diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy-prod.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy-prod.yml
index a4ce23d..8a7c618 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy-prod.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy-prod.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,18 @@ jobs:
       - name: Check out code
         uses: actions/checkout@v5
 
+      - name: Build release archive
+        run: |
+          tar \
+            --exclude=.git \
+            --exclude=.github \
+            --exclude=.venv \
+            --exclude=__pycache__ \
+            --exclude=node_modules \
+            --exclude=backend/media \
+            --exclude=backend/staticfiles \
+            -czf release.tgz .
+
       - name: Upload release bundle
         uses: appleboy/scp-action@v1.0.0
         with:
@@ -22,12 +34,11 @@ jobs:
           username: ${{ secrets.PROD_DEPLOY_USER }}
           key: ${{ secrets.PROD_DEPLOY_SSH_KEY }}
           port: ${{ secrets.PROD_DEPLOY_PORT || 22 }}
-          source: "."
+          source: "release.tgz"
           target: ${{ secrets.PROD_DEPLOY_PATH }}
           rm: false
           overwrite: true
           strip_components: 0
-          exclude: ".git,.github,.venv,__pycache__,node_modules,backend/media,backend/staticfiles"
 
       - name: Deploy over SSH
         uses: appleboy/ssh-action@v1.2.0
@@ -40,4 +51,6 @@ jobs:
             set -e
             DEPLOY_DIR="${{ secrets.PROD_DEPLOY_PATH }}"
             cd "$DEPLOY_DIR"
+            tar -xzf release.tgz
+            rm -f release.tgz
             RUN_DJANGO_CHECK=1 ./scripts/deploy_stack.sh .env.prod docker-compose.prod.yml
diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy-test.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy-test.yml
index 2435b2e..7fc4317 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy-test.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,18 @@ jobs:
       - name: Check out code
         uses: actions/checkout@v5
 
+      - name: Build release archive
+        run: |
+          tar \
+            --exclude=.git \
+            --exclude=.github \
+            --exclude=.venv \
+            --exclude=__pycache__ \
+            --exclude=node_modules \
+            --exclude=backend/media \
+            --exclude=backend/staticfiles \
+            -czf release.tgz .
+
       - name: Upload release bundle
         uses: appleboy/scp-action@v1.0.0
         with:
@@ -25,12 +37,11 @@ jobs:
           username: ${{ secrets.TEST_DEPLOY_USER }}
           key: ${{ secrets.TEST_DEPLOY_SSH_KEY }}
           port: ${{ secrets.TEST_DEPLOY_PORT || 22 }}
-          source: "."
+          source: "release.tgz"
           target: ${{ secrets.TEST_DEPLOY_PATH }}
           rm: false
           overwrite: true
           strip_components: 0
-          exclude: ".git,.github,.venv,__pycache__,node_modules,backend/media,backend/staticfiles"
 
       - name: Deploy over SSH
         uses: appleboy/ssh-action@v1.2.0
@@ -43,4 +54,6 @@ jobs:
             set -e
             DEPLOY_DIR="${{ secrets.TEST_DEPLOY_PATH }}"
             cd "$DEPLOY_DIR"
+            tar -xzf release.tgz
+            rm -f release.tgz
             RUN_DJANGO_CHECK=0 DEPLOY_HEALTH_URL="http://127.0.0.1:8088/healthz/" ./scripts/deploy_stack.sh .env.test docker-compose.prod.yml