diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yaml b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
index 9aa8371c4..facc53c6f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
@@ -50,13 +50,12 @@ jobs:
           repository-cache: true
       # Bootstrap: the first time we release for windows, we don't have a windows version of Aspect CLI to build with
       # So use environment variables to defeat the .bazeliskrc file.
-      - run: bazel build //release:aspect_windows_amd64
-      - run: cp $(bazel cquery //release:aspect_windows_amd64 --output=files) aspect_windows_amd64.exe
-      - name: smoke test
-        run: ./aspect_windows_amd64.exe --help
+      - run: bazel run --config=release //release:release.windows -- /tmp/aspect/release
+      # Verify that we built a functional executable
+      - run: ./$(bazel cquery //release:aspect-windows-x86_64.exe --output=files) --help
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         id: upload
         with:
           name: windows
           retention-days: 1
-          path: aspect_windows_amd64.exe
+          path: /tmp/aspect/release
diff --git a/release/BUILD.bazel b/release/BUILD.bazel
index 8f7f2a7ed..a42976976 100644
--- a/release/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/release/BUILD.bazel
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@ expand_template(
 )
 
 platform_transition_filegroup(
-    name = "aspect_windows_amd64",
+    name = "aspect-windows-x86_64.exe",
     srcs = ["//cmd/aspect"],
+    tags = ["manual"],
     target_compatible_with = [
         "@platforms//os:windows",
         "@platforms//cpu:x86_64",
@@ -30,7 +31,14 @@ platform_transition_filegroup(
 )
 
 bazelisk_artifacts(
-    name = "aspect_bazelisk_artifacts",
+    name = "windows_artifacts",
+    tags = ["manual"],
+    version_file = ":aspect_version",
+    windows_x86_64 = ":aspect-windows-x86_64.exe",
+)
+
+bazelisk_artifacts(
+    name = "linux_and_darwin_artifacts",
     darwin_arm64 = ":aspect-macos-aarch64",
     darwin_x86_64 = ":aspect-macos-x86_64",
     linux_arm64 = ":aspect-linux-aarch64",
@@ -44,7 +52,16 @@ release(
     tags = ["manual"],
     targets = [
         ":aspect",
-        ":aspect_bazelisk_artifacts",
+        ":linux_and_darwin_artifacts",
+    ],
+)
+
+release(
+    name = "release.windows",
+    tags = ["manual"],
+    targets = [
+        ":aspect-windows-x86_64.exe",
+        ":windows_artifacts",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/release/bazelisk_artifacts.bzl b/release/bazelisk_artifacts.bzl
index 4039e2b68..f3edb50a5 100644
--- a/release/bazelisk_artifacts.bzl
+++ b/release/bazelisk_artifacts.bzl
@@ -7,22 +7,18 @@ release for Bazelisk downloads.
 _ATTRS = {
     "darwin_arm64": attr.label(
         doc = "The artifact for the darwin-arm64 platform.",
-        mandatory = True,
         allow_single_file = True,
     ),
     "darwin_x86_64": attr.label(
         doc = "The artifact for the darwin-x86_64 platform.",
-        mandatory = True,
         allow_single_file = True,
     ),
     "linux_arm64": attr.label(
         doc = "The artifact for the linux-arm64 platform.",
-        mandatory = True,
         allow_single_file = True,
     ),
     "linux_x86_64": attr.label(
         doc = "The artifact for the linux-arm64 platform.",
-        mandatory = True,
         allow_single_file = True,
     ),
     "version_file": attr.label(
@@ -30,6 +26,10 @@ _ATTRS = {
         mandatory = True,
         allow_single_file = True,
     ),
+    "windows_x86_64": attr.label(
+        doc = "The artifact for the windows-x86_64 platform.",
+        allow_single_file = True,
+    ),
     "_sha256sum": attr.label(
         executable = True,
         cfg = "exec",
@@ -39,27 +39,31 @@ _ATTRS = {
 
 def _impl(ctx):
     outdir = ctx.actions.declare_directory(ctx.label.name)
-
-    inputs = [
-        ctx.file.version_file,
-        ctx.file.darwin_arm64,
-        ctx.file.darwin_x86_64,
-        ctx.file.linux_arm64,
-        ctx.file.linux_x86_64,
-    ]
-
+    inputs = [ctx.file.version_file]
     args = ctx.actions.args()
     args.add(ctx.executable._sha256sum.path)
     args.add(outdir.path)
     args.add(ctx.file.version_file)
-    args.add(ctx.file.darwin_arm64)
-    args.add("darwin-arm64")
-    args.add(ctx.file.darwin_x86_64)
-    args.add("darwin-x86_64")
-    args.add(ctx.file.linux_arm64)
-    args.add("linux-arm64")
-    args.add(ctx.file.linux_x86_64)
-    args.add("linux-x86_64")
+
+    if ctx.attr.windows_x86_64:
+        inputs.append(ctx.file.windows_x86_64)
+        args.add(ctx.file.windows_x86_64)
+        args.add("windows-x86_64.exe")
+    else:
+        inputs.extend([
+            ctx.file.darwin_arm64,
+            ctx.file.darwin_x86_64,
+            ctx.file.linux_arm64,
+            ctx.file.linux_x86_64,
+        ])
+        args.add(ctx.file.darwin_arm64)
+        args.add("darwin-arm64")
+        args.add(ctx.file.darwin_x86_64)
+        args.add("darwin-x86_64")
+        args.add(ctx.file.linux_arm64)
+        args.add("linux-arm64")
+        args.add(ctx.file.linux_x86_64)
+        args.add("linux-x86_64")
 
     ctx.actions.run_shell(
         outputs = [outdir],
@@ -77,7 +81,7 @@ version="$(< "${version_file}")"
 mkdir -p "${output_dir}"
 
 while (("$#")); do
-    # Read args three at a time
+    # Read args in pairs
     artifact_path="$1"
     platform_suffix="$2"
     shift 2
diff --git a/release/release.bzl b/release/release.bzl
index c70f90e39..a3d4f1343 100644
--- a/release/release.bzl
+++ b/release/release.bzl
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ def release(name, targets, **kwargs):
     native.genrule(
         name = name,
         srcs = targets,
-        outs = ["release.sh"],
+        outs = [name + ".sh"],
         executable = True,
         cmd = "./$(location //release:create_release.sh) {locations} > \"$@\"".format(
             locations = " ".join(["$(locations {})".format(target) for target in targets]),