diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 2078cac..46075fc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -26,12 +26,15 @@ jobs:
       - name: Cross compile build
         run: make all_crosscompile
 
+      - name: Package frontend assets
+        run: make package_webdist
+
       - name: Upload Release Assets
         uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v3
         with:
           files: |
-            build/*.tar.gz 
-            build/*.zip 
+            build/*.tar.gz
+            build/*.zip
             build/checksums.txt
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 061a736..d46f978 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-.PHONY: all all_crosscompile install build_frontend build_backend build build_crosscompile build_docker build_dev_docker run_dev_docker watch_frontend watch_backend watch clean clean_docker check_changes go_mod fmt test check-tr update_js_deps update_go_deps
+.PHONY: all all_crosscompile install build_frontend build_backend build build_crosscompile build_webdist package_webdist build_docker build_dev_docker run_dev_docker watch_frontend watch_backend watch clean clean_docker check_changes go_mod fmt test check-tr update_js_deps update_go_deps
 
 # Specify the name of your Go binary output
 BINARY_NAME := opengist
 GIT_TAG := $(shell git describe --tags)
+VERSION := $(patsubst v%,%,$(GIT_TAG))
 VERSION_PKG := github.com/thomiceli/opengist/internal/config.OpengistVersion
 TEST_DB_TYPE ?= sqlite
 
@@ -29,6 +30,22 @@ build: build_frontend build_backend
 build_crosscompile:
 	@bash ./scripts/build-all.sh
 
+# Package the built, platform-independent frontend assets (the files embedded
+# via //go:embed in public/fs_embed.go) into a tarball. Downstream packagers
+# (e.g. distro ports) can fetch this instead of running the npm/vite toolchain.
+# Use build_webdist to build assets first; package_webdist assumes they exist.
+build_webdist: build_frontend package_webdist
+
+package_webdist:
+	@test -f public/.vite/manifest.json || (echo "Error: frontend assets not found in public/. Run 'make build_frontend' first." && exit 1)
+	@echo "Packaging frontend assets into build/$(BINARY_NAME)$(VERSION)-webdist.tar.gz..."
+	@mkdir -p build
+	@tar -czf "build/$(BINARY_NAME)$(VERSION)-webdist.tar.gz" \
+		--transform 's,^,$(BINARY_NAME)-webdist/,' \
+		-C public .vite/manifest.json assets
+	@sha256sum "build/$(BINARY_NAME)$(VERSION)-webdist.tar.gz" | awk '{print $$1 " " substr($$2,7)}' >> build/checksums.txt
+	@echo "Done."
+
 build_docker:
 	@echo "Building Docker image..."
 	docker build -t $(BINARY_NAME):latest .