diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-macos.yml b/.github/workflows/release-macos.yml
index 79b825da9..df44b5345 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-macos.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-macos.yml
@@ -4,11 +4,16 @@ on:
     workflow_call:
       inputs:
         version:
-          required: false
+          required: true
           description: "The Ark version"
-          default: ${{ github.sha }}
           type: string
     workflow_dispatch:
+      inputs:
+        version:
+          required: false
+          description: "The Ark version"
+          default: dev
+          type: string
 
 jobs:
     # Build ARK for macOS. Both arm64 (Apple Silicon) and x64 (Intel) hosts.
@@ -23,7 +28,7 @@ jobs:
         strategy:
             matrix:
                 arch: [arm64, x64]
-                flavor: [debug, release]
+                flavor: [release, debug]
                 include:
                     - arch: arm64
                       arch_terminal: arm64
@@ -53,12 +58,6 @@ jobs:
             - name: Checkout sources
               uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-            - name: Install zeromq dependencies
-              id: install_zeromq_dependencies
-              run: |
-                  arch -${{matrix.arch_terminal}} /bin/bash -c "${{matrix.homebrew_folder}}/bin/brew install pkg-config"
-                  arch -${{matrix.arch_terminal}} /bin/bash -c "${{matrix.homebrew_folder}}/bin/brew install libsodium"
-
             # Zeromq calls whatever pkg-config version is findable on the PATH to be able to locate
             # libsodium, so we have to ensure the x86_64 version is first on the PATH when compiling for
             # that architecture, so that it finds the x86_64 version of libsodium for zeromq to link against.
@@ -87,7 +86,7 @@ jobs:
                   pushd target/${{ matrix.rust_target_prefix }}-apple-darwin/${{ matrix.flavor }}
 
                   # Compress the kernel to an archive
-                  ARCHIVE="$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/ark-${{ needs.get_version.outputs.ARK_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-${{ matrix.arch }}.zip"
+                  ARCHIVE="$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/ark-${{ inputs.version }}-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-${{ matrix.arch }}.zip"
                   zip -Xry $ARCHIVE ark
 
                   popd
@@ -97,4 +96,66 @@ jobs:
               uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
               with:
                   name: ark-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-${{ matrix.arch }}-archive
-                  path: ark-${{ needs.get_version.outputs.ARK_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-${{ matrix.arch }}.zip
+                  path: ark-${{ inputs.version }}-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-${{ matrix.arch }}.zip
+
+
+    build_universal:
+        name: Build macOS universal binary
+        runs-on: macos-latest
+        timeout-minutes: 40
+        needs: build_macos
+
+        env:
+            DEBUG_FLAG: ${{ matrix.flavor == 'debug' && '-debug' || '' }}
+
+        strategy:
+            matrix:
+                flavor: [release, debug]
+
+        steps:
+            - name: Checkout sources to get copies of LICENSE and NOTICE
+              uses: actions/checkout@v4
+              with:
+                sparse-checkout: |
+                  LICENSE
+                  crates/ark/NOTICE
+
+            - name: Download macOS arm64 kernel (${{ matrix.flavor }})
+              uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+              with:
+                  name: ark-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-arm64-archive
+
+            - name: Download macOS x64 kernel (${{ matrix.flavor}})
+              uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+              with:
+                  name: ark-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-x64-archive
+
+            # Combine macOS binaries to a single binary with lipo
+            - name: Create macOS universal binary
+              run: |
+                  # Decompress x64 builds
+                  rm -rf x64 && mkdir x64
+                  pushd x64
+                  unzip ../ark-${{ inputs.version }}-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-x64.zip
+                  popd
+
+                  # Decompress arm64 build
+                  rm -rf arm64 && mkdir arm64
+                  pushd arm64
+                  unzip ../ark-${{ inputs.version }}-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-arm64.zip
+                  popd
+
+                  # Create a universal binary
+                  lipo -create x64/ark arm64/ark -output ark
+
+                  # Compress and bundle licenses
+                  ARCHIVE="$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/ark-${{ inputs.version }}${{ env.DEBUG_FLAG }}-darwin-universal.zip"
+                  [ -e LICENSE ] || cp "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/LICENSE" LICENSE
+                  [ -e NOTICE ] || cp "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/crates/ark/NOTICE" NOTICE
+                  zip -Xry $ARCHIVE ark LICENSE NOTICE
+
+            - name: Upload client archive
+              uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+              with:
+                  name: ark-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-universal-archive
+                  path: ark-${{ inputs.version }}${{ env.DEBUG_FLAG }}-darwin-universal.zip
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-windows.yml b/.github/workflows/release-windows.yml
index e34b3a417..127a708d6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-windows.yml
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ jobs:
                   # Compress the kernel to an archive
                   $params = @{
                     Path = "target\${{ matrix.rust_target_prefix }}-pc-windows-msvc\${{ matrix.flavor }}\ark.exe", "LICENSE", "crates\ark\NOTICE"
-                    DestinationPath = "ark-${{ needs.get_version.outputs.ARK_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.flavor }}-windows-${{ matrix.arch }}.zip"
+                    DestinationPath = "ark-${{ inputs.version }}-${{ matrix.flavor }}-windows-${{ matrix.arch }}.zip"
                   }
                   Compress-Archive @params
 
@@ -54,4 +54,4 @@ jobs:
               uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
               with:
                   name: ark-${{ matrix.flavor }}-windows-${{ matrix.arch }}-archive
-                  path: ark-${{ needs.get_version.outputs.ARK_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.flavor }}-windows-${{ matrix.arch }}.zip
+                  path: ark-${{ inputs.version }}-${{ matrix.flavor }}-windows-${{ matrix.arch }}.zip
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 1011fe312..04cf57cca 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -114,15 +114,10 @@ jobs:
 
         steps:
             # Download all binaries
-            - name: Download macOS arm64 kernel (${{ matrix.flavor }})
+            - name: Download macOS universal kernel (${{ matrix.flavor}})
               uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
               with:
-                  name: ark-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-arm64-archive
-
-            - name: Download macOS x64 kernel (${{ matrix.flavor}})
-              uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
-              with:
-                  name: ark-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-x64-archive
+                  name: ark-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-universal-archive
 
             - name: Download Windows x64 kernel (${{ matrix.flavor}})
               uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
@@ -134,29 +129,6 @@ jobs:
               with:
                   name: ark-${{ matrix.flavor }}-linux-x64-archive
 
-
-            # Combine macOS binaries to a single binary with lipo
-            - name: Create macOS universal binary
-              run: |
-                  # Decompress x64 builds
-                  rm -rf x64 && mkdir x64 && pushd x64
-                  unzip ../ark-${{ needs.get_version.outputs.ARK_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-x64.zip
-                  popd
-
-                  # Decompress arm64 build
-                  rm -rf arm64 && mkdir arm64 && pushd arm64
-                  unzip ../ark-${{ needs.get_version.outputs.ARK_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.flavor }}-darwin-arm64.zip
-                  popd
-
-                  # Create a universal binary
-                  lipo -create x64/ark arm64/ark -output ark
-
-                  # Compress and bundle licenses
-                  ARCHIVE="$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/ark-${{ needs.get_version.outputs.ARK_VERSION }}${{ env.DEBUG_FLAG }}-darwin-universal.zip"
-                  [ -e LICENSE ] || cp "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/LICENSE" LICENSE
-                  [ -e NOTICE ] || cp "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/crates/ark/NOTICE" NOTICE
-                  zip -Xry $ARCHIVE ark LICENSE NOTICE
-
             - name: Upload macOS release artifact (universal)
               uses: actions/upload-release-asset@v1
               env: