygen.install
+        pip install breathe==4.34.0
+        pip install sphinx==5.1.1
+        pip install sphinx-rtd-theme==1.0.0
       id: setup-host-windows
       shell: powershell
 
@@ -40,8 +76,8 @@ runs:
       if: runner.os == 'Windows'
       uses: ilammy/msvc-dev-cmd@v1.12.0
       with:
-        arch: x64
-        toolset: '14.1'
+        arch: ${{ inputs.build-arch }}
+        toolset: ${{ inputs.toolset }}
       id: setup-env-windows
 
     - name: Configure ${{ inputs.preset-name }}
@@ -55,13 +91,42 @@ runs:
       shell: bash
 
     - name: test ${{ inputs.preset-name }}
+      if: ${{ inputs.run-tests == 'true' }}
       id: ctests
       run: ctest --preset ${{ inputs.preset-name }} --output-on-failure -R '^(I|T)'
       shell: bash
 
     - name: stash test reports ${{ inputs.preset-name }}
-      if: ${{ inputs.upload-testlog }}
+      if: ${{ inputs.upload-testlog  == 'true' }}
       uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
       with:
-        name: ${{ inputs.preset-name }}
+        name: "${{ inputs.preset-name }}-test-results"
         path: '_build/**/*gtestresults.xml'
+
+    - name: create cmake package for ${{ inputs.preset-name }}
+      if: ${{ inputs.do-package  == 'true' }}
+      id: cmake-package
+      run: |
+        cmake --build --preset ${{ inputs.preset-name }} --target package
+        echo "package-name=$(basename _build/${{inputs.preset-name}}/_CPack_Packages/*/ZIP/SilKit-*-*/)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        # keep our original zip, otherwise the execute bits are lost
+        echo "package-path=$(echo _build/${{inputs.preset-name}}/_CPack_Packages/*/ZIP/SilKit-*-*.zip)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        echo "symbols-package-name=$(basename _build/${{inputs.preset-name}}/SilKit-*-*-SYMBOLS.zip)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        echo "symbols-package-path=$(echo _build/${{inputs.preset-name}}/SilKit-*-*-SYMBOLS.zip)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      shell: bash
+
+    - name: upload package ${{ inputs.preset-name }}
+      if: ${{ inputs.do-package  == 'true' }}
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+      with:
+        name: ${{ steps.cmake-package.outputs.package-name }}
+        path: ${{ steps.cmake-package.outputs.package-path }}
+        if-no-files-found: 'error'
+
+    - name: upload symbols package ${{ inputs.preset-name }}
+      if: ${{ inputs.do-package-symbols  == 'true' }}
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+      with:
+        name: ${{ steps.cmake-package.outputs.symbols-package-name }}
+        path: ${{ steps.cmake-package.outputs.symbols-package-path}}
+        if-no-files-found: 'error'
diff --git a/.github/actions/make-package/action.yml b/.github/actions/make-package/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4a26a0d78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/make-package/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+name: make distribution package
+description: Create a release package with release and debug binaries
+
+inputs:
+  debug-package-name:
+    required: true
+    type: string
+    description: The name of the debug build job
+  release-package-name:
+    required: true
+    type: string
+    description: The name of the release build job
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+
+    - name: fetch debug package
+      uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+      with:
+        name: ${{ inputs.debug-package-name }}
+        path: bundle
+
+    - name: fetch release package
+      uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+      with:
+        name: ${{ inputs.release-package-name }}
+        path: bundle
+
+ 
+    - name: bundle release and debug build
+      id: bundle-zip
+      run: |
+        python3 SilKit/ci/package.py bundle/*.zip
+        PACKAGE=$(ls -1 SilKit-*.zip | sed 's/.zip$//'g)
+        echo $PACKAGE
+        echo "package-name=$PACKAGE" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      shell: bash
+
+    - name: Upload final SIL Kit package
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+      with:
+        name: ${{ steps.bundle-zip.outputs.package-name }}
+        path: ${{ steps.bundle-zip.outputs.package-name }}.zip
+        if-no-files-found: 'error'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-release-packages.yml b/.github/workflows/build-release-packages.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f5de9fc85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-release-packages.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+name: SIL Kit release packages
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch
+
+jobs:
+
+  gcc8-release:
+    environment: public-github-runners
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container:
+      image: vectorgrp/sil-kit:ci-ubuntu-18.04
+    outputs:
+        package-name: ${{ steps.build.outputs.package-name}}
+    steps:
+    - name: git checkout
+      uses: actions/checkout@v1
+      with:
