diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index ef43b99..7a108e6 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -1,9 +1,92 @@
 const std = @import("std");
 
 pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
+    const release = b.option(bool, "package_release", "Build all release targets") orelse false;
+    const strip = b.option(bool, "strip", "Disable debug information (default: no)");
+    const pie = b.option(bool, "pie", "Produce an executable with position independent code (default: none)");
+
+    const run_step = b.step("run", "Run the app");
+
+    return (if (release) &build_release else &build_development)(
+        b,
+        run_step,
+        strip,
+        pie,
+    );
+}
+
+fn build_development(
+    b: *std.Build,
+    run_step: *std.Build.Step,
+    strip: ?bool,
+    pie: ?bool,
+) void {
     const target = b.standardTargetOptions(.{});
     const optimize = b.standardOptimizeOption(.{});
 
+    return build_exe(
+        b,
+        run_step,
+        target,
+        optimize,
+        .{},
+        strip orelse false,
+        pie,
+    );
+}
+
+fn build_release(
+    b: *std.Build,
+    run_step: *std.Build.Step,
+    strip: ?bool,
+    pie: ?bool,
+) void {
+    const targets: []const std.Target.Query = &.{
+        .{ .cpu_arch = .x86_64, .os_tag = .linux, .abi = .musl },
+        .{ .cpu_arch = .aarch64, .os_tag = .linux, .abi = .musl },
+        .{ .cpu_arch = .x86_64, .os_tag = .macos },
+        .{ .cpu_arch = .aarch64, .os_tag = .macos },
+        .{ .cpu_arch = .x86_64, .os_tag = .windows },
+        .{ .cpu_arch = .aarch64, .os_tag = .windows },
+    };
+    const optimize = .ReleaseFast;
+
+    var version = std.ArrayList(u8).init(b.allocator);
+    defer version.deinit();
+    gen_version(b, version.writer()) catch unreachable;
+    const write_file_step = b.addWriteFiles();
+    const version_file = write_file_step.add("version", version.items);
+    b.getInstallStep().dependOn(&b.addInstallFile(version_file, "version").step);
+
+    for (targets) |t| {
+        const target = b.resolveTargetQuery(t);
+        var triple = std.mem.splitScalar(u8, t.zigTriple(b.allocator) catch unreachable, '-');
+        const arch = triple.next() orelse unreachable;
+        const os = triple.next() orelse unreachable;
+        const target_path = std.mem.join(b.allocator, "-", &[_][]const u8{ os, arch }) catch unreachable;
+
+        build_exe(
+            b,
+            run_step,
+            target,
+            optimize,
+            .{ .dest_dir = .{ .override = .{ .custom = target_path } } },
+            strip orelse true,
+            pie,
+        );
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn build_exe(
+    b: *std.Build,
+    run_step: *std.Build.Step,
+    target: std.Build.ResolvedTarget,
+    optimize: std.builtin.OptimizeMode,
+    exe_install_options: std.Build.Step.InstallArtifact.Options,
+    strip: bool,
+    pie: ?bool,
+) void {
+
     const clap_dep = b.dependency("clap", .{ .target = target, .optimize = optimize });
     const ansi_term_dep = b.dependency("ansi-term", .{ .target = target, .optimize = optimize });
     const themes_dep = b.dependency("themes", .{});
@@ -15,18 +98,31 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
         .root_source_file = b.path("src/main.zig"),
         .target = target,
         .optimize = optimize,
+        .strip = strip,
     });
+    if (pie) |value| exe.pie = value;
     exe.root_module.addImport("syntax", syntax_dep.module("syntax"));
     exe.root_module.addImport("theme", themes_dep.module("theme"));
     exe.root_module.addImport("themes", themes_dep.module("themes"));
     exe.root_module.addImport("clap", clap_dep.module("clap"));
     exe.root_module.addImport("ansi-term", ansi_term_dep.module("ansi-term"));
     exe.root_module.addImport("cbor", b.createModule(.{ .root_source_file = thespian_dep.path("src/cbor.zig") }));
-    b.installArtifact(exe);
+    const exe_install = b.addInstallArtifact(exe, exe_install_options);
+    b.getInstallStep().dependOn(&exe_install.step);
 
     const run_cmd = b.addRunArtifact(exe);
     run_cmd.step.dependOn(b.getInstallStep());
     if (b.args) |args| run_cmd.addArgs(args);
-    const run_step = b.step("run", "Run the app");
     run_step.dependOn(&run_cmd.step);
 }
+
+fn gen_version(b: *std.Build, writer: anytype) !void {
+    var code: u8 = 0;
+
+    const describe = try b.runAllowFail(&[_][]const u8{ "git", "describe", "--always", "--tags" }, &code, .Ignore);
+    const diff_ = try b.runAllowFail(&[_][]const u8{ "git", "diff", "--stat", "--patch", "HEAD" }, &code, .Ignore);
+    const diff = std.mem.trimRight(u8, diff_, "\r\n ");
+    const version = std.mem.trimRight(u8, describe, "\r\n ");
+
+    try writer.print("{s}{s}", .{ version, if (diff.len > 0) "-dirty" else "" });
+}
diff --git a/scripts/make_release b/scripts/make_release
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7b35463
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/make_release
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+
+BASEDIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)"
+APPNAME="$(basename "$BASEDIR")"
+
+cd "$BASEDIR"
+
+if [ -e "release" ]; then
+    echo directory \"release\" already exists
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo building...
+
+./zig build -Dpackage_release --prefix release/build
+
+cd release/build
+
+VERSION=$(/bin/cat version)
+TARGETS=$(/bin/ls)
+
+for target in $TARGETS; do
+    if [ -d "$target" ]; then
+        cd "$target"
+        echo packing "$target"...
+        tar -czf "../../${APPNAME}-${VERSION}-${target}.tar.gz" -- *
+        cd ..
+    fi
+done
+
+cd ..
+rm -r build
+
+TARFILES=$(/bin/ls)
+
+for tarfile in $TARFILES; do
+    echo signing "$tarfile"...
+    gpg --local-user 4E6CF7234FFC4E14531074F98EB1E1BB660E3FB9 --detach-sig "$tarfile"
+done
+
+echo "done making release $VERSION"
+echo
+
+/bin/ls -lah