diff --git a/.github/build.sh b/.github/build.sh
index 41311e5f2..e155cf8d6 100755
--- a/.github/build.sh
+++ b/.github/build.sh
@@ -121,6 +121,21 @@ if [ $PLATFORM_SHORT == "mac" ]; then
 	export CXXFLAGS=-mmacosx-version-min=$macosx_version_min
 	export LDFLAGS=-mmacosx-version-min=$macosx_version_min
 fi
+if [ "$RELTYPE" == "tptlibsdev" ]; then
+	tptlibsbranch=`echo $RELNAME | cut -d '-' -f 2-` # $RELNAME is tptlibsdev-BRANCH
+	git clone https://github.com/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY_OWNER/tpt-libs --branch $tptlibsbranch
+	cd tpt-libs
+	if [ ! -d patches/$MACHINE_SHORT-$PLATFORM_SHORT-$TOOLSET_SHORT-$STATIC_DYNAMIC ]; then
+		cd ..
+		echo "no prebuilt libraries for this configuration" > powder$bin_suffix
+		exit 0
+	fi
+	VTAG=v00000000000000 ./build.sh
+	cd ../subprojects
+	7z x ../tpt-libs/temp/libraries.zip
+	other_flags+=$'\t-Dtpt_libs_vtag=v00000000000000'
+	cd ..
+fi
 meson -Dbuildtype=release -Db_pie=false -Dworkaround_gcc_no_pie=true -Db_staticpic=false $lto_flag $static_flag -Dinstall_check=true $other_flags build
 cd build
 ninja
diff --git a/.github/get-type.py b/.github/get-type.py
index 410fe80a1..bb110d100 100644
--- a/.github/get-type.py
+++ b/.github/get-type.py
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@ import sys
 
 ref = sys.argv[1]
 
-match_stable   = re.fullmatch(r'refs/tags/v([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)', ref)
-match_beta     = re.fullmatch(r'refs/tags/v([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)b', ref)
-match_snapshot = re.fullmatch(r'refs/tags/snapshot-([0-9]+)', ref)
+match_stable     = re.fullmatch(r'refs/tags/v([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)', ref)
+match_beta       = re.fullmatch(r'refs/tags/v([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)b', ref)
+match_tptlibsdev = re.fullmatch(r'refs/heads/tptlibsdev-(.*)', ref)
+match_snapshot   = re.fullmatch(r'refs/tags/snapshot-([0-9]+)', ref)
 if match_stable:
 	print('::set-output name=TYPE::stable')
 	print('::set-output name=NAME::v%s.%s.%s' % (match_stable.group(1), match_stable.group(2), match_stable.group(3)))
@@ -15,6 +16,9 @@ elif match_beta:
 elif match_snapshot:
 	print('::set-output name=TYPE::snapshot')
 	print('::set-output name=NAME::snapshot-%s' % match_snapshot.group(1))
+elif match_tptlibsdev:
+	print('::set-output name=TYPE::tptlibsdev')
+	print('::set-output name=NAME::tptlibsdev-%s' % match_tptlibsdev.group(1))
 else:
 	print('::set-output name=TYPE::dev')
 	print('::set-output name=NAME::dev')
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yaml b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
index 04e7c4a7d..aae6ad46b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ on:
     tags:
       - 'v*.*'
       - 'snapshot-*'
+      - 'tptlibsdev-*'
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - '*'
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     needs: [release]
     strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
       matrix:
 #               | lin-x86_64 | mac-x86_64 | win-x86_64 |  lin-i686  |  mac-i686  |  win-i686  |  lin-arm64 |  mac-arm64 |  win-arm64 
 # --------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------
@@ -61,9 +63,9 @@ jobs:
 #########################################################
 ############# BEGIN BLOCK FOR COPYING BELOW #############
 #########################################################
+        machine_short: [x86_64, i686, arm64]
         platform_short: [lin, mac, win]
         toolset_short: [gcc, msvc, mingw]
-        machine_short: [x86_64, i686, arm64]
         static_dynamic: [static, dynamic]
         exclude:
           - toolset_short: mingw
@@ -114,9 +116,7 @@ jobs:
       - if: matrix.platform_short == 'lin' && matrix.toolset_short == 'mingw'
         run: sudo apt update && sudo apt install g++-mingw-w64-x86-64
       - if: matrix.platform_short == 'mac'
-        uses: Homebrew/actions/setup-homebrew@master
-      - if: matrix.platform_short == 'mac'
-        run: brew install pkg-config
+        run: brew install pkg-config coreutils
       - if: matrix.platform_short == 'mac' && matrix.static_dynamic != 'static'
         run: brew install luajit curl fftw zlib sdl2
       - if: matrix.platform_short == 'lin' && matrix.static_dynamic != 'static'
@@ -150,13 +150,14 @@ jobs:
     needs: [build, release]
     if: needs.release.outputs.can_publish == 'yes' && startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') # not a perfect match but get-type.py takes care of this in job build
     strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
       matrix:
 #########################################################
 ############# BEGIN BLOCK COPIED FROM ABOVE #############
 #########################################################
+        machine_short: [x86_64, i686, arm64]
         platform_short: [lin, mac, win]
         toolset_short: [gcc, msvc, mingw]
-        machine_short: [x86_64, i686, arm64]
         static_dynamic: [static, dynamic]
         exclude:
           - toolset_short: mingw
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 6cfa0bce8..800187687 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -10,35 +10,32 @@ to_array = generator(
 )
 
