diff --git a/.github/workflows/release_publish.yml b/.github/workflows/release_publish.yml
index 36027dab..b343341d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release_publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release_publish.yml
@@ -35,57 +35,36 @@ jobs:
       tag: ${{ needs.TagRelease.outputs.tag }}
 
   PreRelease:
-      needs: [TagRelease, UnitTests]
-      uses: OpenJobDescription/.github/.github/workflows/reusable_prerelease.yml@mainline
-      permissions:
-        id-token: write
-        contents: write
-      secrets: inherit
-      with:
-          tag: ${{ needs.TagRelease.outputs.tag }}
+    needs: [TagRelease, UnitTests]
+    uses: OpenJobDescription/.github/.github/workflows/reusable_maturin_prerelease.yml@mainline
+    secrets: inherit
+    with:
+      tag: ${{ needs.TagRelease.outputs.tag }}
 
   Release:
-      needs: [TagRelease, PreRelease]
-      uses: OpenJobDescription/.github/.github/workflows/reusable_release.yml@mainline
-      secrets: inherit
-      permissions:
-        id-token: write
-        contents: write
-      with:
-          tag: ${{ needs.TagRelease.outputs.tag }}
-
-  Publish:
-    needs: [TagRelease, Release]
-    uses: OpenJobDescription/.github/.github/workflows/reusable_publish_python.yml@mainline
+    needs: [TagRelease, PreRelease]
+    uses: OpenJobDescription/.github/.github/workflows/reusable_release.yml@mainline
+    secrets: inherit
     permissions:
       id-token: write
-    secrets: inherit
+      contents: write
     with:
-        tag: ${{ needs.TagRelease.outputs.tag }}
+      tag: ${{ needs.TagRelease.outputs.tag }}
 
   # PyPI does not support reusable workflows yet
-  # # See https://github.com/pypi/warehouse/issues/11096
+  # See https://github.com/pypi/warehouse/issues/11096
   PublishToPyPI:
-    needs: [TagRelease, Publish]
+    needs: [TagRelease, Release, PreRelease]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     environment: release
     permissions:
       id-token: write
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
-          ref: ${{ needs.TagRelease.outputs.tag }}
-          fetch-depth: 0
-      - name: Set up Python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v6
-        with:
-          python-version: '3.9'
-      - name: Install dependencies
-        run: |
-          pip install --upgrade hatch "virtualenv<21"
-      - name: Build
-        run: hatch -v build
-      # # See https://docs.github.com/en/actions/deployment/security-hardening-your-deployments/configuring-openid-connect-in-pypi
+          name: build-artifact
+          path: dist
       - name: Publish to PyPI
         uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
+        with:
+          packages-dir: dist
diff --git a/_build_backend.py b/_build_backend.py
index a0e0f26c..7b276861 100644
--- a/_build_backend.py
+++ b/_build_backend.py
@@ -32,10 +32,17 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import contextlib
+import os
 import shutil
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
+# Windows MSVC linker fails with LNK1104 when paths exceed MAX_PATH (260 chars).
+# Building from an extracted sdist produces deeply nested target directories.
+# Redirect Cargo's output to a short path to avoid this.
+if sys.platform == "win32" and "CARGO_TARGET_DIR" not in os.environ:
+    os.environ["CARGO_TARGET_DIR"] = "C:\\cargo-target"
+
 import maturin
 
 REPO_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent
diff --git a/scripts/maturin_build.py b/scripts/maturin_build.py
index 3812770a..e7f83d7a 100644
--- a/scripts/maturin_build.py
+++ b/scripts/maturin_build.py
@@ -67,6 +67,17 @@ def main(argv: list[str]) -> int:
         )
         shutil.move(str(PYPROJECT_BAK), str(PYPROJECT))
 
+    # --version-only: inject the VCS version into pyproject.toml and
+    # _version.py without running maturin. Used in CI when maturin-action
+    # handles the actual build but needs the version patched beforehand.
+    if "--version-only" in argv:
+        version = compute_version()
+        write_version_file(version)
+        print(f"Wrote src/openjd/model/_version.py (version {version})")
+        _patch_pyproject(version)
+        print(f"Patched pyproject.toml: project.version = {version!r}")
+        return 0
+
     maturin_args = argv or ["develop"]
 
     version = compute_version()