diff --git a/esbuild.js b/esbuild.js
index 7e29ba9..35d17ba 100644
--- a/esbuild.js
+++ b/esbuild.js
@@ -22,51 +22,9 @@ const dist_dir = path.resolve(process.cwd());
 build_smart_env_config(dist_dir, roots);
 
 /**
- * @deprecated Use esbuild's "loader" to load as text
+ * Import CSS as text:
+ *   import sheet from './style.css';
  */
-export function css_with_plugin() {
-  return {
-    name: 'css-with-plugin',
-    setup(build) {
-      // Intercept all .css files
-      build.onLoad({ filter: /\.css$/ }, async (args) => {
-        // Check for the "with" import attribute and that its type is 'css'
-        if (args.with && args.with.type === 'css') {
-          // Read the CSS file contents
-          const fs = await import('fs/promises');
-          let css_content = await fs.readFile(args.path, 'utf8');
-
-          // Optionally transform (minify) the CSS if minification is enabled
-          const should_minify = build.initialOptions.minify || false;
-          if (should_minify) {
-            const result = await esbuild.transform(css_content, {
-              loader: 'css',
-              minify: true,
-            });
-            css_content = result.code;
-          }
-
-          // Escape any backticks in the CSS content to avoid breaking the template literal
-          const escaped_css = css_content.replace(/`/g, '\\`');
-
-          // Create a JavaScript module that creates a CSSStyleSheet and exports it
-          const js_module = `
-            const css_sheet = new CSSStyleSheet();
-            css_sheet.replaceSync(\`${escaped_css}\`);
-            export default css_sheet;
-          `;
-
-          return {
-            contents: js_module,
-            loader: 'js',
-          };
-        }
-        // If the "with" attribute is not present or not type "css",
-        // return undefined so that other loaders/plugins can process it.
-      });
-    },
-  };
-}
 
 // markdown import plugin (matches smart-connections-obsidian)
 const markdown_plugin = {
@@ -133,7 +91,7 @@ esbuild.build({
   loader: {
     '.css': 'text',
   },
-  plugins: [css_with_plugin(), markdown_plugin],
+  plugins: [markdown_plugin],
 }).then(() => {
   console.log('Build complete');
   const release_file_paths = [manifest_path, styles_path, main_path];
diff --git a/release.js b/release.js
index c58e658..a239495 100644
--- a/release.js
+++ b/release.js
@@ -1,194 +1,21 @@
-import 'dotenv/config';
-import fs from 'fs';
 import path from 'path';
-import readline from 'readline';
-import archiver from 'archiver';
-import axios from 'axios';
-import { exec } from 'child_process';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
-import { remove_existing_release_and_tag } from '../obsidian-smart-env/build/github_release_utils.js';
+import { run_core_release } from '../obsidian-smart-env/build/release_runner.js';
 import {
   build_combined_notes,
   latest_release_file,
   semver_compare,
-  parse_cli_options,
-  write_plugin_release_notes
 } from '../obsidian-smart-env/build/release_notes.js';
 
-/* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
-/*  Runtime                                                                   */
-/* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
-
 const is_main = path.resolve(process.argv[1] ?? '') === fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
 
 if (is_main) {
-  run_release().catch((err) => {
+  run_core_release().catch((err) => {
     console.error('Error in release process:', err);
     process.exit(1);
   });
 }
 
