diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-k3s.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-k3s.yaml
index 3d4bd14597b..43fc8b280b9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-k3s.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-k3s.yaml
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ on:
         default: 'linux'
       upload-image:
         type: boolean
+        description: 'Build and upload k3s image (only works on arm64 or amd64)'
+        required: false
+        default: false
+      upload-build:
+        type: boolean
+        description: 'Upload contents of build/out, used to build the k3s image externally'
         required: false
         default: false
       cache:
@@ -45,7 +51,7 @@ jobs:
       if: inputs.arch == 'arm'
       uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
       with:
-        platforms: linux/arm/v7
+        cache-image: false
 
     - name: Set up Docker Buildx
       uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
@@ -70,7 +76,7 @@ jobs:
         password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
     - name: Build K3s Binary Native
-      if: inputs.arch != 'arm'
+      if: inputs.arch == 'arm64' || inputs.arch == 'amd64'
       env:
           DOCKER_BUILD_SUMMARY: false
       uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
@@ -122,15 +128,20 @@ jobs:
         fi
     
     - name: Build K3s image
-      if: inputs.upload-image == true && inputs.os == 'linux'
+      if: inputs.upload-image == true && inputs.os == 'linux' && (inputs.arch == 'amd64' || inputs.arch == 'arm64')
       run: ./scripts/package-image
       
     - name: "Save K3s image"
       if: inputs.upload-image == true && inputs.os == 'linux'
       run: docker image save rancher/k3s -o ./dist/artifacts/k3s-image.tar
-      
+
+    - name: "Save K3s build"
+      if: inputs.upload-build == true  && inputs.os == 'linux'
+      run: |
+        mv ./build/out/data-linux.tar.zst ./dist/artifacts/data-linux${{ env.ARCH_EXT }}.tar.zst
+
     - name: "Upload K3s Artifacts"
       uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
       with:
         name: k3s${{ env.ARCH_EXT }}
-        path: dist/artifacts/k3s*
\ No newline at end of file
+        path: dist/artifacts/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..876d3d2c916
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+name: K3s Release
+
+on:
+  release:
+    types: [published]
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  packages: read
+
+jobs:
+  build-amd64:
+    name: Build Binary (amd64)
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/build-k3s.yaml
+    with:
+      cache: '' # No cache for release builds
+      upload-build: true
+
+  build-arm64:
+    name: Build Binary (arm64)
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/build-k3s.yaml
+    with:
+      arch: arm64
+      cache: '' # No cache for release builds
+      upload-build: true
+
+  build-arm:
+    name: Build Binary (arm)
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/build-k3s.yaml
+    with:
+      arch: arm
+      cache: '' # No cache for release builds
+      upload-build: true
+
+  push-release-image:
+    name: Build and Push Multi-Arch Image
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions: 
+      packages: write # Needed to push images to GHCR
+    needs: [build-amd64, build-arm64, build-arm]
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+
+      - name: Log in to GitHub Container Registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ghcr.io
+          username: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: COnfigure image tags
+        id: tag_config
+        run: |
+          TAG=${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/}
+          
+          # Base configuration - always transform the main tag
+          # Transforms v1.32.4-rc1+k3s1 → v1.32.4-rc1-k3s1
+          BASE_CONFIG="type=raw,value=${TAG//+/-}"
+          
+          if [[ "${TAG,,}" == *"rc"* ]]; then
+            echo "RC release detected: $TAG"
+            echo "tag_spec=$BASE_CONFIG" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          else
+            echo "Stable release detected: $TAG"
+            echo "tag_spec=$BASE_CONFIG
+          type=semver,pattern=v{{major}}.{{minor}}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          fi
+
+      - name: Extract Docker metadata
+        id: meta
+        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
+        with:
+          images: ghcr.io/${{ github.repository_owner }}/k3s
+          flavor: latest=false
+          tags: ${{ steps.tag_config.outputs.tag_spec }}
+      
+      - name: "Download K3s build"
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          pattern: k3s*
+          path: ./dist/artifacts
+          merge-multiple: true
+
+      - name: Prepare build folder
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p ./build/out
+          cp ./dist/artifacts/data-* ./build/out
+
+      - name: Build and push K3s runtime image
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
+        with:
+          context: .
+          file: ./package/Dockerfile
+          platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64,linux/arm/v7
+          push: true
+          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
+          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
+          build-args: |
+            DRONE_TAG=${{ github.ref_name }}
+
diff --git a/package/Dockerfile b/package/Dockerfile
index 0f12c353883..4dce79fe16d 100644
--- a/package/Dockerfile
+++ b/package/Dockerfile
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
 FROM alpine:3.21 AS base
 RUN apk add -U ca-certificates zstd tzdata
-COPY build/out/data-linux.tar.zst /
-RUN mkdir -p /image/etc/ssl/certs /image/run /image/var/run /image/tmp /image/lib/modules /image/lib/firmware /image/var/lib/rancher/k3s/data/cni && \
-    zstdcat -d /data-linux.tar.zst | tar -xa -C /image && \
+ARG TARGETARCH
+COPY build/out/data-linux*.tar.zst /
+RUN SOURCE_TAR_ZST="/data-linux-${TARGETARCH}.tar.zst" && \
+    # If the arch-specific file doesn't exist, try the default one (used with Dapper or single-arch)
+    if [ ! -f "${SOURCE_TAR_ZST}" ]; then \
+       SOURCE_TAR_ZST="/data-linux.tar.zst" ; \
+    fi && \
+    \
+    mkdir -p /image/etc/ssl/certs /image/run /image/var/run /image/tmp /image/lib/modules /image/lib/firmware /image/var/lib/rancher/k3s/data/cni && \
+    zstdcat -d "${SOURCE_TAR_ZST}" | tar -xa -C /image && \
     for FILE in cni $(/image/bin/find /image/bin -lname cni -printf "%f\n"); do ln -s /bin/cni /image/var/lib/rancher/k3s/data/cni/$FILE; done && \
     echo "root:x:0:0:root:/:/bin/sh" > /image/etc/passwd && \
     echo "root:x:0:" > /image/etc/group && \
diff --git a/scripts/package-airgap b/scripts/package-airgap
index ce27ae680e9..36c4084db96 100755
--- a/scripts/package-airgap
+++ b/scripts/package-airgap
@@ -9,9 +9,20 @@ if [ "${OS}" != "linux" ]; then
   exit
 fi
 
+# Used by GHA to inject --platform=linux/(NON_x86_ARCH) on amd64 runners
+OPT_ARCH=${1:-""}
+if [ -n "${OPT_ARCH}" ]; then
+  ARCH=${OPT_ARCH}
+  if [ "${ARCH}" = "arm" ]; then
+    OPT_PLATFORM="--platform=linux/arm/v7"
+  else
+    OPT_PLATFORM="--platform=linux/${ARCH}"
+  fi
+fi
+
 airgap_image_file='scripts/airgap/image-list.txt'
 images=$(cat "${airgap_image_file}")
-xargs -n1 docker pull <<< "${images}"
+xargs -n1 docker pull ${OPT_PLATFORM} <<< "${images}"
 docker save ${images} -o dist/artifacts/k3s-airgap-images-${ARCH}.tar
 zstd --no-progress -T0 -16 -f --long=25 dist/artifacts/k3s-airgap-images-${ARCH}.tar -o dist/artifacts/k3s-airgap-images-${ARCH}.tar.zst
 pigz -v -c dist/artifacts/k3s-airgap-images-${ARCH}.tar > dist/artifacts/k3s-airgap-images-${ARCH}.tar.gz