diff --git a/.github/workflows/android.yml b/.github/workflows/android.yml
index a42af2f18..f16a78ceb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/android.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/android.yml
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@ jobs:
       id: version_number
       if: github.event_name == 'push'
       run: |
-        version="$(bash scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release")"
-        echo "version=$version" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        bash scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release"
 
     - name: store dummy version and build number for non-push build runs
       if: github.event_name != 'push'
@@ -70,13 +69,13 @@ jobs:
       if: github.event_name == 'push'
       uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
       with:
-        tag_name: v${{ steps.version_number.outputs.version }}
+        tag_name: v$(<release-version)
         repository: subsurface/nightly-builds
         token: ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }}
         prerelease: false
         fail_on_unmatched_files: true
         files: |
-          Subsurface-mobile*.apk
+          "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE"/Subsurface-mobile*.apk
 
     - name: delete the keystore
       if: github.event_name == 'push'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/fedora-copr-build.yml b/.github/workflows/fedora-copr-build.yml
index e8b3ef64f..4435189da 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/fedora-copr-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/fedora-copr-build.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ jobs:
       id: version_number
       if: github.event_name == 'push'
       run: |
-        version=$(bash ./scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release")
+        bash scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release"
+        version=$(<release-version)
         echo "version=$version" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
     - name: Setup API token for copr-cli
diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux-snap.yml b/.github/workflows/linux-snap.yml
index 62bf3509b..a174c87bd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux-snap.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux-snap.yml
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@ jobs:
       id: version_number
       if: github.event_name == 'push'
       run: |
-        version=$(bash ./scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release")
-        echo "version=$version" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        bash scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release"
 
     - name: store dummy version and build number for pull request
       if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux-trusty-5.12.yml b/.github/workflows/linux-trusty-5.12.yml
index 1ed7658f5..daa43acde 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux-trusty-5.12.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux-trusty-5.12.yml
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@ jobs:
       id: version_number
       if: github.event_name == 'push'
       run: |
-        version=$(bash ./scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release")
-        echo "version=$version" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        bash scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release"
 
     - name: store dummy version and build number for pull request
       if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
@@ -56,14 +55,14 @@ jobs:
     - name: prepare release artifacts
       if: github.event_name == 'push'
       run: |
-        mv Subsurface.AppImage Subsurface-v${{ steps.version_number.outputs.version }}.AppImage
+        mv Subsurface.AppImage Subsurface-v(<release-version).AppImage
 
     # only publish a 'release' on push events (those include merging a PR)
     - name: upload binaries
       if: github.event_name == 'push'
       uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
       with:
-        tag_name: v${{ steps.version_number.outputs.version }}
+        tag_name: v$(<release-version)
         repository: subsurface/nightly-builds
         token: ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }}
         prerelease: false
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mac.yml b/.github/workflows/mac.yml
index 030af38b4..f333ab84b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mac.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mac.yml
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ jobs:
       id: version_number
       if: github.event_name == 'push'
       run: |
-        version=$(bash ./scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release")
-        echo "version=$version" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        bash scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release"
 
     - name: store dummy version and build number for pull request
       if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ jobs:
       if: github.event_name == 'push'
       uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
       with:
-        tag_name: v${{ steps.version_number.outputs.version }}
+        tag_name: v$(<release-version)
         repository: subsurface/nightly-builds
         token: ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }}
         prerelease: false
diff --git a/.github/workflows/post-releasenotes.yml b/.github/workflows/post-releasenotes.yml
index e1636ec30..15a811d35 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/post-releasenotes.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/post-releasenotes.yml
@@ -12,20 +12,21 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
     - name: checkout sources
-      uses: actions/checkout@v1
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
     - name: atomically create or retrieve the build number and assemble release notes
       id: version_number
       run: |
-        version=$(bash ./scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release")
-        echo "version=$version" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        bash -x ./scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release"
         bash scripts/create-releasenotes.sh ${{ github.event.head_commit.id }}
 
+    # ironically, we have to upload a file, otherwise this won't create a release with just the release notes
     - name: publish release
       uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
       with:
-        tag_name: v${{ steps.version_number.outputs.version }}
+        tag_name: v$(<release-version)
         repository: subsurface/nightly-builds
         token: ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }}
         prerelease: false
+        files: gh_release_notes
         body_path: gh_release_notes
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ubuntu-launchpad-build.yml b/.github/workflows/ubuntu-launchpad-build.yml
index e1a4b8463..0fd97bf03 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ubuntu-launchpad-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ubuntu-launchpad-build.yml
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ jobs:
       id: version_number
       if: github.event_name == 'push'
       run: |
-        version=$(bash ./scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release")
-        echo "version=$version" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        bash scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release"
 
     - name: Setup build dependencies
       run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows.yml b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
index aee406884..ddc8650a6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@ jobs:
       id: version_number
       if: github.event_name == 'push'
       run: |
-        version=$(bash ./scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release")
-        echo "version=$version" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        bash scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh ${{ github.sha }} ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }} "CICD-release"
 
     - name: store dummy version and build number for pull request
       if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
@@ -52,7 +51,7 @@ jobs:
       if: github.event_name == 'push'
       uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
       with:
-        tag_name: v${{ steps.version_number.outputs.version }}
+        tag_name: v$(<release-version)
         repository: subsurface/nightly-builds
         token: ${{ secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS }}
         prerelease: false
diff --git a/scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh b/scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh
index bb128e308..613a04222 100644
--- a/scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh
+++ b/scripts/get-atomic-buildnr.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@
 # token this will not work when run from the command line
 # call it from the default position in the filesystem (which is inside the subsurface git tree)
 #
-# Usage: get-atimic-buildnr.sh SHA secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS [extra-name-component]
+# Usage: get-atomic-buildnr.sh SHA secrets.NIGHTLY_BUILDS [extra-name-component]
+#
+# the resulting release version is stored in the file ./release-version
+
 # checkout the nightly-builds repo in parallel to the main repo
 # the clone followed by the pointless push should verify that the password is stored in the config
 # that way the script doesn't need the password
@@ -14,8 +17,10 @@ git clone -b main https://github.com/subsurface/nightly-builds
 cd nightly-builds
 git remote set-url origin "$url"
 git push origin main
+echo "build number prior to get-or-create was $(<latest-subsurface-buildnumber)"
 cd ..
 bash -x subsurface/scripts/get-or-create-build-nr.sh "$1" &> /dev/null
+echo "build number after get-or-create is $(<subsurface/latest-subsurface-buildnumber)"
 cp nightly-builds/latest-subsurface-buildnumber subsurface
 [[ -n $3 ]] && echo "$3" > subsurface/latest-subsurface-buildnumber-extension
-bash subsurface/scripts/get-version
+bash subsurface/scripts/get-version > subsurface/release-version