diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI.yml b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
index bc6a0da..1d862e0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CI.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
@@ -18,11 +18,20 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: '3.x'
-          cache: 'pip'
-      - name: Install dependencies
+          # cache: 'pip'
+      - uses: actions/cache@v4
+        id: cache-venv
+        with:
+          path: venv
+          key: setup-venv2-${{ runner.os }}-py-${{ steps.setup-python.outputs.python-version }}-${{ hashFiles('requirements.txt') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            setup-venv2-${{ runner.os }}-py-${{ steps.setup-python.outputs.python-version }}-
+      - name: Setup venv
         run: |
-          python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
-          pip install -r requirements.txt
+          python -m venv venv
+          venv/Scripts/python.exe -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
+          venv/Scripts/python.exe -m pip install -r requirements.txt
+        if: steps.cache-venv.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
       - uses: ilammy/msvc-dev-cmd@v1
         with:
           arch: win32
@@ -38,7 +47,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: "cmake install"
         shell: cmd
         run: cd build && cmake --install .
-      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: flame
           path: install/
+          if-no-files-found: error
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ad726cd..de00a08 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ option(USE_CONFIGURE_DATE "Add configure date marker in output build")
 # generate pdb to use debuggers with release builds
 string(APPEND CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE " /debug")
 
-find_package(Python3 COMPONENTS Interpreter REQUIRED)
 # force using python through venv
 if(EXISTS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/venv/Scripts/python.exe)
   set(Python3_EXECUTABLE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/venv/Scripts/python.exe")
@@ -16,6 +15,7 @@ if(EXISTS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/venv/Scripts/python.exe)
   execute_process(COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} -c "import git" RESULT_VARIABLE EXIT_CODE OUTPUT_QUIET)
 else ()
   # create venv
+  find_package(Python3 COMPONENTS Interpreter REQUIRED)
   execute_process(COMMAND_ECHO STDOUT COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} -m venv ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/venv )
   set(Python3_EXECUTABLE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/venv/Scripts/python.exe")
   set(EXIT_CODE 1)
@@ -86,9 +86,6 @@ set(OUTPUT_SUFFIX "-${VER_PRODUCT_NUMBER}.${VER_PRODUCT_VERSION}.${VER_BUILD_NUM
 if(CONFIGURE_DATE)
   string(APPEND OUTPUT_SUFFIX "-${CONFIGURE_DATE}")
 endif ()
-if(GIT_SHA1)
-  string(APPEND OUTPUT_SUFFIX "-${GIT_SHORT_SHA1}")
-endif()
 add_subdirectory(src)
 
 install(TARGETS dkii_flame RUNTIME DESTINATION ".")
diff --git a/apply_patches.py b/apply_patches.py
index 3fad33f..54da123 100644
--- a/apply_patches.py
+++ b/apply_patches.py
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ def main():
       repo = git.Repo.init(repo_dir, initial_branch='main')
   except git.exc.GitError:
     repo = git.Repo.init(repo_dir, initial_branch='main')
+  with repo.config_writer() as w:
+    w.set_value("user", "name", "ember")
+    w.set_value("user", "email", "ember@users.noreply.github.com")
   os.chdir(repo.working_dir)
 
   # repo.git.am("--3way", *[f"../patches/{file.name}" for file in patches])
diff --git a/rebuild_patches.py b/rebuild_patches.py
index a277ac2..4bc85aa 100644
--- a/rebuild_patches.py
+++ b/rebuild_patches.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def cleanup_line(line: str):
 
 
 def cleanup_patch(file: pathlib.Path):
-  print('cleanup ', file)
+  print('cleanup', file)
   with open(file, 'r') as f:
     lines = f.readlines()