diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 06f75e1..b986337 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "codemp"
-version = "0.8.3"
+version = "0.8.4"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "codemp-proto",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 435390a..a4040df 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ authors = [
 ]
 license = "GPL-3.0-only"
 edition = "2021"
-version = "0.8.3"
+version = "0.8.4"
 exclude = ["dist/*"]
 
 [lib]
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2b015e7..aa45475 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 [![Crates.io Version](https://img.shields.io/crates/v/codemp)](https://crates.io/crates/codemp)
 [![Gitter Chat](https://img.shields.io/gitter/room/hexedtech/codemp)](https://gitter.im/hexedtech/codemp)
 [![GitHub last commit](https://img.shields.io/github/last-commit/hexedtech/codemp)](https://github.com/hexedtech/codemp/commits/dev/)
-[![GitHub commits since tagged version](https://img.shields.io/github/commits-since/hexedtech/codemp/v0.8.3)](https://github.com/hexedtech/codemp/releases/tag/v0.8.3)
+[![GitHub commits since tagged version](https://img.shields.io/github/commits-since/hexedtech/codemp/v0.8.4)](https://github.com/hexedtech/codemp/releases/tag/v0.8.4)
 
 > `codemp` is a **collaborative** text editing solution to work remotely.
 
diff --git a/dist/RELEASING.md b/dist/RELEASING.md
index 87d7a62..d5f643f 100644
--- a/dist/RELEASING.md
+++ b/dist/RELEASING.md
@@ -1,30 +1,33 @@
 # Release flow
 
-Releases on registries are automatically handled with GitHub Actions, which will only run on the `stable` branch.
+Releases on registries are automatically handled with GitHub Actions, which will only run on commits tagged as `v[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+`.
 
-Every time we merge on `stable` branch, this happens:
- - builds and tests core library
- - publishes core rust library on `crates.io` (which will rebuild main documentation)
- - builds codemp javascript bindings for windows, linux and macos and publishes it on `npm`
- - builds codemp python bindings for windows, linux and macos and publishes it on `PyPI`
- - builds codemp luajit bindings for windows, linux and macos and publishes it on both `LuaRocks` (source) and codemp.dev/releases (binary)
- - builds codemp java bindings for windows, linux and macos and publishes it on `Maven Central`
+Every time a new tag matching that is pushed:
+- builds and tests core library
+- publishes core rust library on `crates.io` (which will rebuild main documentation)
+- builds codemp javascript bindings for windows, linux and macos and publishes it on `npm`
+- builds codemp python bindings for windows, linux and macos and publishes it on `PyPI`
+- builds codemp luajit bindings for windows, linux and macos and publishes it on both `LuaRocks` (source) and codemp.dev/releases (binary)
+- builds codemp java bindings for windows, linux and macos and publishes it on `Maven Central`
 
 # Checklist
-Before merging on `stable`, make sure all these steps have been followed
+Before writing the tag, make sure all these steps have been followed:
 
 > do any required change in a branch named `release/vX.Y.Z`, for which a PR can then be opened
 
