diff --git a/.github/workflows/generate-local-artifact-tarball.sh b/.github/workflows/generate-local-artifact-tarball.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..d14d30fbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/generate-local-artifact-tarball.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Copyright (c) 2019 Intel Corporation
+# Copyright (c) 2020 Ant Group
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+#
+
+set -o errexit
+set -o pipefail
+
+
+main() {
+    artifact_stage=${1:-}
+    artifact=$(echo  ${artifact_stage} | sed -n -e 's/^install_//p' | sed -r 's/_/-/g')
+    if [ -z "${artifact}" ]; then
+        "Scripts needs artifact name to build"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    tag=$(echo $GITHUB_REF | cut -d/ -f3-)
+    pushd $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/tools/packaging/obs-packaging
+    git checkout $tag
+    ./gen_versions_txt.sh $tag
+    popd
+
+    pushd $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/tools/packaging/release
+    source ./kata-deploy-binaries.sh
+    ${artifact_stage} $tag
+    popd
+
+    mv $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/tools/packaging/release/kata-static-${artifact}.tar.gz .
+}
+
+main $@
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yaml b/.github/workflows/main.yaml
index 9d0bb922b..718e4e1b1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ name: Publish release tarball
 on: 
   push: 
     tags:
-     - '*'
+     - '1.*'
 
