diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..27d72d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+name: release
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+  pull_request: # build and package only; the release job is main-only
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        include:
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            name: linux
+          - os: macos-latest
+            name: macos
+          - os: windows-latest
+            name: windows-msvc
+          - os: windows-latest
+            name: windows-mingw
+            mingw: true
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          submodules: recursive
+
+      - name: configure
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          if [ "${{ matrix.mingw }}" = "true" ]; then
+            cmake -B build -S . -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
+              -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc \
+              -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=x86_64-w64-mingw32-g++ \
+              -DWEYVELENGTH_BUILD_TESTS=OFF
+          else
+            cmake -B build -S . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DWEYVELENGTH_BUILD_TESTS=OFF
+          fi
+
+      - name: build
+        run: cmake --build build --config Release --target weyvelength_client weyvelength_client_shared Server -j
+
+      - name: package
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set -eu
+          pkg="weyvelength-${{ matrix.name }}"
+          mkdir -p "$pkg"/{bin,lib,include}
+          if [ "${{ runner.os }}" = "Windows" ]; then
+            find build -type f -name Server.exe -exec cp {} "$pkg/bin/" \;
+          else
+            find build -type f -name Server -exec cp {} "$pkg/bin/" \;
+          fi
+          # the SDK only: juice is already linked into both, so its own lib is not shipped
+          find build/Client -maxdepth 2 -type f \
+            \( -name "*weyvelength*.a" -o -name "*weyvelength*.lib" \
+            -o -name "*weyvelength*.dll" -o -name "*weyvelength*.so" -o -name "*weyvelength*.dylib" \) \
+            -exec cp {} "$pkg/lib/" \;
+          cp Client/include/weyvelength.h "$pkg/include/"
+          cp LICENSE "$pkg/"
+          ls -R "$pkg"
+
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: weyvelength-${{ matrix.name }}
+          path: weyvelength-${{ matrix.name }}/
+
+  release:
+    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
+    needs: build
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: download artifacts
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          path: artifacts
+
+      - name: generate release tag
+        run: echo "TAG=v$(date +'%Y%m%d%H%M%S')-$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
+      - name: create packages
+        run: |
+          set -eu
+          for dir in artifacts/*/; do
+            name=$(basename "$dir")
+            tar -czf "$name.tar.gz" -C "$dir" .
+          done
+          ls -l *.tar.gz
+
+      - uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
+        with:
+          tag_name: ${{ env.TAG }}
+          files: weyvelength-*.tar.gz
diff --git a/Client/CMakeLists.txt b/Client/CMakeLists.txt
index 5418ea7..43a51ea 100644
--- a/Client/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Client/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,16 +3,38 @@ set(NO_TESTS ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
 set(NO_SERVER ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE) # ICE-only; the STUN/TURN server bundled in libjuice is unused here
 add_subdirectory(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/libjuice)
 set_target_properties(juice PROPERTIES EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL ON) # only juice-static is used here
+set_property(TARGET juice-static PROPERTY POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON) # linked into the shared SDK below
 
-# The client SDK: everything behind weyvelength.h. A static lib so other
-# projects (e.g. game clients) can link it without vendoring the sources.
-add_library(
-    weyvelength_client STATIC
+set(WEYVELENGTH_CLIENT_SOURCES
     ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/client.cpp
     ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/p2p_mesh.cpp
     ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/weyvelength.cpp)
+
+# The client SDK: everything behind weyvelength.h. A static lib so other
+# projects (e.g. game clients) can link it without vendoring the sources.
+add_library(weyvelength_client STATIC ${WEYVELENGTH_CLIENT_SOURCES})
 target_include_directories(
     weyvelength_client
     PUBLIC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include
     PRIVATE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/private)
 target_link_libraries(weyvelength_client PRIVATE weyvelength_shared juice-static)
+
+# Same SDK as a shared library, for FFI consumers that can't link C++ objects.
+# juice is still linked in statically, so the result has no extra runtime deps.
+option(WEYVELENGTH_BUILD_SHARED "Build the client SDK as a shared library too" ON)
+if(WEYVELENGTH_BUILD_SHARED)
+    add_library(weyvelength_client_shared SHARED ${WEYVELENGTH_CLIENT_SOURCES})
+    set_target_properties(
+        weyvelength_client_shared
+        PROPERTIES OUTPUT_NAME weyvelength
+                   WINDOWS_EXPORT_ALL_SYMBOLS OFF) # WEYVE_API marks the C ABI; nothing else is public
+    target_include_directories(
+        weyvelength_client_shared
+        PUBLIC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include
+        PRIVATE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/private)
+    target_compile_definitions(
+        weyvelength_client_shared
+        PUBLIC WEYVE_DLL
+        PRIVATE WEYVE_DLL_EXPORT)
+    target_link_libraries(weyvelength_client_shared PRIVATE weyvelength_shared juice-static)
+endif()