diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 96c4c8571..241a4d6b0 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -134,8 +134,9 @@ build:windows:
     - dist/lbrynet.exe --version
 
 
-# upload could be done by making it a yaml alias and putting it right into the build step. that way if one OS fails, the others still get uploaded
-.upload:
+# s3 = upload asset to s3 (build.lbry.io)
+# could be done by making it a yaml alias and putting it right into the build step. that way if one OS fails, the others still get uploaded
+.s3:
   stage: release
   variables:
     GIT_STRATEGY: none
@@ -146,34 +147,44 @@ build:windows:
       aws s3 cp lbrynet-${OS}.zip s3://${ARTIFACTS_BUCKET}/${S3_PATH}/lbrynet-${OS}.zip
 
 s3:linux:
-  extends: .upload
-  variables:
-    OS: linux
-  dependencies:
-    - build:linux
+  extends: .s3
+  variables: {OS: linux}
+  dependencies: ["build:linux"]
 
 s3:mac:
-  extends: .upload
-  variables:
-    OS: mac
-  dependencies:
-    - build:mac
+  extends: .s3
+  variables: {OS: mac}
+  dependencies: ["build:mac"]
 
 s3:windows:
-  extends: .upload
+  extends: .s3
+  variables: {OS: windows}
+  dependencies: ["build:windows"]
+
+# release = upload assets to github when there's a tagged release
+.release:
+  stage: release
+  rules:
+    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_TAG =~ /^v[0-9\.]+$/'
+      when: on_success
   variables:
-    OS: windows
-  dependencies:
-    - build:windows
+    GIT_STRATEGY: none
+  script:
+    - pip install githubrelease
+    - githubrelease --no-progress --github-token ${GITHUB_CI_USER_ACCESS_TOKEN} asset lbryio/lbry-sdk upload ${CI_COMMIT_TAG} lbrynet-${OS}.zip
 
-#release:linux:
-#  stage: release
-#  only: [tags]
-#  variables:
-#    OS: linux
-#    GIT_STRATEGY: none
-#  dependencies: [build:linux]
-#  script:
-#    - pip install githubrelease
-#    - githubrelease asset lbryio/lbry-sdk upload ${CI_COMMIT_TAG} lbrynet-${OS}.zip
+release:linux:
+  extends: .release
+  variables: {OS: linux}
+  dependencies: ["build:linux"]
+
+release:mac:
+  extends: .release
+  variables: {OS: mac}
+  dependencies: ["build:mac"]
+
+release:windows:
+  extends: .release
+  variables: {OS: windows}
+  dependencies: ["build:windows"]
 
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 41536c126..71c2a885e 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -70,16 +70,16 @@ jobs:
         - aws configure set region us-east-1
         - export S3_PATH="daemon/build-${TRAVIS_BUILD_NUMBER}_commit-${TRAVIS_COMMIT:0:7}_branch-${TRAVIS_BRANCH}$([ ! -z ${TRAVIS_TAG} ] && echo _tag-${TRAVIS_TAG})"
         - aws s3 cp lbrynet-${OS}.zip s3://build.lbry.io/${S3_PATH}/lbrynet-${OS}.zip
-      deploy:
-        provider: releases
-        api_key:
-          secure: "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"
-        file: lbrynet-${OS}.zip
-        skip_cleanup: true
-        overwrite: true
-        draft: true
-        on:
-          tags: true
+#      deploy:
+#        provider: releases
+#        api_key:
+#          secure: "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"
+#        file: lbrynet-${OS}.zip
+#        skip_cleanup: true
+#        overwrite: true
+#        draft: true
+#        on:
+#          tags: true
 
     - <<: *build
       name: "Mac"