diff --git a/.github/workflows/cicd.yml b/.github/workflows/cicd.yml
index 7358fa2a..5a776c99 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cicd.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cicd.yml
@@ -289,22 +289,14 @@ jobs:
                   echo "LATEST_BADGER_TAG=$LATEST_TAG" >> $GITHUB_ENV
               shell: bash
 
-            - name: Update install/main.go
-              run: |
-                  PANGOLIN_VERSION=${{ env.TAG }}
-                  GERBIL_VERSION=${{ env.LATEST_GERBIL_TAG }}
-                  BADGER_VERSION=${{ env.LATEST_BADGER_TAG }}
-                  sed -i "s/config.PangolinVersion = \".*\"/config.PangolinVersion = \"$PANGOLIN_VERSION\"/" install/main.go
-                  sed -i "s/config.GerbilVersion = \".*\"/config.GerbilVersion = \"$GERBIL_VERSION\"/" install/main.go
-                  sed -i "s/config.BadgerVersion = \".*\"/config.BadgerVersion = \"$BADGER_VERSION\"/" install/main.go
-                  echo "Updated install/main.go with Pangolin version $PANGOLIN_VERSION, Gerbil version $GERBIL_VERSION, and Badger version $BADGER_VERSION"
-                  cat install/main.go
-              shell: bash
-
             - name: Build installer
               working-directory: install
               run: |
-                  make go-build-release
+                  make go-build-release \
+                    PANGOLIN_VERSION=${{ env.TAG }} \
+                    GERBIL_VERSION=${{ env.LATEST_GERBIL_TAG }} \
+                    BADGER_VERSION=${{ env.LATEST_BADGER_TAG }}
+              shell: bash
 
             - name: Upload artifacts from /install/bin
               uses: actions/upload-artifact@b7c566a772e6b6bfb58ed0dc250532a479d7789f # v6.0.0
diff --git a/install/Makefile b/install/Makefile
index 53365f50..8a836b77 100644
--- a/install/Makefile
+++ b/install/Makefile
@@ -1,41 +1,24 @@
-all: update-versions go-build-release put-back
-dev-all: dev-update-versions dev-build dev-clean
+all: go-build-release
+
+# Build with version injection via ldflags
+# Versions can be passed via: make go-build-release PANGOLIN_VERSION=x.x.x GERBIL_VERSION=x.x.x BADGER_VERSION=x.x.x
+# Or fetched automatically if not provided (requires curl and jq)
+
+PANGOLIN_VERSION ?= $(shell curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/fosrl/pangolin/tags | jq -r '.[0].name')
+GERBIL_VERSION ?= $(shell curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/fosrl/gerbil/tags | jq -r '.[0].name')
+BADGER_VERSION ?= $(shell curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/fosrl/badger/tags | jq -r '.[0].name')
+
+LDFLAGS = -X main.pangolinVersion=$(PANGOLIN_VERSION) \
+          -X main.gerbilVersion=$(GERBIL_VERSION) \
+          -X main.badgerVersion=$(BADGER_VERSION)
 
 go-build-release:
-	CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 go build -o bin/installer_linux_amd64
-	CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux GOARCH=arm64 go build -o bin/installer_linux_arm64
+	@echo "Building with versions - Pangolin: $(PANGOLIN_VERSION), Gerbil: $(GERBIL_VERSION), Badger: $(BADGER_VERSION)"
+	CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 go build -ldflags "$(LDFLAGS)" -o bin/installer_linux_amd64
+	CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux GOARCH=arm64 go build -ldflags "$(LDFLAGS)" -o bin/installer_linux_arm64
 
 clean:
 	rm -f bin/installer_linux_amd64
 	rm -f bin/installer_linux_arm64
 
-update-versions:
-	@echo "Fetching latest versions..."
-	cp main.go main.go.bak && \
-	$(MAKE) dev-update-versions
-
-put-back:
-	mv main.go.bak main.go
-
-dev-update-versions:
-	if [ -z "$(tag)" ]; then \
-		PANGOLIN_VERSION=$$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/fosrl/pangolin/tags | jq -r '.[0].name'); \
-	else \
-		PANGOLIN_VERSION=$(tag); \
-	fi && \
-	GERBIL_VERSION=$$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/fosrl/gerbil/tags | jq -r '.[0].name') && \
-	BADGER_VERSION=$$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/fosrl/badger/tags | jq -r '.[0].name') && \
-	echo "Latest versions - Pangolin: $$PANGOLIN_VERSION, Gerbil: $$GERBIL_VERSION, Badger: $$BADGER_VERSION" && \
-	sed -i "s/config.PangolinVersion = \".*\"/config.PangolinVersion = \"$$PANGOLIN_VERSION\"/" main.go && \
-	sed -i "s/config.GerbilVersion = \".*\"/config.GerbilVersion = \"$$GERBIL_VERSION\"/" main.go && \
-	sed -i "s/config.BadgerVersion = \".*\"/config.BadgerVersion = \"$$BADGER_VERSION\"/" main.go && \
-	echo "Updated main.go with latest versions"
-
-dev-build: go-build-release
-
-dev-clean:
-	@echo "Restoring version values ..."
-	sed -i "s/config.PangolinVersion = \".*\"/config.PangolinVersion = \"replaceme\"/" main.go && \
-	sed -i "s/config.GerbilVersion = \".*\"/config.GerbilVersion = \"replaceme\"/" main.go && \
-	sed -i "s/config.BadgerVersion = \".*\"/config.BadgerVersion = \"replaceme\"/" main.go
-	@echo "Restored version strings in main.go"
+.PHONY: all go-build-release clean
diff --git a/install/main.go b/install/main.go
index db480fbb..da88dcf7 100644
--- a/install/main.go
+++ b/install/main.go
@@ -20,11 +20,17 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
-// DO NOT EDIT THIS FUNCTION; IT MATCHED BY REGEX IN CICD
+// Version variables injected at build time via -ldflags
+var (
+	pangolinVersion string
+	gerbilVersion   string
+	badgerVersion   string
+)
+
 func loadVersions(config *Config) {
-	config.PangolinVersion = "replaceme"
-	config.GerbilVersion = "replaceme"
-	config.BadgerVersion = "replaceme"
+	config.PangolinVersion = pangolinVersion
+	config.GerbilVersion = gerbilVersion
+	config.BadgerVersion = badgerVersion
 }
 
 //go:embed config/*