diff --git a/.github/scripts/inject-token.ps1 b/.github/scripts/inject-token.ps1
index ac3df9f9b..d132dc711 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/inject-token.ps1
+++ b/.github/scripts/inject-token.ps1
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ param(
 )
 
 if ([string]::IsNullOrEmpty($Token)) {
-    Write-Host "No UPLOADTHING_TOKEN provided. Skipping injection. Build will use empty/default token."
-    exit 0
+    Write-Error "No UPLOADTHING_TOKEN provided. Fails for Release builds."
+    exit 1
 }
 
 $constantsPath = "GenHub/GenHub.Core/Constants/ApiConstants.cs"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 94173ca60..c8b87d792 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -123,6 +123,11 @@ jobs:
           echo "VERSION=$version" >> $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
           echo "CHANNEL=$channel" >> $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
+      - name: Inject Secrets
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          ./.github/scripts/inject-token.ps1 -Token "${{ secrets.UPLOADTHING_TOKEN }}"
+
       - name: Build Projects
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
@@ -142,10 +147,6 @@ jobs:
           Write-Host "Building Windows project"
           dotnet build "${{ env.WINDOWS_PROJECT }}" -c ${{ env.BUILD_CONFIGURATION }} @buildProps
 
-      - name: Inject Secrets
-        shell: pwsh
-        run: |
-          ./.github/scripts/inject-token.ps1 -Token "${{ secrets.UPLOADTHING_TOKEN }}"
 
       - name: Publish Windows App
         shell: pwsh
@@ -284,6 +285,11 @@ jobs:
           echo "PR_NUMBER=$PR_NUMBER" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           echo "VERSION=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
+      - name: Inject Secrets
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          ./.github/scripts/inject-token.ps1 -Token "${{ secrets.UPLOADTHING_TOKEN }}"
+
       - name: Build Projects
         run: |
           BUILD_PROPS="-p:Version=${{ steps.buildinfo.outputs.VERSION }} -p:GitShortHash=${{ steps.buildinfo.outputs.SHORT_HASH }} -p:PullRequestNumber=${{ steps.buildinfo.outputs.PR_NUMBER }} -p:BuildChannel=${{ steps.buildinfo.outputs.CHANNEL }}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 5b338d5e2..9cee9e205 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -221,6 +221,6 @@ jobs:
             ${{ steps.info.outputs.CHANGELOG }}
 
             ### 🔧 Assets
-            - **Installer:** `GenHub-win-Setup.exe`
-            - **Portable:** `GenHub-${{ steps.info.outputs.VERSION }}-win-portable.zip`
+            - **Installer:** [GenHub-win-Setup.exe](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/releases/download/v${{ steps.info.outputs.VERSION }}/GenHub-win-Setup.exe)
+            - **Portable:** [GenHub-${{ steps.info.outputs.VERSION }}-win-portable.zip](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/releases/download/v${{ steps.info.outputs.VERSION }}/GenHub-${{ steps.info.outputs.VERSION }}-win-portable.zip)
           files: final-assets/*
diff --git a/GenHub/GenHub.Windows/GenHub.Windows.csproj b/GenHub/GenHub.Windows/GenHub.Windows.csproj
index be5610dce..4e5308ac9 100644
--- a/GenHub/GenHub.Windows/GenHub.Windows.csproj
+++ b/GenHub/GenHub.Windows/GenHub.Windows.csproj
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@
         <EmbeddedResource Include="Resources\update_genhub.ps1" />
     </ItemGroup>
 
+    <!-- Copy .env file to output directory for local debugging if it exists -->
+    <ItemGroup Condition="Exists('..\..\.env')">
+        <None Include="..\..\.env">
+            <Link>.env</Link>
+            <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
+        </None>
+    </ItemGroup>
+
     <ItemGroup>
         <ProjectReference Include="..\GenHub\GenHub.csproj" />
         <ProjectReference Include="..\GenHub.Core\GenHub.Core.csproj" />
diff --git a/GenHub/GenHub.Windows/Program.cs b/GenHub/GenHub.Windows/Program.cs
index 636c13be3..55e86e1f0 100644
--- a/GenHub/GenHub.Windows/Program.cs
+++ b/GenHub/GenHub.Windows/Program.cs
@@ -36,35 +36,10 @@ public static void Main(string[] args)
         // Load environment variables (locally)
         try
         {
-            // TraversePath() uses CWD by default. Use BaseDirectory to be sure we start from where the exe is.
-            var binDir = AppContext.BaseDirectory;
-            var path = binDir;
-            var found = false;
-
-            // Search up to 6 levels up
-            for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++)
-            {
-               if (System.IO.File.Exists(System.IO.Path.Combine(path, ".env")))
-               {
-                   Env.Load(System.IO.Path.Combine(path, ".env"));
-                   found = true;
-                   break;
-               }
-
-               var parent = System.IO.Directory.GetParent(path);
-               if (parent == null) break;
-               path = parent.FullName;
-            }
-
-            if (!found)
-            {
-                // Fallback to DotNetEnv default traversal just in case
-                Env.TraversePath().Load();
-            }
+            Env.TraversePath().Load();
         }
         catch (Exception ex)
         {
-            Console.WriteLine($"Failed to load environment variables: {ex}");
             System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine($"Failed to load environment variables: {ex}");
         }