diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 1101fef157..0839f69d46 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ on:
 env:
   GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
   BRANCH_NAME: ${{ github.head_ref || github.ref_name }}
-  CMAKE_ARGS: "-DLLAMA_BUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF -DLLAMA_BUILD_TESTS=OFF -DLLAMA_BUILD_TOOLS=ON -DLLAMA_BUILD_SERVER=ON -DGGML_RPC=ON"
+  CMAKE_ARGS: "-DLLAMA_BUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF -DLLAMA_BUILD_TESTS=OFF -DLLAMA_BUILD_TOOLS=ON -DLLAMA_BUILD_SERVER=ON -DGGML_RPC=ON -DLLAMA_CONNECT=ON"
 
 # note: run this workflow one at a time for better cache reuse
 concurrency:
@@ -1243,6 +1243,7 @@ jobs:
             -DCMAKE_BUILD_WITH_INSTALL_RPATH=ON \
             -DLLAMA_OPENSSL=OFF \
             -DGGML_NATIVE=OFF \
+            -DLLAMA_CONNECT=ON \
             -DGGML_SYCL_F16=${{ matrix.fp16 }}
           time cmake --build build --config Release -j $(nproc)
 
diff --git a/scripts/connect-download.cmake b/scripts/connect-download.cmake
index ce11479210..da340b2688 100644
--- a/scripts/connect-download.cmake
+++ b/scripts/connect-download.cmake
@@ -40,10 +40,20 @@ file(MAKE_DIRECTORY "${WORK_DIR}")
 
 message(STATUS "llama-connect: downloading ${URL}")
 
-file(DOWNLOAD "${URL}" "${ARCHIVE}" STATUS status TLS_VERIFY ON)
+# retry a few times, this runs in CI where a transient failure must not break the build
+foreach (attempt RANGE 1 3)
+    file(DOWNLOAD "${URL}" "${ARCHIVE}" STATUS status TLS_VERIFY ON INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT 60)
 
-list(GET status 0 code)
-list(GET status 1 msg)
+    list(GET status 0 code)
+    list(GET status 1 msg)
+
+    if (code EQUAL 0)
+        break()
+    endif()
+
+    message(STATUS "llama-connect: download attempt ${attempt} failed (${code}: ${msg})")
+    file(REMOVE "${ARCHIVE}")
+endforeach()
 
 if (NOT code EQUAL 0)
     file(REMOVE "${ARCHIVE}")
diff --git a/tools/connect/CMakeLists.txt b/tools/connect/CMakeLists.txt
index c36f7642bf..71a2e99654 100644
--- a/tools/connect/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tools/connect/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -20,10 +20,9 @@ if (APPLE)
         endif()
     endif()
 
+    # note: there is no macos-x64 asset, it is not built upstream (no Intel macOS runners)
     if (_arch MATCHES "^(arm64|aarch64)$")
         set(LLAMA_CONNECT_PLATFORM "macos-arm64")
-    elseif (_arch MATCHES "^(x86_64|AMD64|amd64|x64)$")
-        set(LLAMA_CONNECT_PLATFORM "macos-x64")
     endif()
 elseif (WIN32)
     # with Visual Studio generators, the target arch comes from -A