diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/release.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/release.yaml
index 03fa571..f695bb5 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -124,11 +124,17 @@ jobs:
           PASS: ${{ secrets.HETZNER_PASS }}
         run: |
           mkdir -p fdroid
-          cd fdroid
-          
-          # Try to download the existing repo/ folder from Hetzner to keep older versions and the keystore
-          # If it fails (first time), we just initialize a new one
-          sshpass -p "$PASS" scp -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -r $USER@$HOST:dev/fdroid/repo . || fdroid init
+
+          # Ensure remote path exists (sftp mkdir, ignoring errors if already present).
+          sshpass -p "$PASS" sftp -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no "$USER@$HOST" <<'SFTP'
+          -mkdir dev
+          -mkdir dev/fdroid
+          -mkdir dev/fdroid/repo
+          SFTP
+
+          # Try to download the existing repo/ folder from Hetzner to keep older versions and the keystore.
+          # If it fails (first time), initialize a new local repo.
+          sshpass -p "$PASS" scp -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -r "$USER@$HOST:dev/fdroid/repo" fdroid/ || (cd fdroid && fdroid init)
 
       - name: Copy new APK to repo
         run: |
@@ -157,12 +163,15 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
           REMOTE_REPO_DIR="dev/fdroid/repo"
-          SCP_OPTS="-o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o ConnectTimeout=20"
+          SSH_OPTS="-o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o ConnectTimeout=20"
 
-          # Use SCP/SFTP path only (some hosts deny SSH exec channels required by rsync/ssh).
-          if sshpass -p "$PASS" scp $SCP_OPTS -r fdroid/repo/. "$USER@$HOST:$REMOTE_REPO_DIR/"; then
-            exit 0
-          fi
+          # Create remote directory tree via SFTP batch (no exec channel needed).
+          # Leading '-' on each mkdir means "ignore error if already exists".
+          sshpass -p "$PASS" sftp $SSH_OPTS "$USER@$HOST" <<'SFTP'
+          -mkdir dev
+          -mkdir dev/fdroid
+          -mkdir dev/fdroid/repo
+          SFTP
 
-          # Fallback for older SSH servers that require legacy SCP protocol.
-          sshpass -p "$PASS" scp -O $SCP_OPTS -r fdroid/repo/. "$USER@$HOST:$REMOTE_REPO_DIR/"
+          # Upload all files from fdroid/repo into the remote directory.
+          sshpass -p "$PASS" scp $SSH_OPTS -r fdroid/repo/. "$USER@$HOST:$REMOTE_REPO_DIR/"