diff --git a/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml b/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml
index 4cda93ae..1823878a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml
@@ -70,7 +70,9 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
       with:
         name: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}.${{ github.sha }}.fluxengine.${{ runner.arch }}.pkg
-        path: fluxengine/FluxEngine.pkg
+        path: |
+          fluxengine/FluxEngine.pkg
+          fluxengine/FluxEngine.app.zip
 
   build-windows:
     runs-on: windows-latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index d234f4de..8b7a53bb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         gmake
         mv FluxEngine.pkg FluxEngine-${{ runner.arch }}.pkg
+        mv FluxEngine.app.zip FluxEngine-${{ runner.arch }}.app.zip
 
     - name: tag
       uses: EndBug/latest-tag@latest
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ jobs:
         tag: dev
         assets: | 
           FluxEngine-${{ runner.arch }}.pkg
+          FluxEngine-${{ runner.arch }}.app.zip
         fail-if-no-assets: false
 
     - name: release
@@ -123,6 +125,7 @@ jobs:
         name: Development build ${{ env.RELEASE_DATE }}
         files: |
           FluxEngine-${{ runner.arch }}.pkg
+          FluxEngine-${{ runner.arch }}.app.zip
         tag_name: dev
       env:
         GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/build.py b/build.py
index de13a623..71f5274d 100644
--- a/build.py
+++ b/build.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import re
 # Hack for building on Fedora/WSL; executables get the .exe extension,
 # build the build system detects it as Linux.
 import build.toolchain
+
 toolchain.Toolchain.EXE = "$(EXT)"
 
 package(name="protobuf_lib", package="protobuf")
@@ -108,6 +109,13 @@ export(
         "brother240tool$(EXT)": "tools+brother240tool",
         "upgrade-flux-file$(EXT)": "tools+upgrade-flux-file",
     }
-    | ({"FluxEngine.pkg": "src/gui+fluxengine_pkg"} if config.osx else {}),
+    | (
+        {
+            "FluxEngine.pkg": "src/gui+fluxengine_pkg",
+            "FluxEngine.app.zip": "src/gui+fluxengine_app_zip",
+        }
+        if config.osx
+        else {}
+    ),
     deps=["tests", "src/formats+docs", "scripts+mkdocindex"] + corpustests,
 )
diff --git a/src/gui/build.py b/src/gui/build.py
index f1cdd65c..a5c6edd2 100644
--- a/src/gui/build.py
+++ b/src/gui/build.py
@@ -57,13 +57,13 @@ cxxprogram(
 
 if config.osx:
     simplerule(
-        name="fluxengine_pkg",
+        name="fluxengine_app_zip",
         ins=[
             ".+gui",
             "extras+fluxengine_icns",
             "extras+fluxengine_template",
         ],
-        outs=["=FluxEngine.pkg"],
+        outs=["=FluxEngine.app.zip"],
         commands=[
             "rm -rf $[outs[0]]",
             "unzip -q $[ins[2]]",  # creates FluxEngine.app
@@ -79,7 +79,20 @@ if config.osx:
             "cp $$(brew --prefix abseil)/LICENSE FluxEngine.app/Contents/libs/abseil.txt",
             "cp $$(brew --prefix libtiff)/LICENSE.md FluxEngine.app/Contents/libs/libtiff.txt",
             "cp $$(brew --prefix zstd)/LICENSE FluxEngine.app/Contents/libs/zstd.txt",
-            "pkgbuild --quiet --install-location /Applications --component FluxEngine.app $[outs[0]]",
+            "zip -rq $[outs[0]] FluxEngine.app",
         ],
         label="MKAPP",
     )
+
+    simplerule(
+        name="fluxengine_pkg",
+        ins=[
+            ".+fluxengine_app_zip",
+        ],
+        outs=["=FluxEngine.pkg"],
+        commands=[
+            "unzip -q $[ins[0]]",
+            "pkgbuild --quiet --install-location /Applications --component FluxEngine.app $[outs[0]]",
+        ],
+        label="MKPKG",
+    )