-async function run_release() {
-  const cli_options = parse_cli_options(process.argv.slice(2));
-
-  // Read package & manifest
-  const package_json = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('./package.json', 'utf8'));
-  const manifest_json = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('./manifest.json', 'utf8'));
-  const version = package_json.version;
-  const manifest_id = manifest_json.id;
-
-  if (version !== manifest_json.version) {
-    console.error('Version mismatch between package.json and manifest.json');
-    process.exit(1);
-  }
-
-  // Readline only if we need user input
-  const rl = readline.createInterface({ input: process.stdin, output: process.stdout });
-  const ask = (q) => new Promise((res) => rl.question(q, res));
-
-  const confirmed_version =
-    (await ask(`Confirm release version (${version}): `))?.trim() || version;
-  console.log(`Creating release for ${confirmed_version}`);
-
-  const releases_dir = './releases';
-  const release_file = path.join(releases_dir, `${confirmed_version}.md`);
-  let version_notes = '';
-  let user_desc = '';
-
-  if (fs.existsSync(release_file)) {
-    version_notes = fs.readFileSync(release_file, 'utf8').trim();
-  } else {
-    const prior_file = latest_release_file(releases_dir, confirmed_version);
-    let prior_notes = prior_file ? fs.readFileSync(prior_file, 'utf8').trim() : '';
-
-    if (prior_notes.includes('## next patch')) {
-      prior_notes = prior_notes.replace('## next patch', `## patch \`v${confirmed_version}\`\n`);
-      version_notes = prior_notes;
-    } else {
-      user_desc = await ask('Enter additional release description (optional): ');
-      version_notes = build_combined_notes(confirmed_version, prior_notes, user_desc);
-    }
-
-    // Persist the updated canonical notes file (mirrors smart-connections behavior).
-    if (prior_file) {
-      fs.writeFileSync(prior_file, version_notes);
-    } else {
-      fs.mkdirSync(releases_dir, { recursive: true });
-      fs.writeFileSync(release_file, version_notes);
-    }
-  }
-
-  // Generate releases/latest_release.md (for in-plugin ReleaseNotesView)
-  const target_file = fs.existsSync(release_file)
-    ? release_file
-    : latest_release_file(releases_dir, confirmed_version);
-
-  if (target_file) {
-    write_plugin_release_notes({
-      release_path: target_file,
-      output_path: './releases/latest_release.md',
-      version: confirmed_version,
-    });
-  } else {
-    console.warn('No release notes file found to format into latest_release.md');
-  }
-
-  rl.close();
-
-  await new Promise((res) => setTimeout(res, 500)); // allow write to flush
-
-  // re-run npm run build and wait for it to finish
-  await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-    exec('npm run build', (err, stdout, stderr) => {
-      if (err) reject(err);
-      if (stdout) console.log(stdout);
-      console.log('build finished');
-      resolve();
-    });
-  });
-
-  // GitHub release body
-  const release_body = version_notes;
-
-  // GH env
-  const github_token = process.env.GH_TOKEN;
-  const github_repo = process.env.GH_REPO;
-  if (!github_token || !github_repo) {
-    console.error('GH_TOKEN or GH_REPO missing from .env');
-    process.exit(1);
-  }
-
-  if (cli_options.replace_existing) {
-    console.log(
-      `--replace-existing set; removing any existing release and tag for ${confirmed_version}`,
-    );
-    await remove_existing_release_and_tag({
-      github_repo,
-      github_token,
-      tag_name: confirmed_version,
-    });
-  }
-
-  // Create release via GH API
-  const release_data = {
-    tag_name: confirmed_version,
-    name: confirmed_version,
-    body: release_body,
-    draft: cli_options.draft,
-    prerelease: false,
-  };
-  const release_resp = await axios.post(
-    `https://api.github.com/repos/${github_repo}/releases`,
-    release_data,
-    { headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${github_token}`, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' } },
-  );
-  const { upload_url, html_url } = release_resp.data;
-  console.log('Release created:', html_url);
-
-  // Asset upload helper (curl avoids axios chunk issues)
-  const upload_asset_curl = (asset_path, asset_name) =>
-    new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-      const url = `${upload_url.split('{')[0]}?name=${encodeURIComponent(asset_name)}`;
-      const cmd = [
-        'curl',
-        '-X', 'POST',
-        '-H', `"Authorization: Bearer ${github_token}"`,
-        '-H', '"Content-Type: application/octet-stream"',
-        '--data-binary', `@${asset_path}`,
-        `"${url}"`,
-      ].join(' ');
-      exec(cmd, (err, stdout, stderr) => {
-        if (err) return reject(err);
-        if (stdout) console.log(stdout);
-        if (stderr) console.log(stderr);
-        console.log(`Uploaded ${asset_name}`);
-        resolve();
-      });
-    });
-
-  // Zip dist & upload assets
-  const zip_name = `${manifest_id}-${confirmed_version}.zip`;
-  const zip_stream = fs.createWriteStream(`./${zip_name}`);
-  const archive = archiver('zip', { zlib: { level: 0 } });
-
-  await new Promise((res, rej) => {
-    archive.pipe(zip_stream);
-    archive.directory('dist/', false);
-    archive.on('error', rej);
-    zip_stream.on('close', res);
-    archive.finalize();
-  });
-  console.log(`Archive wrote ${archive.pointer()} bytes`);
-  await upload_asset_curl(`./${zip_name}`, zip_name);
-
-  // Upload each dist file
-  for (const file of fs.readdirSync('./dist')) {
-    await upload_asset_curl(`./dist/${file}`, file);
-  }
-  // Clean up zip after a short delay
-  setTimeout(() => fs.unlinkSync(`./${zip_name}`), 3000);
-}
-
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 /*  Exports for unit tests                                                    */
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */