diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 045576380..e45df5429 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -17,6 +17,6 @@ payjoin-directory = { path = "payjoin-directory" }
 payjoin-service = { path = "payjoin-service" }
 payjoin-test-utils = { path = "payjoin-test-utils" }
 
-[profile.crane]
+[profile.nix-ci]
 inherits = "test"
 debug = false
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index af3bd1e83..ad5fb763b 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -100,10 +100,6 @@
           inherit src;
           strictDeps = true;
 
-          # avoid release builds throughout for faster feedback from checks
-          # note that this also affects the built packages
-          CARGO_PROFILE = "crane";
-
           # provide fallback name & version for workspace related derivations
           # this is mainly to silence warnings from crane about providing a stub
           # value overridden in per-crate packages with info from Cargo.toml
@@ -114,16 +110,37 @@
           BITCOIND_SKIP_DOWNLOAD = 1;
         };
 
+        # avoid release builds throughout for faster feedback from checks
+        ciArgs = commonArgs // {
+          CARGO_PROFILE = "nix-ci";
+        };
+
+        # use release profile for built packages
+        releaseArgs = commonArgs // {
+          CARGO_PROFILE = "release";
+        };
+
         cargoArtifacts = builtins.mapAttrs (
           name: craneLib:
           craneLib.buildDepsOnly (
-            commonArgs
+            releaseArgs
             // {
               name = "workspace-deps-${name}";
               cargoLock = cargoLock.${name};
             }
           )
         ) craneLibVersions;
+        # use nix-ci profile for cargo artifacts
+        cargoArtifactsCi = builtins.mapAttrs (
+          name: craneLib:
+          craneLib.buildDepsOnly (
+            ciArgs
+            // {
+              name = "workspace-deps-ci-${name}";
+              cargoLock = cargoLock.${name};
+            }
+          )
+        ) craneLibVersions;
 
         treefmtEval = treefmt-nix.lib.evalModule pkgs ./treefmt.nix;
 
@@ -144,7 +161,7 @@
               # build packages with MSRV toolchain by default, since the builds are
               # mostly for testing purposes
               craneLibVersions.msrv.buildPackage (
-                commonArgs
+                releaseArgs
                 // craneLibVersions.msrv.crateNameFromCargoToml {
                   cargoToml = builtins.toPath "${./.}/${name}/Cargo.toml";
                 }
@@ -245,16 +262,15 @@
         };
         formatter = treefmtEval.config.build.wrapper;
         checks =
-          packages
-          // (pkgs.lib.mapAttrs' (
+          (pkgs.lib.mapAttrs' (
             name: craneLib:
             (pkgs.lib.nameValuePair "payjoin-workspace-nextest-${name}" (
               craneLib.cargoNextest (
-                commonArgs
+                ciArgs
                 // {
                   name = "payjoin-workspace-nextest-${name}";
                   cargoLock = cargoLock.${name};
-                  cargoArtifacts = cargoArtifacts.${name};
+                  cargoArtifacts = cargoArtifactsCi.${name};
                   partitions = 1;
                   partitionType = "count";
                   cargoExtraArgs = "--locked --all-features";
@@ -271,11 +287,11 @@
           )
           // {
             payjoin-workspace-machete = craneLibVersions.nightly.mkCargoDerivation (
-              commonArgs
+              ciArgs
               // {
                 pname = "payjoin-workspace-machete";
                 cargoLock = cargoLock.nightly;
-                cargoArtifacts = cargoArtifacts.nightly;
+                cargoArtifacts = cargoArtifactsCi.nightly;
                 nativeBuildInputs = [ pkgs.cargo-machete ];
                 buildPhaseCargoCommand = "";
                 checkPhaseCargoCommand = "cargo machete";
@@ -284,24 +300,24 @@
             );
 
             payjoin-workspace-clippy = craneLibVersions.nightly.cargoClippy (
-              commonArgs
+              ciArgs
               // {
                 cargoLock = cargoLock.nightly;
-                cargoArtifacts = cargoArtifacts.nightly;
+                cargoArtifacts = cargoArtifactsCi.nightly;
                 cargoClippyExtraArgs = "--all-targets --all-features --keep-going -- --deny warnings";
               }
             );
 
             payjoin-workspace-doc = craneLibVersions.nightly.cargoDoc (
-              commonArgs
+              ciArgs
               // {
                 cargoLock = cargoLock.nightly;
-                cargoArtifacts = cargoArtifacts.nightly;
+                cargoArtifacts = cargoArtifactsCi.nightly;
               }
             );
 
             payjoin-workspace-fmt = craneLibVersions.nightly.cargoFmt (
-              commonArgs
+              ciArgs
               // {
                 inherit src;
                 # cargoLock = cargoLock.nightly;
@@ -345,7 +361,17 @@
               [
                 payjoin-workspace-nextest-msrv
               ]
-              ++ pkgs.lib.attrValues packages
+              ++ pkgs.lib.attrValues (
+                builtins.mapAttrs (
+                  _name: pkg:
+                  pkg.overrideAttrs (
+                    final: prev: {
+                      CARGO_PROFILE = "nix-ci";
+                      cargoArtifacts = cargoArtifactsCi.msrv;
+                    }
+                  )
+                ) packages
+              )
             );
 
             maintenance = checkSuite "maintenance" (