 jobs:
   get-artifact-list:
@@ -10,12 +10,11 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - name: get the list
         run: |
-         git clone https://github.com/kata-containers/packaging
-         pushd packaging
+         pushd $GITHUB_WORKSPACE
          tag=$(echo $GITHUB_REF | cut -d/ -f3-)
          git checkout $tag
          popd
-         ./packaging/artifact-list.sh > artifact-list.txt
+         $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/tools/packaging/artifact-list.sh > artifact-list.txt
       - name: save-artifact-list
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@master
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6a8ef6284
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,321 @@
+name: Publish Kata 2.x release artifacts
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+     - '2.*'
+
+jobs:
+  get-artifact-list:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: get the list
+        run: |
+         pushd $GITHUB_WORKSPACE
+         tag=$(echo $GITHUB_REF | cut -d/ -f3-)
+         git checkout $tag
+         popd
+         $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/tools/packaging/artifact-list.sh > artifact-list.txt
+      - name: save-artifact-list
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: artifact-list
+          path: artifact-list.txt
+
+  build-kernel:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-16.04
+    needs: get-artifact-list
+    env:
+      buildstr: "install_kernel"
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: get-artifact-list
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: artifact-list
+      - run: |
+         sudo apt-get update && sudo apt install -y flex bison libelf-dev bc iptables
+      - name: build-kernel
+        run: |
+         if grep -q $buildstr artifact-list.txt; then
+           $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/.github/workflows/generate-local-artifact-tarball.sh $buildstr
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::true
+         else
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::false
+         fi
+      - name: store-artifacts
+        if: env.artifact-built == 'true'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: kata-artifacts
+          path: kata-static-kernel.tar.gz
+
+  build-experimental-kernel:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-16.04
+    needs: get-artifact-list
+    env:
+      buildstr: "install_experimental_kernel"
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: get-artifact-list
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: artifact-list
+      - run: |
+         sudo apt-get update && sudo apt install -y flex bison libelf-dev bc iptables
+      - name: build-experimental-kernel
+        run: |
+         if grep -q $buildstr artifact-list.txt; then
+           $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/.github/workflows/generate-local-artifact-tarball.sh $buildstr
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::true
+         else
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::false
+         fi
+      - name: store-artifacts
+        if: env.artifact-built == 'true'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: kata-artifacts
+          path: kata-static-experimental-kernel.tar.gz
+
+  build-qemu:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-16.04
+    needs: get-artifact-list
+    env:
+      buildstr: "install_qemu"
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: get-artifact-list
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: artifact-list
+      - name: build-qemu
+        run: |
+         if grep -q $buildstr artifact-list.txt; then
+           $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/.github/workflows/generate-local-artifact-tarball.sh $buildstr
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::true
+         else
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::false
+         fi
+      - name: store-artifacts
+        if: env.artifact-built == 'true'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: kata-artifacts
+          path: kata-static-qemu.tar.gz
+
+  build-qemu-virtiofsd:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-16.04
+    needs: get-artifact-list
+    env:
+      buildstr: "install_qemu_virtiofsd"
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: get-artifact-list
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: artifact-list
+      - name: build-qemu-virtiofsd
+        run: |
+         if grep -q $buildstr artifact-list.txt; then
+           $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/.github/workflows/generate-local-artifact-tarball.sh $buildstr
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::true
+         else
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::false
+         fi
+      - name: store-artifacts
+        if: env.artifact-built == 'true'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: kata-artifacts
+          path: kata-static-qemu-virtiofsd.tar.gz
+
+  build-image:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-16.04
+    needs: get-artifact-list
+    env:
+      buildstr: "install_image"
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: get-artifact-list
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: artifact-list
+      - name: build-image
+        run: |
+         if grep -q $buildstr artifact-list.txt; then
+           $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/.github/workflows/generate-local-artifact-tarball.sh $buildstr
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::true
+         else
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::false
+         fi
+      - name: store-artifacts
+        if: env.artifact-built == 'true'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: kata-artifacts
+          path: kata-static-image.tar.gz
+
+  build-firecracker:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-16.04
+    needs: get-artifact-list
+    env:
+      buildstr: "install_firecracker"
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: get-artifact-list
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: artifact-list
+      - name: build-firecracker
+        run: |
+         if grep -q $buildstr artifact-list.txt; then
+           $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/.github/workflows/generate-local-artifact-tarball.sh $buildstr
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::true
+         else
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::false
+         fi
+      - name: store-artifacts
+        if: env.artifact-built == 'true'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: kata-artifacts
+          path: kata-static-firecracker.tar.gz
+
+
+  build-clh:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-16.04
+    needs: get-artifact-list
+    env:
+      buildstr: "install_clh"
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: get-artifact-list
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: artifact-list
+      - name: build-clh
+        run: |
+         if grep -q $buildstr artifact-list.txt; then
+           $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/.github/workflows/generate-local-artifact-tarball.sh $buildstr
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::true
+         else
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::false
+         fi
+      - name: store-artifacts
+        if: env.artifact-built == 'true'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: kata-artifacts
+          path: kata-static-clh.tar.gz
+
+  build-kata-components:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-16.04
+    needs: get-artifact-list
+    env:
+      buildstr: "install_kata_components"
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: get-artifact-list
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: artifact-list
+      - name: build-kata-components
+        run: |
+         if grep -q $buildstr artifact-list.txt; then
+           $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/.github/workflows/generate-local-artifact-tarball.sh $buildstr
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::true
+         else
+           echo ::set-env name=artifact-built::false
+         fi
+      - name: store-artifacts
+        if: env.artifact-built == 'true'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: kata-artifacts
+          path: kata-static-kata-components.tar.gz
+
+  gather-artifacts:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-16.04
+    needs: [build-experimental-kernel, build-kernel, build-qemu, build-qemu-virtiofsd, build-image, build-firecracker, build-kata-components, build-clh]
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: get-artifacts
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: kata-artifacts
+          path: kata-artifacts
+      - name: colate-artifacts
+        run: |
+          $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/.github/workflows/gather-artifacts.sh
+      - name: store-artifacts
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: release-candidate
+          path: kata-static.tar.xz
+
+  kata-deploy:
+    needs: gather-artifacts
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: get-artifacts
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: release-candidate
+      - name: build-and-push-kata-deploy-ci
+        id: build-and-push-kata-deploy-ci
+        run: |
+          tag=$(echo $GITHUB_REF | cut -d/ -f3-)
+          pushd $GITHUB_WORKSPACE
+          git checkout $tag
+          pkg_sha=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
+          popd
+          mv kata-static.tar.xz $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-static.tar.xz
+          docker build --build-arg KATA_ARTIFACTS=kata-static.tar.xz -t katadocker/kata-deploy-ci:$pkg_sha $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/tools/packaging/kata-deploy
+          docker login -u ${{ secrets.DOCKER_USERNAME }} -p ${{ secrets.DOCKER_PASSWORD }}
+          docker push katadocker/kata-deploy-ci:$pkg_sha
+
+          echo "##[set-output name=PKG_SHA;]${pkg_sha}"
+          echo ::set-env name=TAG::$tag
+          mkdir -p packaging/kata-deploy
+          ln -s $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/action packaging/kata-deploy/action
+      - name: test-kata-deploy-ci-in-aks
+        uses: ./packaging/kata-deploy/action
+        with:
+          packaging-sha: ${{steps.build-and-push-kata-deploy-ci.outputs.PKG_SHA}}
+        env:
+          PKG_SHA: ${{steps.build-and-push-kata-deploy-ci.outputs.PKG_SHA}}
+          AZ_APPID: ${{ secrets.AZ_APPID }}
+          AZ_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.AZ_PASSWORD }}
+          AZ_SUBSCRIPTION_ID: ${{ secrets.AZ_SUBSCRIPTION_ID }}
+          AZ_TENANT_ID: ${{ secrets.AZ_TENANT_ID }}
+      - name: push-tarball
+        run: |
+          # tag the container image we created and push to DockerHub
+          tag=$(echo $GITHUB_REF | cut -d/ -f3-)
+          docker tag katadocker/kata-deploy-ci:${{steps.build-and-push-kata-deploy-ci.outputs.PKG_SHA}} katadocker/kata-deploy:${tag}
+          docker push katadocker/kata-deploy:${tag}
+
+  upload-static-tarball:
+    needs: kata-deploy
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: download-artifacts
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: release-candidate
+      - name: install hub
+        run: |
+          HUB_VER=$(curl -s "https://api.github.com/repos/github/hub/releases/latest" | jq -r .tag_name | sed 's/^v//')
+          wget -q -O- https://github.com/github/hub/releases/download/v$HUB_VER/hub-linux-amd64-$HUB_VER.tgz | \
+          tar xz --strip-components=2 --wildcards '*/bin/hub' && sudo mv hub /usr/local/bin/hub
+      - name: push static tarball to github
+        run: |
+          tag=$(echo $GITHUB_REF | cut -d/ -f3-)
+          tarball="kata-static-$tag-x86_64.tar.xz"
+          mv kata-static.tar.xz "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/${tarball}"
+          pushd $GITHUB_WORKSPACE
+          echo "uploading asset '${tarball}' for tag: ${tag}"
+          GITHUB_TOKEN=${{ secrets.GIT_UPLOAD_TOKEN }} hub release edit -m "" -a "${tarball}" "${tag}"
diff --git a/tools/packaging/obs-packaging/gen_versions_txt.sh b/tools/packaging/obs-packaging/gen_versions_txt.sh
index b760f72dc..027a3fe9e 100755
--- a/tools/packaging/obs-packaging/gen_versions_txt.sh
+++ b/tools/packaging/obs-packaging/gen_versions_txt.sh
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@ source "${script_dir}/../scripts/lib.sh"
 ARCH=${ARCH:-$(arch_to_golang "$(uname -m)")}
 