 - [ ] `Cargo.toml`: bump version
-- [ ] `dist/js/package.json`: make sure version matches with Cargo.toml (also check optionalDependencies! all versions must be the same)
-- [ ] `dist/py/pyproject.toml`: make sure version matches with Cargo.toml
-- [ ] `dist/java/build.gradle`: make sure version matches with Cargo.toml
-- [ ] `dist/lua/codemp-X.Y.Z-1.rockspec`: make sure version matches with Cargo.toml (note that rockspec file contains current version in its name so must be renamed) (note that rockspec versions have a fourth component: "revision". we don't use it so always set is as `1`)
+- [ ] `dist/js/package.json`: make sure `version` matches with Cargo.toml (also check `optionalDependencies`: all versions must be the same)
+- [ ] `dist/py/pyproject.toml`: make sure `version` matches with Cargo.toml
+- [ ] `dist/java/build.gradle`: make sure `version` matches with Cargo.toml
+- [ ] `dist/lua/codemp-X.Y.Z-1.rockspec`: make sure `version` matches with Cargo.toml
+	- note that the rockspec file contains current version in its name so must be renamed
+	- note that rockspec versions have a fourth component: "revision". we don't use it so always set is as `1`
 - [ ] update `Cargo.lock` (basically delete it and re-run `cargo build`. check diff before committing!)
 - [ ] **make sure docs build without warning or errors** (`cargo doc --features=serialize`)
 - [ ] **make sure that core crate builds** with `--release --features=js,py,java,lua`
 - [ ] **make sure the version you're about to release is available** (on all registries!)
 - [ ] update last tag in "commits since last tag" badge (in README.md)
 - [ ] commit all these changes (in `release/vX.Y.Z` branch), open a PR and have it approved and merged
-- [ ] generate a new tag with same version as the one specified in Cargo.toml. include changelog in its description (use `git log <last-tag>..HEAD --oneline` to get a commit list, but **don't just put it as-is!**). **remember to push the newly generated tag with** (`git push --tags`)
-- [ ] merge on `stable` and start release CIs (from your PC: `git checkout dev`, `git pull`, `git checkout stable`,  `git pull`, `git merge dev`, `git push`, `git checkout dev`)
+- [ ] generate a new tag with same version as the one specified in Cargo.toml. include changelog in its description
+	- use `git log <last-tag>..HEAD --oneline` to get a commit list, but **don't just put it as-is!**
+	- **remember to push the newly generated tag with** (`git push --tags`)
diff --git a/dist/java/build.gradle b/dist/java/build.gradle
index 2416c76..66f07b2 100644
--- a/dist/java/build.gradle
+++ b/dist/java/build.gradle
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ plugins {
 }
 
 group = 'mp.code'
-version = '0.8.3'
+version = '0.8.4'
 
 tasks.register('windowsJar', Jar) {
 	outputs.upToDateWhen { false }
diff --git a/dist/js/package.json b/dist/js/package.json
index 9887758..be70237 100644
--- a/dist/js/package.json
+++ b/dist/js/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@codemp/native",
-  "version": "0.8.3",
+  "version": "0.8.4",
   "description": "code multiplexer -- javascript bindings",
   "keywords": [
     "codemp",
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@
 	}
   },
   "optionalDependencies": {
-    "@codemp/native-win32-x64-msvc": "0.8.3",
-    "@codemp/native-darwin-arm64": "0.8.3",
-    "@codemp/native-linux-x64-gnu": "0.8.3"
+    "@codemp/native-win32-x64-msvc": "0.8.4",
+    "@codemp/native-darwin-arm64": "0.8.4",
+    "@codemp/native-linux-x64-gnu": "0.8.4"
   }
 }
diff --git a/dist/lua/codemp-0.8.3-1.rockspec b/dist/lua/codemp-0.8.4-1.rockspec
similarity index 96%
rename from dist/lua/codemp-0.8.3-1.rockspec
rename to dist/lua/codemp-0.8.4-1.rockspec
index 0245960..6cbeff4 100644
--- a/dist/lua/codemp-0.8.3-1.rockspec
+++ b/dist/lua/codemp-0.8.4-1.rockspec
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 package = "codemp"
-version = "0.8.3-1"
+version = "0.8.4-1"
 
 source = {
 	url = "git+https://github.com/hexedtech/codemp",
-	tag = "v0.8.3",
+	tag = "v0.8.4",
 }
 
 dependencies = {
diff --git a/dist/py/pyproject.toml b/dist/py/pyproject.toml
index 36aa733..9dc3304 100644
--- a/dist/py/pyproject.toml
+++ b/dist/py/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "codemp"
-version = "0.8.3"
+version = "0.8.4"
 description = "code multiplexer"
 requires-python = ">=3.8"
 license = "GPL-3.0-only"