diff --git a/.github/workflows/upload-release-assets.yml b/.github/workflows/upload-release-assets.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ee9725b4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/upload-release-assets.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+name: Upload release assets
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    # Enable manual trigger of this action.
+    inputs:
+      tag:
+        description: Git tag to checkout.
+        required: true
+
+env:
+  DOCKER_TTY: ""  # using `docker run -t` seems to not work in github actions, maybe related to https://github.com/actions/runner/issues/241
+  REL_TAG: ${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}
+
+jobs:
+  build-and-upload:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ env.REL_TAG }}
+      - name: Login to container registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v1
+        with:
+          registry: docker.io
+          username: ${{ secrets.CR_USER }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.CR_PAT }}
+      - name: Build binaries and push sandbox image
+        run: make release
+      - name: Prepare assets
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p release
+          cp bin/releases/${{ env.REL_TAG }}/amd64/ignite release/ignite-amd64
+          cp bin/releases/${{ env.REL_TAG }}/amd64/ignited release/ignited-amd64
+          cp bin/releases/${{ env.REL_TAG }}/arm64/ignite release/ignite-arm64
+          cp bin/releases/${{ env.REL_TAG }}/arm64/ignited release/ignited-arm64
+      - name: Upload assets
+        uses: svenstaro/upload-release-action@v2
+        with:
+          repo_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          tag: ${{ env.REL_TAG }}
+          file_glob: true
+          file: release/*
+          overwrite: true
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 615ac73fd..6440ee9f0 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -5,8 +5,11 @@ endif
 
 SHELL:=/bin/bash
 # Set the command for running `docker`
-# -- allows user to override for things like sudo usage or container images 
+# -- allows user to override for things like sudo usage or container images
 DOCKER := docker
+# DOCKER_TTY defaults for a nice docker buildkit tty experience on dev laptops -- can be disabled in CI if no tty available
+DOCKER_TTY ?= -t
+
 # Set the first containerd.sock that successfully stats -- fallback to the docker4mac default
 CONTAINERD_SOCK := $(shell \
 	$(DOCKER) run -i --rm \
@@ -99,7 +102,7 @@ local: # Do not use directly -- use $(GO_MAKE_TARGET)
 	$(COMMAND)
 go-in-docker: # Do not use directly -- use $(GO_MAKE_TARGET)
 	mkdir -p $(CACHE_DIR)/go $(CACHE_DIR)/cache
-	$(DOCKER) run -it --rm \
+	$(DOCKER) run -i $(DOCKER_TTY) --rm \
 		-v $(CACHE_DIR)/go:/go \
 		-v $(CACHE_DIR)/cache:/.cache/go-build \
 		-v $(shell pwd):/go/src/${PROJECT} \
@@ -208,7 +211,7 @@ api-doc:
 	mv bin/tmp/${GROUPVERSION}/*.go $(shell pwd)/pkg/apis/${GROUPVERSION}/
 	rm -r bin/tmp/${GROUPVERSION}
 	# Format the docs with pandoc
-	$(DOCKER) run -it --rm \
+	$(DOCKER) run -i $(DOCKER_TTY) --rm \
 		-v $(shell pwd):/data \
 		-u $(shell id -u):$(shell id -g) \
 		pandoc/core:2.10 `# TODO: let's try bumping this image tag in 2021` \
diff --git a/hack/release-common.sh b/hack/release-common.sh
index 4e40f4f9f..2575c55e4 100644
--- a/hack/release-common.sh
+++ b/hack/release-common.sh
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+DOCKER_TTY="${DOCKER_TTY:+"-t"}"
+
 if [[ ! -f bin/gren_token ]]; then
     echo "File bin/gren_token is needed; should contain a Github token with repo access"
     exit 1
 fi
 
 run_gren() {
-    docker run -it \
+    docker run -i ${DOCKER_TTY} \
         -v $(pwd):/data \
         -w /data \
         -u $(id -u):$(id -g) \
diff --git a/images/kernel/upgrade-config.sh b/images/kernel/upgrade-config.sh
index 97b0b2772..95bee9562 100755
--- a/images/kernel/upgrade-config.sh
+++ b/images/kernel/upgrade-config.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 KERNEL_BUILDER_IMAGE=luxas/kernel-builder:gcc-7
 
+DOCKER_TTY="${DOCKER_TTY:+"-t"}"
+
 if [[ $# != 2 ]]; then
     echo "Usage: $0 [FROM] [TO]"
     exit 1
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ if [[ ${FROM} != ${TO} ]]; then
 fi
 
 docker pull ${KERNEL_BUILDER_IMAGE}
-docker run -it \
+docker run -i ${DOCKER_TTY} \
     ${ARCH_PARAMETER} \
 	-v $(pwd)/${TO}:/tmp/.config \
     ${KERNEL_BUILDER_IMAGE} /bin/bash -c "\