diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yaml b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
index a709ff9..651a269 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
@@ -21,10 +21,11 @@ jobs:
         with:
           enable-cache: true
       - name: Generate build matrix
+        id: set-matrix
         run: |
           FORCE=$(if git log --pretty=format:"%s" HEAD^..HEAD | grep -q '\[force\]'; then echo "--force"; else echo ""; fi)
           uv run dpn $FORCE build-matrix --event ${{ github.event_name }}
-        id: set-matrix
+
 
   deploy:
     name: ${{ matrix.key }}
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix: ${{ fromJSON(needs.generate-matrix.outputs.matrix) }}
     steps:
+      # Setup
       - uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v5
       - uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@d0cc045d04ccac9d8b7881df0226f9e82c39688e # v6
         with:
@@ -49,6 +51,8 @@ jobs:
         with:
           username: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_USERNAME }}
           password: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      # Build
       - name: Build image
         uses: docker/build-push-action@263435318d21b8e681c14492fe198d362a7d2c83 # v6
         with:
@@ -56,11 +60,16 @@ jobs:
           file: dockerfiles/${{ matrix.key }}.Dockerfile
           load: true
           tags: nikolaik/python-nodejs:${{ matrix.key }}
+
+      # Test
       - name: Run smoke tests
         run: |
           docker run --rm nikolaik/python-nodejs:${{ matrix.key }} sh -c "node --version && npm --version && yarn --version && python --version && pip --version && pipenv --version && poetry --version && uv --version"
+
+      # Push image
       - name: Push image
         uses: docker/build-push-action@263435318d21b8e681c14492fe198d362a7d2c83 # v6
+        id: build-and-push
         with:
           context: .
           file: dockerfiles/${{ matrix.key }}.Dockerfile
@@ -68,6 +77,21 @@ jobs:
           push: true
           tags: nikolaik/python-nodejs:${{ matrix.key }}
 
+      # Store build context
+      - name: Add digest to build context
+        run: |
+          mkdir builds/
+          digest="${{ steps.build-and-push.outputs.digest }}"
+          echo '${{ toJSON(matrix) }}' | jq --arg digest "$digest" '. +={"digest": $digest}' >> "builds/${{ matrix.key }}.json"
+
+      - name: Upload build context
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@ea165f8d65b6e75b540449e92b4886f43607fa02 # v4.6.2
+        with:
+          name: build-${{ matrix.key }}
+          path: builds/*
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          retention-days: 1
+
   release:
     name: Update versions.json and README.md
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -77,9 +101,17 @@ jobs:
       - uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@d0cc045d04ccac9d8b7881df0226f9e82c39688e # v6
         with:
           enable-cache: true
+
+      - name: Download metadata for builds
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v5
+        with:
+          path: builds
+          pattern: build-*
+          merge-multiple: true
+
       - name: Update versions.json and README.md, then commit and push changes (if any)
         run: |
-          uv run dpn --verbose release
+          uv run dpn --verbose release --builds-dir builds/
           clean_checkout=$(git status --porcelain)
           if [[ -n "${clean_checkout}" ]]; then
               git config --global user.name "Nikolai Kristiansen" > /dev/null 2>&1
diff --git a/src/docker_python_nodejs/cli.py b/src/docker_python_nodejs/cli.py
index 295c202..5e02af7 100644
--- a/src/docker_python_nodejs/cli.py
+++ b/src/docker_python_nodejs/cli.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import argparse
 import logging
+from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Literal, cast
 
 from .build_matrix import build_matrix
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@
 from .versions import (
     decide_version_combinations,
     find_new_or_updated,
+    load_build_contexts,
     persist_versions,
     supported_versions,
 )
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@ class CLIArgs(argparse.Namespace):
 
     context: str  # dockerfile command arg
     event: str  # build-matrix command arg
+    builds_dir: Path  # release command arg
 
 
 def run_dockerfile(args: CLIArgs) -> None:
@@ -32,23 +35,22 @@ def run_dockerfile(args: CLIArgs) -> None:
 
 
 def run_build_matrix(args: CLIArgs) -> None:
-    suported_python_versions, suported_nodejs_versions = supported_versions()
-    versions = decide_version_combinations(args.distros, suported_python_versions, suported_nodejs_versions)
+    supported_python_versions, supported_nodejs_versions = supported_versions()
+    versions = decide_version_combinations(args.distros, supported_python_versions, supported_nodejs_versions)
     new_or_updated = find_new_or_updated(versions, args.force)
     build_matrix(new_or_updated, args.event)
 
 
 def run_release(args: CLIArgs) -> None:
-    suported_python_versions, suported_nodejs_versions = supported_versions()
-    versions = decide_version_combinations(args.distros, suported_python_versions, suported_nodejs_versions)
+    versions = load_build_contexts(args.builds_dir)
     new_or_updated = find_new_or_updated(versions, args.force)
-
+    supported_python_versions, supported_nodejs_versions = supported_versions()
     if not new_or_updated:
         logger.info("No new or updated versions")
         return
 
     persist_versions(versions, args.dry_run)
-    update_dynamic_readme(versions, suported_python_versions, suported_nodejs_versions, args.dry_run)
+    update_dynamic_readme(versions, supported_python_versions, supported_nodejs_versions, args.dry_run)
 
