diff --git a/.github/workflows/simple-release.yml b/.github/workflows/simple-release.yml
index dc13d3e..bcd3ca2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/simple-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/simple-release.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,18 @@ jobs:
           virtualenvs-create: true
           virtualenvs-in-project: true
 
+      - name: Ensure Poetry is on PATH (Windows)
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          # Add the typical Poetry installer location to PATH for subsequent steps.
+          # This writes the directory to GITHUB_PATH so it is appended to PATH automatically.
+          $poetryPath = Join-Path $env:USERPROFILE ".local\bin"
+          Write-Output "Adding $poetryPath to PATH via GITHUB_PATH"
+          Write-Output $poetryPath >> $Env:GITHUB_PATH
+          # Confirm it's on PATH for this step (diagnostics only)
+          Write-Output "PATH is now: $env:PATH"
+          Get-Command -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue poetry | ForEach-Object { Write-Output "poetry location: $($_.Source)" } || Write-Output "poetry not found yet (will be available in subsequent steps)"
+
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
           poetry install
@@ -39,7 +51,7 @@ jobs:
   build-debian:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     container:
-      image: debian:12-slim
+      image: python:3.12-slim
     steps:
       - name: Install system dependencies
         run: |
@@ -56,7 +68,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Install Poetry
         run: |
-          curl -sSL https://install.python-poetry.org | python3.12 -
+          curl -sSL https://install.python-poetry.org | python -
           echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
       - name: Configure Poetry
@@ -68,7 +80,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
           export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
-          poetry env use python3.12
+          poetry env use python3.12 || true
           poetry install
 
       - name: Build Debian executable
@@ -90,7 +102,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install system dependencies
         run: |
           pacman -Syu --noconfirm
-          pacman -S --noconfirm git base-devel curl
+          pacman -S --noconfirm python python-pip curl git base-devel
 
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -132,26 +144,66 @@ jobs:
     container:
       image: rockylinux:9
     steps:
-      - name: Install system dependencies
+      - name: Install system build dependencies for Python and pyenv (enable CRB for -devel packages)
         run: |
-          dnf update -y
-          dnf install -y curl git gcc gcc-c++ make
+          # enable the CodeReady Builder (CRB) repository so -devel packages (like gdbm-devel) are available
+          dnf -y install dnf-plugins-core
+          dnf config-manager --set-enabled crb
+
+          # Refresh metadata and install the packages required to build CPython from source
+          dnf -y update
+          dnf -y install git gcc make openssl-devel bzip2-devel libffi-devel zlib-devel xz-devel \
+            readline-devel sqlite-devel tk-devel gdbm-devel libuuid-devel patch
 
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Set up Python 3.12
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
-        with:
-          python-version: '3.12'
-
-      - name: Install Poetry
+      - name: Install pyenv and build Python 3.12.11 (native to Rocky) — idempotent
+        env:
+          PYENV_ROOT: ${{ github.workspace }}/.pyenv_temp
         run: |
-          curl -sSL https://install.python-poetry.org | python3.12 -
-          echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          # Use $HOME/.pyenv for the pyenv installation (runtime only — this will NOT change your repo files)
+          export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"
+          export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"
+
+          # Clone or update pyenv (idempotent)
+          if [ -d "$PYENV_ROOT/.git" ]; then
+            echo "pyenv already exists — updating"
+            cd "$PYENV_ROOT"
+            git fetch --all --prune
+            git reset --hard origin/master || true
+            cd -
+          else
+            echo "Cloning pyenv"
+            git clone https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv.git "$PYENV_ROOT"
+          fi
+
+          # Persist pyenv environment for subsequent steps
+          echo "PYENV_ROOT=$PYENV_ROOT" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "PATH=$PYENV_ROOT/shims:$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
+          # Initialize pyenv for this step and ensure pyenv is usable immediately
+          export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"
+          eval "$($PYENV_ROOT/bin/pyenv init -)"
+
+          # Install the specified Python version if not already installed (-s = skip if present)
+          $PYENV_ROOT/bin/pyenv install -s 3.12.11
+          $PYENV_ROOT/bin/pyenv global 3.12.11
+
+          # Verify installed python
+          python --version
+          pip --version
+
+      - name: Install Poetry (use action; Poetry will use the pyenv-built python)
+        uses: snok/install-poetry@v1
+        with:
+          version: latest
+          virtualenvs-create: true
+          virtualenvs-in-project: true
 
       - name: Configure Poetry
         run: |
+          echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> $GITHUB_ENV
           export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
           poetry config virtualenvs.create true
           poetry config virtualenvs.in-project true
@@ -159,7 +211,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
           export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
-          poetry env use python3.12
+          # ensure poetry uses the pyenv python
+          poetry env use 3.12.11 || true
           poetry install
 
       - name: Build Rocky executable