diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_firmware.yaml b/.github/workflows/build_firmware.yaml
index c2802f06..0c539a7e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_firmware.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_firmware.yaml
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ name: Build OpenEarable v2 Firmware
 
 on:
   workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      checkout_ref:
+        required: false
+        type: string
   pull_request: {}
   push:
     branches:
@@ -22,43 +26,79 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    env:
+      ZEPHYR_SDK_VERSION: 0.17.0
+      ZEPHYR_SDK_PATH: /home/runner/zephyr-sdk-0.17.0
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           # Clone the repo to a subdirectory, so we can initialize the Zephyr
           # workspace in the parent directory.
           path: zephyr-workspace/open-earable-v2
+          ref: ${{ inputs.checkout_ref || github.sha }}
+
+      - name: Set Up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Cache/Install APT Packages
-        uses: awalsh128/cache-apt-pkgs-action@latest
+        uses: awalsh128/cache-apt-pkgs-action@v1.5.3
         with:
           packages: ccache git cmake ninja-build gperf ccache dfu-util device-tree-compiler wget python3-dev python3-pip python3-setuptools python3-tk python3-wheel xz-utils file make gcc gcc-multilib g++-multilib libsdl2-dev libmagic1
           version: 1.0
           execute_install_scripts: true
 
       - name: Cache PIP Packages
-        uses: actions/cache@v3
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
         with:
           path: ~/.cache/pip
-          key: ${{ runner.os }}-pip-${{ hashFiles('**/requirements.txt') }}
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-pip-${{ hashFiles('zephyr-workspace/open-earable-v2/west.yml') }}
           restore-keys: |
             ${{ runner.os }}-pip-
 
       - name: Install West
         run: |
-          pip3 install west
+          python3 -m pip install --user west
+          echo "$HOME/.local/bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
+
+      - name: Cache Zephyr SDK
+        id: cache-zephyr-sdk
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: ${{ env.ZEPHYR_SDK_PATH }}
+          key: zephyr-sdk-${{ runner.os }}-${{ env.ZEPHYR_SDK_VERSION }}
 
       - name: Install Zephyr SDK
+        if: steps.cache-zephyr-sdk.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
         run: |
-          wget -q https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/sdk-ng/releases/download/v0.17.0/zephyr-sdk-0.17.0_linux-x86_64_minimal.tar.xz
-          tar xf zephyr-sdk-0.17.0_linux-x86_64_minimal.tar.xz -C ~/
-          ~/zephyr-sdk-0.17.0/setup.sh -c -t arm-zephyr-eabi
+          wget -q https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/sdk-ng/releases/download/v${ZEPHYR_SDK_VERSION}/zephyr-sdk-${ZEPHYR_SDK_VERSION}_linux-x86_64_minimal.tar.xz
+          tar xf zephyr-sdk-${ZEPHYR_SDK_VERSION}_linux-x86_64_minimal.tar.xz -C ~/
+
+      - name: Set Up Zephyr SDK
+        run: |
+          "${ZEPHYR_SDK_PATH}/setup.sh" -c -t arm-zephyr-eabi
+
+      - name: Cache Zephyr Workspace
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: |
+            zephyr-workspace/.west
+            zephyr-workspace/bootloader
+            zephyr-workspace/modules
+            zephyr-workspace/nrf
+            zephyr-workspace/nrfxlib
+            zephyr-workspace/tools
+            zephyr-workspace/zephyr
+          key: west-workspace-v1-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('zephyr-workspace/open-earable-v2/west.yml') }}
 
       - name: Initialize Zephyr Workspace
         # Set up the Zephyr workspace and install the Python dependencies
         run: |
           cd zephyr-workspace
-          west init -l open-earable-v2
+          if [ ! -d .west ]; then
+            west init -l open-earable-v2
+          fi
           west update --narrow -o=--depth=1
           pip3 install -r zephyr/scripts/requirements.txt
 
