diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index a42c1c3301..5c37e85e05 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ jobs:
       - 
         name: Install system deps & tools
         run: |
-          chmod +x deps-debian.sh && ./deps-debian.sh
+          chmod +x deps-debian-build.sh && ./deps-debian-build.sh
           echo "$HOME/.local/share/mise/shims" >> $GITHUB_PATH
       - 
         name: Check tools
@@ -277,11 +277,11 @@ jobs:
   #           export TERM=${{ env.TERM }}
   #           case "${{ matrix.distro }}" in
   #             ubuntu*|jessie|stretch|buster|bullseye)
-  #               # chmod +x deps-debian.sh && ./deps-debian.sh
+  #               # chmod +x deps-debian-build.sh && ./deps-debian-build.sh
   #               # TODO ^ how to use the script here? (checked out files not available in install step)
   #               ;;
   #             alpine*)
-  #               # chmod +x deps-alpine.sh && ./deps-alpine.sh
+  #               # chmod +x deps-alpine-build.sh && ./deps-alpine-build.sh
   #               ;;
   #           esac
            
@@ -291,11 +291,11 @@ jobs:
   #           echo "Run!..."
   #           case "${{ matrix.distro }}" in
   #             ubuntu*|jessie|stretch|buster|bullseye)
-  #               chmod +x deps-debian.sh && ./deps-debian.sh
+  #               chmod +x deps-debian-build.sh && ./deps-debian-build.sh
   #               # TODO ^ do in install step instead
   #               ;;
   #             alpine*)
-  #               chmod +x deps-alpine.sh && ./deps-alpine.sh
+  #               chmod +x deps-alpine-build.sh && ./deps-alpine-build.sh
   #               ;;
   #           esac
   #           # . "/opt/asdf/asdf.sh"
diff --git a/Dockerfile.release b/Dockerfile.release
index f7d47d18f9..1f386abafe 100755
--- a/Dockerfile.release
+++ b/Dockerfile.release
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ RUN apk add --update --no-cache \
   openssl-dev \
   # ^ for HTTPS, etc
   git \ 
-  build-base \ 
+  # build-base \ 
   # ^ required by tree_magic 
   tzdata \
   gettext \
diff --git a/deps-alpine-extra.sh b/deps-alpine-extra.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2e03b7e6d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deps-alpine-extra.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+apk add bash git tar file build-base gcc sqlite npm mailcap ca-certificates openssl-dev tzdata gettext curl rust cargo just libc-dev elixir
+
+mix local.hex --force
+mix local.rebar --force
diff --git a/deps-debian-build.sh b/deps-debian-build.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c3b3c30557
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deps-debian-build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+apt-get update -q -y
+
+# runtime deps
+chmod +x ./deps-debian.sh
+./deps-debian.sh
+
+# dev deps
+apt-get install -q -y --no-install-recommends gcc sqlite3 npm rustc cargo 
+
+# deps of tools
+apt-get install -q -y --no-install-recommends autoconf dpkg-dev gcc g++ make libncurses-dev unixodbc-dev libssl-dev libsctp-dev libodbc1 libssl1.1 libsctp1 
+
+# tools
+# NOTE: using mise because bullseye elixir version is too old
+curl https://mise.run | sh
+PATH="~/.local/share/mise/shims:~/.local/bin/:$PATH"
+echo 'export PATH="~/.local/share/mise/shims:~/.local/bin/:$PATH"' >> ~/.bash_profile
+mise plugin-add erlang 
+mise plugin-add elixir 
+mise plugin-add just
+
+mise install
+
+# FYI: uses .tool-versions instead of the below
+# which erl || (mise install erlang latest && asdf global erlang latest)
+# elixir -v || (asdf install elixir latest && asdf global elixir latest) #|| apt-get install -y elixir
+# just --version || (asdf install just latest && asdf global just latest) || cargo install just #|| apt-get install -y just 
+# npm install --global yarn
+
diff --git a/deps-debian.sh b/deps-debian.sh
index 5f257cd736..9c75c35836 100644
--- a/deps-debian.sh
+++ b/deps-debian.sh
@@ -3,24 +3,8 @@
 apt-get update -q -y
 
 # deps
-apt-get install -q -y --no-install-recommends git tar file gcc sqlite3 npm mailcap ca-certificates libssl-dev tzdata gettext curl rustc cargo wget gnupg sudo unzip
-
-# deps of tools
-apt-get install -q -y --no-install-recommends autoconf dpkg-dev gcc g++ make libncurses-dev unixodbc-dev libssl-dev libsctp-dev libodbc1 libssl1.1 libsctp1 
-
-# NOTE: using mise because bullseye elixir version is too old
-curl https://mise.run | sh
-PATH="~/.local/share/mise/shims:~/.local/bin/:$PATH"
-echo 'export PATH="~/.local/share/mise/shims:~/.local/bin/:$PATH"' >> ~/.bash_profile
-mise plugin-add erlang 
-mise plugin-add elixir 
-mise plugin-add just
-
-mise install
-
-# FYI: uses .tool-versions instead of the below
-# which erl || (mise install erlang latest && asdf global erlang latest)
-# elixir -v || (asdf install elixir latest && asdf global elixir latest) #|| apt-get install -y elixir
-# just --version || (asdf install just latest && asdf global just latest) || cargo install just #|| apt-get install -y just 
-# npm install --global yarn
+apt-get install -q -y --no-install-recommends git tar unzip curl wget file mailcap bash \
+ca-certificates openssh-client libgcrypt20-dev libssl-dev gnupg \
+tzdata gettext \
+imagemagick libvips-tools poppler-utils
 
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index a062bc2ba5..681efc25a6 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -903,9 +903,6 @@ nix-db-init: (nix-db "start")
   createdb ${PGDATABASE}
   createuser -dlsw ${PGUSERNAME}
 
-sys-deps-debian:
-  ./deps-debian.sh
-
 # to test federation locally you can use `just dev-federate` or `just test-federation-live-DRAGONS`
 # and run this in seperate terminal to start the above tunnel: `just tunnel`