diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index d578a0d..ad80dd2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -15,62 +15,41 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         include:
-          # macOS ARM64 (native on Apple Silicon runners)
+          # macOS ARM64 (Apple Silicon)
           - target: aarch64-apple-darwin
             os: macos-latest
-          # macOS x86_64 (uses older Intel-based runner)
+          # macOS x86_64 (Intel)
           - target: x86_64-apple-darwin
             os: macos-13
           # Linux x86_64
           - target: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
             os: ubuntu-latest
-          # Linux ARM64 (uses cross for proper cross-compilation)
+          # Linux ARM64 (uses cross via actions-rust-cross)
           - target: aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
             os: ubuntu-latest
-            use_cross: true
 
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Install Rust
-        uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+      - name: Build binary
+        uses: houseabsolute/actions-rust-cross@v1
         with:
-          targets: ${{ matrix.target }}
-
-      - name: Install cross
-        if: matrix.use_cross
-        run: cargo install cross --git https://github.com/cross-rs/cross
-
-      - name: Install dependencies (Ubuntu)
-        if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest' && !matrix.use_cross
-        run: |
-          sudo apt-get update
-          sudo apt-get install -y libssl-dev pkg-config
-
-      - name: Install dependencies (macOS)
-        if: startsWith(matrix.os, 'macos')
-        run: |
-          brew install openssl@3
-          echo "OPENSSL_DIR=$(brew --prefix openssl@3)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-
-      - name: Build MCP Server (native)
-        if: "!matrix.use_cross"
-        run: |
-          cargo build --release --package vestige-mcp --target ${{ matrix.target }}
-
-      - name: Build MCP Server (cross)
-        if: matrix.use_cross
-        run: |
-          cross build --release --package vestige-mcp --target ${{ matrix.target }}
+          command: build
+          target: ${{ matrix.target }}
+          args: "--locked --release --package vestige-mcp"
+          strip: true
 
       - name: Package
         run: |
           mkdir -p dist
-          cp target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/vestige-mcp dist/
+          cp target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/vestige-mcp dist/ 2>/dev/null || true
           cp target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/vestige dist/ 2>/dev/null || true
-          cd dist && tar czf vestige-mcp-${{ matrix.target }}.tar.gz vestige-mcp vestige 2>/dev/null || tar czf vestige-mcp-${{ matrix.target }}.tar.gz vestige-mcp
+          cd dist
+          if [ -f vestige-mcp ]; then
+            tar czf vestige-mcp-${{ matrix.target }}.tar.gz vestige-mcp vestige 2>/dev/null || tar czf vestige-mcp-${{ matrix.target }}.tar.gz vestige-mcp
+          fi
 
       - name: Upload artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
diff --git a/crates/vestige-core/Cargo.toml b/crates/vestige-core/Cargo.toml
index fe960cb..ae8d6c2 100644
--- a/crates/vestige-core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/vestige-core/Cargo.toml
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ tokio = { version = "1", features = ["sync", "rt-multi-thread", "macros"] }
 tracing = "0.1"
 
 # Git integration for codebase memory
-git2 = "0.20"
+# vendored-openssl: Compile OpenSSL from source for cross-compilation support
+git2 = { version = "0.20", features = ["vendored-openssl"] }
 
 # File watching for codebase memory
 notify = "8"