diff --git a/.github/workflows/check.yaml b/.github/workflows/check.yaml
index d12ac6d..5e1d756 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check.yaml
@@ -72,10 +72,43 @@ jobs:
     - name: Run unit tests
       run: tox -e unit
 
-  func:
+  build:
     needs:
       - lint
       - unit
+    name: build charms
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.runs-on }}
+    timeout-minutes: 120
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        runs-on: [[ubuntu-22.04]]
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          submodules: true
+
+      - uses: canonical/craft-actions/charmcraft/pack@main
+        id: build
+        with:
+          verbosity: verbose
+          channel: "3.x/stable"
+
+      - name: List the names of the built charms
+        run: echo "${{ steps.build.outputs.charms}}"
+
+      - name: Determine system architecture
+        run: echo "SYSTEM_ARCH=$(uname -m)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
+      - name: Upload the tested charms
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: built_charms_${{ env.SYSTEM_ARCH }}
+          path: ./*.charm
+
+  func:
+    needs:
+      - build
     name: functional tests
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.runs-on }}
     timeout-minutes: 120
@@ -86,7 +119,6 @@ jobs:
         test-command: ['tox -e func']
         juju-channel: ["2.9/stable", "3.4/stable", "3.5/stable", "3.6/stable"]
     steps:
-
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           submodules: true
@@ -120,18 +152,27 @@ jobs:
           # set default project to be nested-lxd project
           juju model-default project=nested-lxd
 
+      - name: Determine system architecture
+        run: echo "SYSTEM_ARCH=$(uname -m)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
         # These environments are used by zaza in the functional tests (if applicable)
       - name: Set zaza related environments
         run: |
-          if [ "$(uname -m)" = "aarch64" ]; then
+          if [ "${{ env.SYSTEM_ARCH }}" = "aarch64" ]; then
             echo "TEST_MODEL_CONSTRAINTS=arch=arm64" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
           fi
           if [[ "${{ matrix.juju-channel }}" =~ 3\.[0-9]+\/stable ]]; then
             echo "TEST_JUJU3=1" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"  # https://github.com/openstack-charmers/zaza/pull/653
           fi
 
-      - name: Build the charm
-        run: charmcraft -v pack
+      - name: Download the built charms
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: built_charms_${{ env.SYSTEM_ARCH }}
+
+      - name: List the names of the downloaded charms
+        run: |
+          ls *.charm
 
       - name: Run tests
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index ac1dc5c..74deeec 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -18,26 +18,27 @@ jobs:
 
   release:
     needs: check
-    runs-on: ${{ matrix.runs-on }}
-    strategy:
-      fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        runs-on: [[ubuntu-22.04]]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           submodules: true
 
-      - name: Initialize lxd  # This should dropped once it's implemented on charming-actions itself. https://github.com/canonical/charming-actions/issues/140
-        # revision is latest main at time of writing; using because it contains a fix to https://github.com/canonical/setup-lxd/issues/19
-        uses: canonical/setup-lxd@2aa6f7caf7d1484298a64192f7f63a6684e648a4
+      - name: Download the tested charms
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          pattern: charm_*
+          merge-multiple: true
+
+      - name: List the names of the tested charms
+        run: |
+          echo "CHARM_NAMES=$(ls *.charm | paste -sd ,)" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "${{ env.CHARM_NAMES }}"
 
-      - name: Pack and upload to charmhub
-        uses: canonical/charming-actions/upload-charm@2.6.2
+      - name: Upload the tested charms to charmhub
+        uses: canonical/charming-actions/upload-charm@2.7.0
         with:
-          charmcraft-channel: "3.x/stable"
           credentials: "${{ secrets.CHARMHUB_TOKEN }}"
           github-token: "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}"
-          # Ensure the charm is built in an isolated environment and on the correct base in an lxd container.
-          destructive-mode: false
+          built-charm-path: "${{ env.CHARM_NAMES }}"