 
 def main(args: CLIArgs) -> None:
@@ -84,9 +86,11 @@ def parse_args() -> CLIArgs:
     parser.add_argument("--verbose", action="store_true", help="Enable debug logging")
 
     subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(dest="command", help="Sub-commands")
+
     # Dockerfile command
     parser_dockerfile = subparsers.add_parser("dockerfile", help="Render a dockerfile based on version config")
     parser_dockerfile.add_argument("--context", default="", help="Dockerfile version config")
+
     # Build matrix command
     parser_build_matrix = subparsers.add_parser("build-matrix", help="Generate CI build matrix")
     parser_build_matrix.add_argument(
@@ -95,6 +99,22 @@ def parse_args() -> CLIArgs:
         # https://docs.github.com/en/actions/learn-github-actions/contexts#github-context
         help="GitHub Action event name (github.event_name)",
     )
+
     # Release command
-    subparsers.add_parser("release", help="Persist versions and make a release")
-    return cast(CLIArgs, parser.parse_args())
+    parser_release = subparsers.add_parser("release", help="Persist versions and make a release")
+    parser_release.add_argument(
+        "--builds-dir",
+        type=Path,
+        required=True,
+        help="Builds directory with build context JSON files",
+    )
+
+    cli_args = cast("CLIArgs", parser.parse_args())
+    if cli_args.command == "release":
+        if not cli_args.builds_dir.exists():
+            parser.error(f"Builds directory {cli_args.builds_dir.as_posix()} does not exist")
+
+        if not cli_args.builds_dir.is_dir():
+            parser.error(f"Builds directory {cli_args.builds_dir.as_posix()} is not a directory")
+
+    return cli_args
diff --git a/src/docker_python_nodejs/versions.py b/src/docker_python_nodejs/versions.py
index a6e9796..ce4a93d 100644
--- a/src/docker_python_nodejs/versions.py
+++ b/src/docker_python_nodejs/versions.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import logging
 import re
 from dataclasses import dataclass
+from pathlib import Path
 
 import requests
 from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
@@ -39,20 +40,16 @@ class LanguageVersion:
     canonical_version: str
     key: str
     distro: str
-    image: str | None = None
 
 
 @dataclass
 class NodeJsVersion(LanguageVersion):
-    pass
+    image: str | None = None
 
 
 @dataclass
 class PythonVersion(LanguageVersion):
-    canonical_version: str
-    key: str
     image: str
-    distro: str
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -67,6 +64,7 @@ class BuildVersion:
     nodejs_canonical: str
     distro: str
     platforms: list[str]
+    digest: str = ""
 
 
 def _is_platform_image(platform: str, image: DockerImageDict) -> bool:
@@ -165,11 +163,11 @@ def fetch_supported_nodejs_versions() -> list[SupportedVersion]:
 
 
 def supported_versions() -> tuple[list[SupportedVersion], list[SupportedVersion]]:
-    suported_python_versions = scrape_supported_python_versions()
-    suported_nodejs_versions = fetch_supported_nodejs_versions()
-    supported_versions = format_supported_versions(suported_python_versions, suported_nodejs_versions)
+    supported_python_versions = scrape_supported_python_versions()
+    supported_nodejs_versions = fetch_supported_nodejs_versions()
+    supported_versions = format_supported_versions(supported_python_versions, supported_nodejs_versions)
     logger.debug(f"Found the following supported versions:\n{supported_versions}")
-    return suported_python_versions, suported_nodejs_versions
+    return supported_python_versions, supported_nodejs_versions
 
 
 def _has_arch_files(files: list[str], distro: str) -> bool:
@@ -286,3 +284,17 @@ def find_new_or_updated(
             new_or_updated.append(ver)
 
     return new_or_updated
+
+
+def load_build_contexts(builds_dir: Path) -> list[BuildVersion]:
+    """Find JSON files with build contexts and return the corresponding BuildVersion list"""
+    logger.info(f"Loading builds metadata from {builds_dir.as_posix()}")
+    versions: list[BuildVersion] = []
+
+    for build_file in builds_dir.glob("*.json"):
+        with build_file.open() as fp:
+            build_data = json.load(fp)
+        version = BuildVersion(**build_data)
+        versions.append(version)
+
+    return versions
diff --git a/tests/test_all.py b/tests/test_all.py
index 3d02e7e..2701531 100644
--- a/tests/test_all.py
+++ b/tests/test_all.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
     decide_nodejs_versions,
     decide_version_combinations,
     fetch_supported_nodejs_versions,
+    load_build_contexts,
     scrape_supported_python_versions,
 )
 
@@ -251,3 +252,15 @@ def test_decide_nodejs_versions(
     versions = decide_nodejs_versions(distros, supported_node_versions)
 
     assert len(supported_node_versions) * len(distros) == len(versions)
+
+
+def test_load_build_contexts(build_version: BuildVersion, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    ver = build_version
+
+    file_path = tmp_path / f"{ver.key}.json"
+    content = json.dumps(dataclasses.asdict(ver))
+    file_path.write_text(content)
+
+    versions = load_build_contexts(tmp_path)
+    assert len(versions) == 1
+    assert versions[0].key == ver.key