@@ -77,7 +117,7 @@ jobs:
           cp -R -f $(pwd)/workflow-board-temp/boards/* $(pwd)/zephyr-workspace/zephyr/boards
 
       - name: Cache ~/.cache/ccache
-        uses: actions/cache@v3
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
         with:
           path: ~/.cache/ccache
           key: ccache-v1-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('zephyr-workspace/open-earable-v2/west.yml') }}
@@ -103,7 +143,6 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p $(pwd)/workflow-board-temp/build-output
           cp $(pwd)/zephyr-workspace/build/ipc_radio/zephyr/zephyr.elf $(pwd)/workflow-board-temp/build-output/openearable_v2_firmware.elf
           cp $(pwd)/zephyr-workspace/build/dfu_application.zip $(pwd)/workflow-board-temp/build-output/openearable_v2_fota.zip
-          (cd $(pwd)/workflow-board-temp/build-output && unzip openearable_v2_fota.zip -d openearable_v2_fota && rm openearable_v2_fota.zip)
 
       - name: Upload Build Artifact (Firmware)
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
@@ -111,13 +150,16 @@ jobs:
         with:
           name: openearable_v2_firmware.elf
           path: workflow-board-temp/build-output/openearable_v2_firmware.elf
+          retention-days: 7
 
       - name: Upload Build Artifact (FOTA build)
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         id: artifact-upload-step-2
         with:
           name: openearable_v2_fota.zip
-          path: workflow-board-temp/build-output/openearable_v2_fota/
+          path: workflow-board-temp/build-output/openearable_v2_fota.zip
+          retention-days: 7
+          compression-level: 0
 
       - name: PR Comment with File
         if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/prerelease_open_pr_builds.yaml b/.github/workflows/prerelease_open_pr_builds.yaml
index 172c4657..4ce10830 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/prerelease_open_pr_builds.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/prerelease_open_pr_builds.yaml
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ jobs:
               rm -rf "$out"
               continue
             fi
-            (cd "$out/fota" && zip -r "../openearable_v2_fota.zip" .)
+            mv "$out/fota/openearable_v2_fota.zip" "$out/openearable_v2_fota.zip"
             mv "$out/elf/openearable_v2_firmware.elf" "$out/openearable_v2_firmware.elf"
             rm -rf "$out/elf" "$out/fota"
             
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release_firmware.yaml b/.github/workflows/release_firmware.yaml
index 9f591176..1cbad912 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release_firmware.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release_firmware.yaml
@@ -17,34 +17,29 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   build:
     uses: ./.github/workflows/build_firmware.yaml
+    with:
+      checkout_ref: refs/tags/${{ inputs.release_tag }}
 
   release:
     needs: build
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
+      - name: Create Directory for Release Assets
+        run: mkdir -p release-assets
+
       - name: Download Firmware Artifact (Firmware)
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: openearable_v2_firmware.elf
-
-      - name: Create Directory for FOTA
-        run: mkdir -p openearable_v2_fota
+          path: ./release-assets
 
       - name: Download Firmware Artifact (FOTA)
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: openearable_v2_fota.zip
-          path: ./openearable_v2_fota
-
-      - name: Zip FOTA files again
-        run: |
-          # Pack the FOTA files into a zip file
-          # Downloading it unpacked the zip
-          ls openearable_v2_fota
-          (cd "openearable_v2_fota" && ls && zip -r ../openearable_v2_fota.zip *)
+          path: ./release-assets
 
       - name: Create Github Release & Upload Firmware + FOTA
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/${{ inputs.release_tag }}')
         uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
         with:
           tag_name: ${{ inputs.release_tag }}
@@ -52,7 +47,7 @@ jobs:
           draft: false
           prerelease: false
           files: |
-            openearable_v2_firmware.elf
-            openearable_v2_fota.zip
+            release-assets/openearable_v2_firmware.elf
+            release-assets/openearable_v2_fota.zip
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}