+        submodules: true
+    - name: gcc8-release build
+      uses: ./.github/actions/build-cmake-preset
+      id: build
+      with:
+        preset-name: gcc8-release
+        cmake-args: -D SILKIT_INSTALL_SOURCE=ON
+        do-package: true
+        run-tests: true
+
+
+  gcc8-debug:
+    environment: public-github-runners
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container:
+      image: vectorgrp/sil-kit:ci-ubuntu-18.04
+    outputs:
+        package-name: ${{ steps.build.outputs.package-name}}
+    steps:
+    - name: git checkout
+      uses: actions/checkout@v1
+      with:
+        submodules: true
+    - name: gcc8-debug build
+      uses: ./.github/actions/build-cmake-preset
+      id: build
+      with:
+        preset-name: gcc8-debug
+        do-package: true
+        run-tests: false
+        do-package-symbols: true
+
+  gcc8-package:
+    needs: [ gcc8-release, gcc8-debug ]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        sparse-checkout: |
+         .github
+         SilKit/ci/package.py
+    - uses: ./.github/actions/make-package
+      with:
+        debug-package-name: ${{needs.gcc8-debug.outputs.package-name}}
+        release-package-name: ${{needs.gcc8-release.outputs.package-name}}
+
+  vs141-x86-release:
+    environment: public-github-runners
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    outputs:
+        package-name: ${{ steps.build.outputs.package-name}}
+    steps:
+    - name: git checkout
+      uses: actions/checkout@v1
+      with:
+        submodules: true
+    - name: vs141-x86-release
+      uses: ./.github/actions/build-cmake-preset
+      id: build
+      with:
+        preset-name: vs141-x86-release
+        do-package: true
+        cmake-args: -D SILKIT_INSTALL_SOURCE=ON
+        run-tests: true
+        toolset: 14.1
+        build-arch: x86
+
+  vs141-x86-debug:
+    environment: public-github-runners
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    outputs:
+        package-name: ${{ steps.build.outputs.package-name}}
+    steps:
+    - name: git checkout
+      uses: actions/checkout@v1
+      with:
+        submodules: true
+    - name: vs141-x86-debug
+      uses: ./.github/actions/build-cmake-preset
+      id: build
+      with:
+        preset-name: vs141-x86-debug
+        do-package: true
+        do-package-symbols: true
+        run-tests: false
+        toolset: 14.1
+        build-arch: x86
+
+  vs141-x86-package:
+    needs: [ vs141-x86-release, vs141-x86-debug ]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        sparse-checkout: |
+         .github
+         SilKit/ci/package.py
+    - uses: ./.github/actions/make-package
+      with:
+        debug-package-name: ${{needs.vs141-x86-debug.outputs.package-name}}
+        release-package-name: ${{needs.vs141-x86-release.outputs.package-name}}
+
+
+  vs141-x64-release:
+    environment: public-github-runners
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    outputs:
+        package-name: ${{ steps.build.outputs.package-name}}
+    steps:
+    - name: git checkout
+      uses: actions/checkout@v1
+      with:
+        submodules: true
+    - name: vs141-x64-release
+      uses: ./.github/actions/build-cmake-preset
+      id: build
+      with:
+        preset-name: vs141-x64-release
+        do-package: true
+        cmake-args: -D SILKIT_INSTALL_SOURCE=ON
+        run-tests: true
+        toolset: 14.1
+        build-arch: x64
+
+  vs141-x64-debug:
+    environment: public-github-runners
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    outputs:
+        package-name: ${{ steps.build.outputs.package-name}}
+    steps:
+    - name: git checkout
+      uses: actions/checkout@v1
+      with:
+        submodules: true
+    - name: vs141-x64-debug
+      uses: ./.github/actions/build-cmake-preset
+      id: build
+      with:
+        preset-name: vs141-x64-debug
+        do-package: true
+        do-package-symbols: true
+        run-tests: false
+        toolset: 14.1
+        build-arch: x64
+
+  vs141-x64-package:
+    needs: [ vs141-x64-release, vs141-x64-debug ]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        sparse-checkout: |
+         .github
+         SilKit/ci/package.py
+    - uses: ./.github/actions/make-package
+      with:
+        debug-package-name: ${{needs.vs141-x64-debug.outputs.package-name}}
+        release-package-name: ${{needs.vs141-x64-release.outputs.package-name}}
diff --git a/SilKit/ci/package.py b/SilKit/ci/package.py
index 3aae16dea..488c0f3bf 100755
--- a/SilKit/ci/package.py
+++ b/SilKit/ci/package.py
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ def parseArgs():
             files.append(cpack)
     if len(files) != len(build_types):
         die(2, "sanity check failed: more cpack files than supported build types"
-        "given as argument (expected: {}".format(build_types))
+        " given as argument (expected: {}). arguments: {} ".format(build_types, files))
     if not isCompatibleCpack(files[0], files[1]):
         die(3, "incompatible cpack files (based on name schema) detected!")