diff --git a/.github/workflows/contracts-build.yml b/.github/workflows/contracts-build.yml
index 9ecc6b49d9..efe1230175 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/contracts-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/contracts-build.yml
@@ -6,17 +6,11 @@ on:
 
 jobs:
   build:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-contracts-') && github.event_name == 'release' }}
+    runs-on: [self-hosted, custom-runner-linux]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
       
-      - name: Check the release tag starts with `nym-contracts-`
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-contracts-') == false && github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch'
-        uses: actions/github-script@v3
-        with:
-          script: |
-            core.setFailed('Release tag did not start with nym-contracts-...')      
-
       - name: Install Rust stable
         uses: actions-rs/toolchain@v1
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/network-explorer-api.yml b/.github/workflows/network-explorer-api.yml
index 86b8a33ac6..6a23d5baf9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/network-explorer-api.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/network-explorer-api.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ env:
 
 jobs:
   publish-nym:
+    if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-explorer-api-') && (github.event_name == 'release' || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch') }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -24,7 +25,6 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: true
 
       - name: Check the release tag starts with `nym-explorer-api-`
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-explorer-api-') == false && github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch'
         uses: actions/github-script@v3
         with:
           script: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nym-cli-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/nym-cli-publish.yml
index 5fd532c68b..c4ec1d50b6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nym-cli-publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nym-cli-publish.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ env:
 
 jobs:
   publish-nym-cli:
+    if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-cli-') && (github.event_name == 'release' || github.event_name = 'workflow_dispatch') }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -20,7 +21,6 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
       - name: Check the release tag starts with `nym-cli-`
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-cli-') == false && github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch'
         uses: actions/github-script@v3
         with:
           script: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nym-connect-publish-macos.yml b/.github/workflows/nym-connect-publish-macos.yml
index c327fe3af5..ba2acfe519 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nym-connect-publish-macos.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nym-connect-publish-macos.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ defaults:
 
 jobs:
   publish-tauri:
+    if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-connect-') && github.event_name == 'release' }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -19,13 +20,6 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
 
-      - name: Check the release tag starts with `nym-connect-`
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-connect-') == false && github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch'
-        uses: actions/github-script@v3
-        with:
-          script: |
-            core.setFailed('Release tag did not start with nym-connect-...')
-
       - name: Node v16
         uses: actions/setup-node@v3
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nym-connect-publish-ubuntu.yml b/.github/workflows/nym-connect-publish-ubuntu.yml
index 390c087e4c..f311abb53d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nym-connect-publish-ubuntu.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nym-connect-publish-ubuntu.yml
@@ -10,10 +10,11 @@ defaults:
 
 jobs:
   publish-tauri:
+    if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-connect-') && github.event_name == 'release' }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        platform: [ubuntu-20.04]
+        platform: [custom-runner-linux]
 
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform }}
     steps:
@@ -24,17 +25,12 @@ jobs:
           sudo apt-get update &&
           sudo apt-get install -y webkit2gtk-4.0 libayatana-appindicator3-dev
         continue-on-error: true
-      - name: Check the release tag starts with `nym-connect-`
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-connect-') == false && github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch'
-        uses: actions/github-script@v3
-        with:
-          script: |
-            core.setFailed('Release tag did not start with nym-connect-...')
 
       - name: Node v16
         uses: actions/setup-node@v3
         with:
           node-version: 16
+
       - name: Install Rust stable
         uses: actions-rs/toolchain@v1
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nym-connect-publish-windows10.yml b/.github/workflows/nym-connect-publish-windows10.yml
index f51349d8b4..599b6d27e4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nym-connect-publish-windows10.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nym-connect-publish-windows10.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ defaults:
 
 jobs:
   publish-tauri:
+    if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-connect-') && github.event_name == 'release' }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -27,13 +28,6 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
-      - name: Check the release tag starts with `nym-connect-`
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-connect-') == false && github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch'
-        uses: actions/github-script@v3
-        with:
-          script: |
-            core.setFailed('Release tag did not start with nym-connect-...')
-
       - name: Import signing certificate
         env:
           WINDOWS_CERTIFICATE: ${{ secrets.WINDOWS_CERTIFICATE }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nym-release-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/nym-release-publish.yml
index 1b100f34ed..09b4caa9b8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nym-release-publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nym-release-publish.yml
@@ -16,10 +16,11 @@ env:
 
 jobs:
   publish-nym:
+    if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-binaries-') && github.event_name == 'release' }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        platform: [ubuntu-20.04]
+        platform: [custom-runner-linux]
 
