diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 537f0182b..8adebe133 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ jobs:
         toolchain: stable
         target: ${{ matrix.target }}
     - name: Build release binary
-      run: cargo build --target ${{ matrix.target }} --verbose --release --features vendored-openssl
+      run: cargo build --target ${{ matrix.target }} --verbose --release --features packaging,vendored-openssl
     - name: Build archive
       shell: bash
       run: |
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 50bc4b967..c3969b4c7 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ testutils = { path = "lib/testutils" }
 [features]
 default = []
 bench = ["criterion"]
+packaging = ["watchman"]
 vendored-openssl = ["git2/vendored-openssl", "jj-lib/vendored-openssl"]
 watchman = ["jj-lib/watchman"]
 
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index c6181a274..f35d31ab4 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
           pname = "jujutsu";
           version = "unstable-${self.shortRev or "dirty"}";
           buildNoDefaultFeatures = true;
-          buildFeatures = [ "watchman" ];
+          buildFeatures = [ "packaging" ];
           cargoBuildFlags = ["--bin" "jj"]; # don't build and install the fake editors
           useNextest = true;
           src = filterSrc ./. [