 get_kata_version() {
-	local branch="$1"
-	curl -SsL "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/${project}/kata-containers/${branch}/VERSION"
+	cat "${script_dir}/../../../VERSION"
 }
 
 gen_version_file() {
@@ -54,7 +53,7 @@ gen_version_file() {
 
 	# - is not a valid char for rpmbuild
 	# see https://github.com/semver/semver/issues/145
-	kata_version=$(get_kata_version "${branch}")
+	kata_version=$(get_kata_version)
 	kata_version=${kata_version/-/\~}
 	cat > "$versions_txt" <<EOT
 # This is a generated file from ${script_name}
@@ -168,7 +167,7 @@ main() {
 		if [ -n "${use_head}" ]; then
 			kata_version="HEAD"
 		else
-			kata_version=$(get_kata_version "${branch}")
+			kata_version=$(get_kata_version)
 		fi
 	fi
 
@@ -178,7 +177,7 @@ main() {
 		[ -n "${kata_version}" ] || die "${version_file} does not contain a valid kata_version variable"
 		# Replacing ~ with -, as - is not a valid char for rpmbuild
 		# see https://github.com/semver/semver/issues/145
-		[ "$(get_kata_version $branch)" = "${kata_version/\~/-}" ] && compare_result="matches" || compare_result="is different from"
+		[ "$(get_kata_version)" = "${kata_version/\~/-}" ] && compare_result="matches" || compare_result="is different from"
 		echo "${kata_version} in ${versions_txt} ${compare_result} the version at branch ${branch}"
 		return
 	fi
diff --git a/tools/packaging/scripts/lib.sh b/tools/packaging/scripts/lib.sh
index 09a88053a..f99442da0 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/scripts/lib.sh
+++ b/tools/packaging/scripts/lib.sh
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ export GOPATH=${GOPATH:-${HOME}/go}
 export tests_repo="${tests_repo:-github.com/kata-containers/tests}"
 export tests_repo_dir="$GOPATH/src/$tests_repo"
 
+this_script_dir="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+
 hub_bin="hub-bin"
 
 clone_tests_repo() {
@@ -50,10 +52,7 @@ get_from_kata_deps() {
 	install_yq >&2
 
 	if [ ! -e "${versions_file}" ]; then
-		yaml_url="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/${branch}/versions.yaml"
-		echo "versions file (${versions_file}) does not exist" >&2
-		echo "Download from ${yaml_url}" >&2
-		curl --silent -o "${versions_file}" "$yaml_url"
+		cp "${this_script_dir}/../../../versions.yaml" ${versions_file}
 	fi
 	result=$("${GOPATH}/bin/yq" read -X "$versions_file" "$dependency")
 	[ "$result" = "null" ] && result=""