diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index c6f359a..6aee5e9 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - checkout
       - run: make test
+      - run: make release
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 847f07b..0879515 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 SHELL := /bin/bash
 BINARY := aminal
-VERSION ?= vlatest
 FONTPATH := ./gui/packed-fonts
 
 .PHONY: build
@@ -23,6 +22,7 @@ install-tools:
 	which dep || curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/golang/dep/master/install.sh | sh
 	which packr || go get -u github.com/gobuffalo/packr/packr
 	which github-release || go get -u github.com/aktau/github-release
+	which xgo || go get github.com/karalabe/xgo
 
 .PHONY: update-fonts
 update-fonts: install-tools
@@ -32,40 +32,5 @@ update-fonts: install-tools
 
 .PHONY: release
 release: test install-tools
-	echo -n "Enter a version: "
-	read -s VERSION
-	if [[ "${VERSION}" == "" ]]; then
-		exit 1
-	fi
-	mkdir -p release/bin/darwin/amd64/
-	mkdir -p release/bin/linux/amd64/
-	mkdir -p release/bin/linux/i386/
-	GOOS=darwin GOARCH=amd64 go build -o release/bin/darwin/amd64/${BINARY}
-	GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 go build -o release/bin/linux/amd64/${BINARY}
-	GOOS=linux GOARCH=386 go build -o release/bin/linux/386/${BINARY}
-	git tag "${VERSION}"
-	git push origin "${VERSION}"
-	github-release release \
-		--user liamg \
-		--repo aminal \
-		--tag "${VERSION}" \
-		--name "Aminal ${VERSION}"
-	github-release upload \
-		--user liamg \
-		--repo aminal \
-		--tag "${VERSION}" \
-		--name "${BINARY}-osx-amd64" \
-		--file release/bin/darwin/amd64/${BINARY}
-	github-release upload \
-		--user liamg \
-		--repo aminal \
-		--tag "${VERSION}" \
-		--name "${BINARY}-linux-amd64" \
-		--file release/bin/linux/amd64/${BINARY}
-	github-release upload \
-		--user liamg \
-		--repo aminal \
-		--tag "${VERSION}" \
-		--name "${BINARY}-linux-386" \
-		--file release/bin/linux/386/${BINARY}
+	./scripts/release.sh
 	
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/release.sh b/scripts/release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..ee0ef37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+
+BINARY=aminal
+
+if [[ "${CIRCLE_TAG}" == "" ]]; then
+    exit 0 # no tag, nothing to release
+fi
+mkdir -p release/bin/darwin/amd64/
+mkdir -p release/bin/linux/amd64/
+mkdir -p release/bin/linux/i386/
+
+# build for osx using xgo - this cannot be used for linux builds due to missing deps in the xgo containers
+xgo --targets=darwin/amd64 --dest=release/bin/darwin/amd64 -out ${BINARY} .
+
+exit 0
+
+
+git tag "${VERSION}"
+git push origin "${VERSION}"
+github-release release \
+    --user liamg \
+    --repo aminal \
+    --tag "${VERSION}" \
+    --name "Aminal ${VERSION}"
+github-release upload \
+    --user liamg \
+    --repo aminal \
+    --tag "${VERSION}" \
+    --name "${BINARY}-osx-amd64" \
+    --file release/bin/darwin/amd64/${BINARY}
+github-release upload \
+    --user liamg \
+    --repo aminal \
+    --tag "${VERSION}" \
+    --name "${BINARY}-linux-amd64" \
+    --file release/bin/linux/amd64/${BINARY}
+github-release upload \
+    --user liamg \
+    --repo aminal \
+    --tag "${VERSION}" \
+    --name "${BINARY}-linux-386" \
+    --file release/bin/linux/386/${BINARY}