diff --git a/.github/workflows/notify-website.yml b/.github/workflows/notify-website.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..655e955
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/notify-website.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+name: Notify Website
+
+on:
+  release:
+    types: [published]
+
+jobs:
+  notify:
+    name: Trigger website redeploy
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: "!github.event.release.prerelease"
+    steps:
+      - uses: peter-evans/repository-dispatch@v3
+        with:
+          token: ${{ secrets.WEBSITE_DISPATCH_TOKEN }}
+          repository: OpenConduit/Website
+          event-type: client-released
+          client-payload: '{"tag": "${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}"}'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 278c8b3..0000000
--- a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-name: Release Please
-
-on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - main
-  workflow_dispatch:
-
-permissions:
-  contents: write
-  pull-requests: write
-
-jobs:
-  release-please:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: googleapis/release-please-action@v4
-        id: rp
-        with:
-          release-type: node
-          target-branch: main
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 33e59c7..d2bb215 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@ on:
   push:
     tags:
       - 'v*'
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        description: 'Version to release (e.g. 1.2.2) — must match packages/desktop/package.json'
+        required: true
+        type: string
 
 permissions:
   contents: write  # needed to create GitHub Releases
@@ -124,7 +130,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Detect pre-release
         id: prerelease
         run: |
-          if [[ "${{ github.ref_name }}" == *"-"* ]]; then
+          TAG="${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && format('v{0}', inputs.version) || github.ref_name }}"
+          if [[ "$TAG" == *"-"* ]]; then
             echo "is_prerelease=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           else
             echo "is_prerelease=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
@@ -133,13 +140,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Create release
         uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
         with:
+          tag_name: ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && format('v{0}', inputs.version) || github.ref_name }}
           files: artifacts/**/*
+          generate_release_notes: true
+          draft: ${{ steps.prerelease.outputs.is_prerelease == 'false' }}
           prerelease: ${{ steps.prerelease.outputs.is_prerelease == 'true' }}
-
-      - name: Notify website
-        if: steps.prerelease.outputs.is_prerelease == 'false'
-        uses: peter-evans/repository-dispatch@v3
-        with:
-          token: ${{ secrets.WEBSITE_DISPATCH_TOKEN }}
-          repository: OpenConduit/Website
-          event-type: client-released
diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 2fa842e..0000000
--- a/.release-please-manifest.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "packages/desktop": "1.2.0",
-  ".": "1.2.0"
-}
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index d5f00d0..d3fde25 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -16675,7 +16675,7 @@
     },
     "packages/desktop": {
       "name": "openconduit",
-      "version": "1.2.0",
+      "version": "1.2.1",
       "license": "AGPL-3.0-only",
       "dependencies": {
         "@anthropic-ai/foundry-sdk": "^0.2.3",
diff --git a/packages/desktop/package.json b/packages/desktop/package.json
index 8dc1f6d..ce3e550 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/package.json
+++ b/packages/desktop/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "openconduit",
   "productName": "OpenConduit",
-  "version": "1.2.0",
+  "version": "1.2.1",
   "description": "Cross-platform desktop AI chat client — OpenAI, Anthropic, LM Studio, and MCP tool servers",
   "main": ".vite/build/main.js",
   "private": true,
diff --git a/release-please-config.json b/release-please-config.json
deleted file mode 100644
index b13321c..0000000
--- a/release-please-config.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/googleapis/release-please/main/schemas/config.json",
-  "release-type": "node",
-  "packages": {
-    "packages/desktop": {}
-  }
-}