diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index feb5869..8dfa930 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -67,6 +67,15 @@ jobs:
             https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/releases/download/llvmorg-${{
             env.LLVM_VERSION }}/LLVM-${{ env.LLVM_VERSION }}-Linux-${{
             matrix.llvm }}.tar.xz
+      # The published x86_64 release artifact is the only Linux build that may
+      # use the AVX2/BMI2 baseline (.cargo/config.toml deliberately keeps the
+      # default build portable after !17; see issue #20). RUSTFLAGS REPLACES
+      # config rustflags, so set it here — per matrix row — never in the
+      # config. The aarch64 row must not receive any RUSTFLAGS (an empty
+      # RUSTFLAGS would also drop its -fuse-ld=lld link-arg).
+      - name: Set RUSTFLAGS for x86_64 (x86-64-v3)
+        if: ${{ matrix.target == 'x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu' }}
+        run: echo "RUSTFLAGS=-C target-cpu=x86-64-v3" >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - name: Build
         run: |
           cargo build --profile ${{ env.BUILD_PROFILE }} -v --target=${{ matrix.target }}
@@ -115,6 +124,14 @@ jobs:
             https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/releases/download/llvmorg-${{
             env.LLVM_VERSION }}/LLVM-${{ env.LLVM_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.llvm
             }}.exe
+      # The published x86_64 Windows artifact must keep the optimised baseline
+      # (issue #20). RUSTFLAGS REPLACES config rustflags, so carry the 8 MB
+      # stack link-arg the config supplies for Windows alongside the CPU flag;
+      # the aarch64 row must not receive any RUSTFLAGS (an empty RUSTFLAGS
+      # would also drop its /STACK:8388608 link-arg).
+      - name: Set RUSTFLAGS for x86_64 (x86-64-v3 + 8 MB stack)
+        if: ${{ matrix.target == 'x86_64-pc-windows-msvc' }}
+        run: echo "RUSTFLAGS=-C target-cpu=x86-64-v3 -C link-arg=/STACK:8388608" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
       - name: Build
         run: |
           cargo build --profile ${{ env.BUILD_PROFILE }} -v --target=${{ matrix.target }}