diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 9764bb75..d5e34a51 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -31,15 +31,9 @@ jobs:
           rustup show
           rustup component add rustfmt clippy
       - name: Code format check
-        uses: actions-rs/cargo@v1
-        with:
-          command: fmt
-          args: -- --check
+        run: cargo fmt --check
       - name: Clippy check
-        uses: actions-rs/cargo@v1
-        with:
-          command: clippy
-          args: -- -D warnings
+        run: cargo clippy -- -D warnings
       - name: Environment setup
         id: env
         shell: bash
@@ -90,50 +84,75 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         job:
-          - { target: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu, arch: amd64, os: ubuntu-20.04 }
-          - { target: x86_64-apple-darwin, arch: darwin, os: macos-latest }
-          - { target: aarch64-apple-darwin, arch: darwin, os: macos-latest }
+          - {
+              target: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu,
+              arch: amd64,
+              os: ubuntu-20.04,
+              build-cmd: "cargo",
+            }
+          - {
+              target: x86_64-apple-darwin,
+              arch: darwin,
+              os: macos-latest,
+              build-cmd: "cargo",
+            }
+          - {
+              target: aarch64-apple-darwin,
+              arch: darwin,
+              os: macos-latest,
+              build-cmd: "cargo",
+            }
           - {
               target: x86_64-unknown-linux-musl,
               arch: amd64,
               os: ubuntu-20.04,
-              use-cross: true,
+              build-cmd: "cross",
             }
           - {
               target: arm-unknown-linux-gnueabi,
               arch: armel,
               os: ubuntu-20.04,
-              use-cross: true,
+              build-cmd: "cross",
             }
           - {
               target: arm-unknown-linux-gnueabihf,
               arch: armhf,
               os: ubuntu-20.04,
-              use-cross: true,
+              build-cmd: "cross",
             }
           - {
               target: armv7-unknown-linux-gnueabihf,
               arch: armhf,
               os: ubuntu-20.04,
-              use-cross: true,
+              build-cmd: "cross",
             }
           - {
               target: aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu,
               arch: arm64,
               os: ubuntu-20.04,
-              use-cross: true,
+              build-cmd: "cross",
             }
           - {
               target: aarch64-unknown-linux-musl,
               arch: arm64,
               os: ubuntu-20.04,
-              use-cross: true,
+              build-cmd: "cross",
+            }
+          - {
+              target: x86_64-pc-windows-msvc,
+              arch: win64,
+              os: windows-2019,
+              build-cmd: "cargo",
             }
-          - { target: x86_64-pc-windows-msvc, arch: win64, os: windows-2019 }
           ##
           ## NOTE: cannon build for Windows GNU as not supported by cyclors
           ##
-          # - { target: x86_64-pc-windows-gnu, arch: win64 , os: windows-2019 }
+          # - {
+          #     target: x86_64-pc-windows-gnu,
+          #     arch: win64,
+          #     os: windows-2019,
+          #     build-cmd: "cargo",
+          #   }
     steps:
       - name: Checkout source code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -164,38 +183,26 @@ jobs:
               ;;
           esac
 
+          cargo install cross --git https://github.com/cross-rs/cross
+
       - name: Install Rust toolchain
         run: |
           rustup show
           rustup target add ${{ matrix.job.target }}
 
       - name: zenoh-plugin-dds > Build
-        uses: actions-rs/cargo@v1
-        with:
-          use-cross: ${{ matrix.job.use-cross }}
-          command: build
-          args: --release --target=${{ matrix.job.target }} -p zenoh-plugin-dds
-
+        run: ${{ matrix.job.build-cmd }} build --release --target=${{ matrix.job.target }} -p zenoh-plugin-dds
+  
       - name: zenoh-bridge-dds > Build
-        uses: actions-rs/cargo@v1
-        with:
-          use-cross: ${{ matrix.job.use-cross }}
-          command: build
-          args: --release --target=${{ matrix.job.target }} -p zenoh-bridge-dds
+        run: ${{ matrix.job.build-cmd }} build --release --target=${{ matrix.job.target }} -p zenoh-bridge-dds
 
       - name: zenoh-plugin-dds > Debian package
         if: contains(matrix.job.target, '-linux-gnu')
-        uses: actions-rs/cargo@v1
-        with:
-          command: deb
-          args: --no-build --target=${{ matrix.job.target }} -p zenoh-plugin-dds
+        run: cargo deb --no-build --target=${{ matrix.job.target }} -p zenoh-plugin-dds
 
       - name: zenoh-bridge-dds > Debian package
         if: contains(matrix.job.target, '-linux-gnu')
-        uses: actions-rs/cargo@v1
-        with:
-          command: deb
-          args: --no-build --target=${{ matrix.job.target }} -p zenoh-bridge-dds
+        run: cargo deb --no-build --target=${{ matrix.job.target }} -p zenoh-bridge-dds
 
       - name: Packaging
         id: package