diff --git a/.github/workflows/autoupdate.yml b/.github/workflows/autoupdate.yml
index 7bebc60..290f01e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/autoupdate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/autoupdate.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ on:
   schedule:
     - cron: '42 9 * * *'
 
+permissions:
+  pull-requests: write
+
 jobs:
   autoupdate:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -25,7 +28,6 @@ jobs:
         if: steps.diff.outputs.nbdiff != '0'
         uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v7
         with:
-          token: ${{ secrets.SMC_PR_PAT }}
           branch: autoupdate-fwdb
           commit-message: "update: fwdb from ${{ steps.diff.outputs.change }}, ${{ steps.diff.outputs.nbdiff }} microcode changes"
           title: "[Auto] Update fwdb from ${{ steps.diff.outputs.change }}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..522b7f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+name: build
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - test
+      - source
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+      with:
+        persist-credentials: true
+    - name: install prerequisites
+      run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y shellcheck shfmt jq sqlite3 iucode-tool make
+    - name: build and check
+      run: |
+        make build fmt-check shellcheck
+        mv spectre-meltdown-checker.sh dist/
+    - name: check direct execution
+      run: |
+        expected=$(cat .github/workflows/expected_cve_count)
+        cd dist
+        nb=$(sudo ./spectre-meltdown-checker.sh --batch json | jq '.[]|.CVE' | wc -l)
+        if [ "$nb" -ne "$expected" ]; then
+          echo "Invalid number of CVEs reported: $nb instead of $expected"
+          exit 1
+        else
+          echo "OK $nb CVEs reported"
+        fi
+    - name: check docker compose run execution
+      run: |
+        expected=$(cat .github/workflows/expected_cve_count)
+        cd dist
+        docker compose build
+        nb=$(docker compose run --rm spectre-meltdown-checker --batch json | jq '.[]|.CVE' | wc -l)
+        if [ "$nb" -ne "$expected" ]; then
+          echo "Invalid number of CVEs reported: $nb instead of $expected"
+          exit 1
+        else
+          echo "OK $nb CVEs reported"
+        fi
+    - name: check docker run execution
+      run: |
+        expected=$(cat .github/workflows/expected_cve_count)
+        cd dist
+        docker build -t spectre-meltdown-checker .
+        nb=$(docker run --rm --privileged -v /boot:/boot:ro -v /dev/cpu:/dev/cpu:ro -v /lib/modules:/lib/modules:ro spectre-meltdown-checker --batch json | jq '.[]|.CVE' | wc -l)
+        if [ "$nb" -ne "$expected" ]; then
+          echo "Invalid number of CVEs reported: $nb instead of $expected"
+          exit 1
+        else
+          echo "OK $nb CVEs reported"
+        fi
+    - name: check fwdb update (separated)
+      run: |
+        cd dist
+        nbtmp1=$(find /tmp 2>/dev/null | wc -l)
+        ./spectre-meltdown-checker.sh --update-fwdb; ret=$?
+        if [ "$ret" != 0 ]; then
+          echo "Non-zero return value: $ret"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        nbtmp2=$(find /tmp 2>/dev/null | wc -l)
+        if [ "$nbtmp1" != "$nbtmp2" ]; then
+          echo "Left temporary files!"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        if ! [ -e ~/.mcedb ]; then
+          echo "No .mcedb file found after updating fwdb"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+    - name: check fwdb update (builtin)
+      run: |
+        cd dist
+        nbtmp1=$(find /tmp 2>/dev/null | wc -l)
+        ./spectre-meltdown-checker.sh --update-builtin-fwdb; ret=$?
+        if [ "$ret" != 0 ]; then
+          echo "Non-zero return value: $ret"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        nbtmp2=$(find /tmp 2>/dev/null | wc -l)
+        if [ "$nbtmp1" != "$nbtmp2" ]; then
+          echo "Left temporary files!"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+    - name: create a pull request to ${{ github.ref_name }}-build
+      run: |
+        tmpdir=$(mktemp -d)
+        mv ./dist/* .github $tmpdir/
+        rm -rf ./dist
+        git fetch origin ${{ github.ref_name }}-build
+        git checkout -f ${{ github.ref_name }}-build
+        mv $tmpdir/* .
+        mkdir -p .github
+        rsync -vaP --delete $tmpdir/.github/ .github/
+        git add --all
+        echo =#=#= DIFF CACHED
+        git diff --cached
+        echo =#=#= STATUS
+        git status
+        echo =#=#= COMMIT
+        git config --global user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+        git config --global user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+        git log ${{ github.ref }} -1 --format=format:'%s%n%n built from commit %H%n dated %ai%n by %an (%ae)%n%n %b'
+        git log ${{ github.ref }} -1 --format=format:'%s%n%n built from commit %H%n dated %ai%n by %an (%ae)%n%n %b' | git commit -F -
+        git push
diff --git a/.github/workflows/expected_cve_count b/.github/workflows/expected_cve_count
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aabe6ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/expected_cve_count
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+21
diff --git a/.github/workflows/stale.yml b/.github/workflows/stale.yml
index b234f10..610d2fd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/stale.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/stale.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,16 @@ name: 'Manage stale issues and PRs'
 on:
   schedule:
     - cron: '37 7 * * *'
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      action:
+        description: "dry-run"
+        required: true
+        default: "dryrun"
+        type: choice
+        options:
+          - dryrun
+          - apply
 
 permissions:
   issues: write
@@ -20,4 +30,4 @@ jobs:
           days-before-close: 7
           stale-issue-label: stale
           remove-stale-when-updated: true
-          debug-only: true
+          debug-only: ${{ case(inputs.action == 'apply', false, true) }}
diff --git a/spectre-meltdown-checker.sh b/spectre-meltdown-checker.sh
index a256716..863afe0 100755
--- a/spectre-meltdown-checker.sh
+++ b/spectre-meltdown-checker.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 #
 # Stephane Lesimple
 #
-VERSION='26.21.0402694'
+VERSION='26.21.0402701'
 
 # --- Common paths and basedirs ---
 readonly VULN_SYSFS_BASE="/sys/devices/system/cpu/vulnerabilities"