diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 7718c23df..be48a5054 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -350,10 +350,17 @@ jobs:
       - name: Debug - repo output structure
         run: find dist/repo-output -type f 2>/dev/null || ls -laR dist/repo-output/ || true
 
-      - name: Clean up repo output
+      - name: Remove packages and internal state from repo output
         run: |
           # Remove reprepro internal state (not needed for serving)
           rm -rf dist/repo-output/apt/db dist/repo-output/apt/conf 2>/dev/null || true
+          # Remove actual package files — the worker redirects these to the
+          # existing artifacts so we don't need to store them twice.
+          find dist/repo-output -type f \( -name '*.deb' -o -name '*.rpm' -o -name '*.apk' -o -name '*.archlinux' -o -name '*.pacman' -o -name '*.pkg.tar.zst' \) -delete 2>/dev/null || true
+          # Remove symlinks to package files (rpm/pacman/apk use symlinks)
+          find dist/repo-output -type l -delete 2>/dev/null || true
+          # Remove now-empty directories
+          find dist/repo-output -type d -empty -delete 2>/dev/null || true
 
       - name: Upload to R2
         uses: kolaente/s3-action@main