diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index c6eb7678b..c43ce288e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: cargo-dist-cache
-          path: ~/.cargo/bin/dist
+          # TODO: revert after switching back to released dist
+          path: ~/.cargo-install/cargo-dist/bin/dist
       # sure would be cool if github gave us proper conditionals...
       # so here's a doubly-nested ternary-via-truthiness to try to provide the best possible
       # functionality based on whether this is a pull_request, and whether it's from a fork.
@@ -134,12 +135,12 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           submodules: recursive
-      - name: Install cargo-dist from git
-        uses: baptiste0928/cargo-install@v3
+      - name: Install cached dist
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
-          crate: cargo-dist
-          git: https://github.com/ruben-arts/cargo-dist
-          branch: feature/allow_binaries_in_root_of_tar
+          name: cargo-dist-cache
+          path: ~/.cargo/bin/
+      - run: chmod +x ~/.cargo/bin/dist
       # Get the dist-manifest
       - name: Fetch local artifacts
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 97dd243d5..b7b29156d 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -321,12 +321,15 @@ nix = { workspace = true, features = ["poll", "term"] }
 pixi_pty = { path = "crates/pixi_pty" }
 signal-hook = { workspace = true }
 
+# TODO revert these change, these are for quicker testing
 [profile.dist]
-codegen-units = 1
+codegen-units = 16
+#codegen-units = 1
 inherits = "release"
 lto = "fat"
 opt-level = 3
-strip = "symbols"
+strip = false
+# strip = "symbols"
 
 [profile.ci]
 codegen-units = 16
@@ -372,13 +375,14 @@ windows-archive = ".zip"
 # The archive format to use for non-windows builds (defaults .tar.xz)
 unix-archive = ".tar.gz"
 # Target platforms to build apps for (Rust target-triple syntax)
+# TODO: disabled for quicker testing
 targets = [
-  "aarch64-apple-darwin",
-  "aarch64-unknown-linux-musl",
-  "aarch64-pc-windows-msvc",
-  "x86_64-apple-darwin",
+  #  "aarch64-apple-darwin",
+  #  "aarch64-unknown-linux-musl",
+  #  "aarch64-pc-windows-msvc",
+  #  "x86_64-apple-darwin",
   "x86_64-unknown-linux-musl",
-  "x86_64-pc-windows-msvc",
+  #  "x86_64-pc-windows-msvc",
 ]
 # Whether CI should trigger releases with dispatches instead of tag pushes
 dispatch-releases = true