 cpp_compiler = meson.get_compiler('cpp')
-
-conf_data = configuration_data()
-conf_data.set('CURL_STATICLIB', false)
-conf_data.set('ZLIB_WINAPI', false)
-
-copt_x86 = host_machine.cpu_family() in [ 'x86_64', 'x86' ]
-copt_64bit = host_machine.cpu_family() in [ 'x86_64', 'aarch64' ]
-copt_msvc = cpp_compiler.get_id() in [ 'msvc' ]
-
+copt_x86 = false
+copt_64bit = false
+copt_msvc = false
 if cpp_compiler.get_id() in [ 'msvc' ]
 	copt_compiler = 'msvc'
+	copt_msvc = true
 elif cpp_compiler.get_id() in [ 'gcc', 'clang' ]
 	copt_compiler = 'gcc'
 else
 	warning('unsupported compiler: ' + cpp_compiler.get_id() + '; you are on your own')
 	copt_compiler = 'gcc'
 endif
-
 if host_machine.cpu_family() in [ 'x86_64' ]
 	copt_architecture = 'x86_64'
+	copt_x86 = true
+	copt_64bit = true
 elif host_machine.cpu_family() in [ 'x86' ]
 	copt_architecture = 'i686'
+	copt_x86 = true
 elif host_machine.cpu_family() in [ 'aarch64' ]
 	copt_architecture = 'arm64'
+	copt_64bit = true
 else
 	warning('unsupported architecture: ' + host_machine.cpu_family() + '; you are on your own')
 	copt_architecture = 'i686'
 endif
-
 if host_machine.system() in [ 'linux', 'freebsd' ]
 	copt_platform = 'lin'
 elif host_machine.system() in [ 'windows' ]
@@ -49,14 +46,8 @@ else
 	warning('unsupported platform: ' + host_machine.system() + '; you are on your own')
 	copt_platform = 'lin'
 endif
-
-if get_option('ogli') or get_option('oglr')
-	error('OpenGL features are currently unavailable')
-endif
-
 uopt_static = get_option('static')
 use_tpt_libs = 'no'
-tpt_libs_vtag = 'v20220217170412'
 if uopt_static == 'system'
 	if copt_platform == 'win'
 		error('no way to find static system libraries on windows')
@@ -68,6 +59,19 @@ else
 		use_tpt_libs = 'dynamic'
 	endif
 endif
+
+conf_data = configuration_data()
+conf_data.set('CURL_STATICLIB', false)
+conf_data.set('ZLIB_WINAPI', false)
+
+if get_option('ogli') or get_option('oglr')
+	error('OpenGL features are currently unavailable')
+endif
+
+tpt_libs_vtag = get_option('tpt_libs_vtag')
+if tpt_libs_vtag == ''
+	tpt_libs_vtag = 'v20220217170412'
+endif
 if use_tpt_libs != 'no'
 	nope = false
 	if copt_architecture == 'i686' and not copt_msvc
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index ddb00d923..4b66cfd8a 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -136,3 +136,9 @@ option(
 	value: true,
 	description: 'Pass -no-pie to gcc manually to work around meson\'s -Db_pie=false doing nothing'
 )
+option(
+	'tpt_libs_vtag',
+	type: 'string',
+	value: '',
+	description: 'tpt-libs vtag override, not useful outside tpt-libs development'
+)