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform }}
     steps:
@@ -28,13 +29,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Dependencies (Linux)
         run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get -y install libwebkit2gtk-4.0-dev build-essential curl wget libssl-dev libgtk-3-dev libudev-dev squashfs-tools
         continue-on-error: true
-
-      - name: Check the release tag starts with `nym-binaries-`
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-binaries-') == false && github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch'
-        uses: actions/github-script@v3
-        with:
-          script: |
-            core.setFailed('Release tag did not start with nym-binaries-...')
             
       - name: Sets env vars for tokio if set in manual dispatch inputs
         run: |
@@ -57,6 +51,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           name: my-artifact
           path: |
+            target/release/explorer-api
             target/release/nym-client
             target/release/nym-gateway
             target/release/nym-mixnode
@@ -72,6 +67,7 @@ jobs:
         if: github.event_name == 'release'
         with:
           files: |
+            target/release/explorer-api
             target/release/nym-client
             target/release/nym-gateway
             target/release/nym-mixnode
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nym-wallet-publish-macos.yml b/.github/workflows/nym-wallet-publish-macos.yml
index d7a3a88002..db55bc9754 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nym-wallet-publish-macos.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nym-wallet-publish-macos.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ defaults:
 
 jobs:
   publish-tauri:
+    if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-wallet-') && github.event_name == 'release' }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -19,13 +20,6 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
 
-      - name: Check the release tag starts with `nym-wallet-`
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-wallet-') == false && github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch'
-        uses: actions/github-script@v3
-        with:
-          script: |
-            core.setFailed('Release tag did not start with nym-wallet-...')
-
       - name: Node v16
         uses: actions/setup-node@v3
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nym-wallet-publish-ubuntu.yml b/.github/workflows/nym-wallet-publish-ubuntu.yml
index d0a7e778b2..c27a9f0233 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nym-wallet-publish-ubuntu.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nym-wallet-publish-ubuntu.yml
@@ -9,10 +9,11 @@ defaults:
 
 jobs:
   publish-tauri:
+    if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-wallet-') && github.event_name == 'release' }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        platform: [ubuntu-20.04]
+        platform: [custom-runner-linux]
 
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform }}
     steps:
@@ -23,17 +24,12 @@ jobs:
           sudo apt-get update &&
           sudo apt-get install -y webkit2gtk-4.0
         continue-on-error: true
-      - name: Check the release tag starts with `nym-wallet-`
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-wallet-') == false
-        uses: actions/github-script@v3
-        with:
-          script: |
-            core.setFailed('Release tag did not start with nym-wallet-...')
 
       - name: Node v16
         uses: actions/setup-node@v3
         with:
           node-version: 16
+
       - name: Install Rust stable
         uses: actions-rs/toolchain@v1
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nym-wallet-publish-windows10.yml b/.github/workflows/nym-wallet-publish-windows10.yml
index cc257fcbc3..6f22820943 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nym-wallet-publish-windows10.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nym-wallet-publish-windows10.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ defaults:
 
 jobs:
   publish-tauri:
+    if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-wallet-') && github.event_name == 'release' }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -26,13 +27,6 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
-      - name: Check the release tag starts with `nym-wallet-`
-        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/nym-wallet-') == false
-        uses: actions/github-script@v3
-        with:
-          script: |
-            core.setFailed('Release tag did not start with nym-wallet-...')
-
       - name: Import signing certificate
         env:
           WINDOWS_CERTIFICATE: ${{ secrets.WINDOWS_CERTIFICATE }}