diff --git a/src/commands.cpp b/src/commands.cpp
index 87ceeab..dc410cd 100644
--- a/src/commands.cpp
+++ b/src/commands.cpp
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ command::meta_t release_command::meta() const
 	return
 	{
 		"release",
-		"creates a release or a devbuild"
+		"creates a release"
 	};
 }
 
@@ -728,6 +728,17 @@ void release_command::make_src()
 		files, modorganizer::super_path(), out);
 }
 
+void release_command::make_installer()
+{
+	const auto file = "Mod.Organizer-" + version_ + ".exe";
+	const auto src = paths::install_installer() / file;
+	const auto dest = out_;
+
+	u8cout << "copying installer " << file << "\n";
+
+	op::copy_file_to_dir_if_better(gcx(), src, dest);
+}
+
 void release_command::walk_dir(
 	const fs::path& dir, std::vector<fs::path>& files,
 	const std::vector<std::regex>& ignore_re, std::size_t& total_size)
@@ -804,6 +815,11 @@ clipp::group release_command::do_group()
 			clipp::option("--no-src").set(src_, false)
 		) % "sets whether the source archive is created [default: yes]",
 
+		(
+			clipp::option("--inst").set(installer_, true) |
+			clipp::option("--no-inst").set(installer_, false)
+		) % "sets whether the installer is copied [default: no]",
+
 		clipp::option("--version-from-exe").set(version_exe_)
 			% "retrieves version information from ModOrganizer.exe "
 			  "[default]",
@@ -828,19 +844,12 @@ clipp::group release_command::do_group()
 			% "optional suffix to add to the archive filenames",
 
 		clipp::option("--force").set(force_)
-			% "ignores file size warnings which could indicate bad paths or "
-			  "unexpected files being pulled into the archives"
+			% "ignores file size warnings and existing release directories"
 	);
 }
 
 int release_command::do_run()
 {
-	out_ = fs::path(utf8_to_utf16(utf8out_));
-	if (out_.empty())
-		out_ = paths::prefix() / "releases";
-	else if (out_.is_relative())
-		out_ = paths::prefix() / out_;
-
 	rc_path_ = fs::path(utf8_to_utf16(utf8_rc_path_));
 	if (rc_path_.empty())
 	{
@@ -856,9 +865,16 @@ int release_command::do_run()
 			version_ = version_from_exe();
 	}
 
-	u8cout <<
-		">> don't forget to update the version number before making a "
-		"release\n";
+	out_ = fs::path(utf8_to_utf16(utf8out_));
+	if (out_.empty())
+		out_ = paths::prefix() / "releases" / version_;
+	else if (out_.is_relative())
+		out_ = paths::prefix() / out_;
+
+	u8cout
+		<< ">> don't forget to update the version number before making a release\n"
+		<< "\n"
+		<< "creating release for " << version_ << "\n";
 
 	if (bin_)
 		make_bin();
@@ -869,6 +885,9 @@ int release_command::do_run()
 	if (src_)
 		make_src();
 
+	if (installer_)
+		make_installer();
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/commands.h b/src/commands.h
index 7f42231..3cba42e 100644
--- a/src/commands.h
+++ b/src/commands.h
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@ public:
 	void make_bin();
 	void make_pdbs();
 	void make_src();
+	void make_installer();
 
 protected:
 	clipp::group do_group() override;
@@ -183,6 +184,7 @@ private:
 	bool bin_ = true;
 	bool src_ = true;
 	bool pdbs_ = true;
+	bool installer_ = false;
 	std::string utf8out_;
 	fs::path out_;
 	std::string version_;
@@ -190,7 +192,7 @@ private:
 	bool version_rc_ = false;
 	std::string utf8_rc_path_;
 	fs::path rc_path_;
-	bool force_;
+	bool force_ = false;
 	std::string suffix_;
 
 	fs::path make_filename(const std::string& what) const;
diff --git a/src/conf.cpp b/src/conf.cpp
index 868f1da..02bda40 100644
--- a/src/conf.cpp
+++ b/src/conf.cpp
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ fs::path mob_exe_path()
 	gcx().bail_out(context::conf, "can't get module filename");
 }
 
-fs::path find_root()
+fs::path find_root(bool verbose=false)
 {
 	gcx().trace(context::conf, "looking for root directory");
 
@@ -392,6 +392,9 @@ fs::path find_root()
 
 	if (!fs::exists(third_party))
 	{
+		if (verbose)
+			u8cout << "no third-party here\n";
+
 		auto p = mob_exe_dir;
 
 		if (p.filename().u8string() == u8"x64")
@@ -400,7 +403,10 @@ fs::path find_root()
 			if (p.filename().u8string() == u8"Debug" ||
 			    p.filename().u8string() == u8"Release")
 			{
-				// mob_exe_dir is in the build folder
+				if (verbose)
+					u8cout << "this is mob's build directory, looking up\n";
+
+				// mob_exe_dir is in the build directory
 				third_party = mob_exe_dir / ".." / ".." / ".." / "third-party";
 			}
 		}
@@ -906,12 +912,15 @@ std::vector<fs::path> find_inis(
 	if (auto_detect)
 	{
 		if (verbose)
-			u8cout << "root is " << path_to_utf8(find_root()) << "\n";
+		{
+			const auto r = find_root(verbose);
+			u8cout << "root is " << path_to_utf8(r) << "\n";
+		}
 
 		master = find_in_root(master_ini_filename());
 
 		if (verbose)
-			u8cout << "found master " << master_ini_filename() << "\n";
+			u8cout << "found master " << path_to_utf8(master) << "\n";
 
 		v.push_back({"master", master});
 	}
@@ -921,7 +930,7 @@ std::vector<fs::path> find_inis(
 	if (auto e=this_env::get_opt("MOBINI"))
 	{
 		if (verbose)
-			u8cout << "found env MOBINI: " << *e << "\n";
+			u8cout << "found env MOBINI: '" << *e << "'\n";
 
 		for (auto&& i : split(*e, ";"))
 		{
@@ -987,7 +996,7 @@ std::vector<fs::path> find_inis(
 		for (std::size_t i=0; i<v.size(); ++i)
 		{
 			u8cout
-				<< (i + 1) << ") "
+				<< "  " << (i + 1) << ") "
 				<< path_to_utf8(v[i].second) << " (" << v[i].first << ")\n";
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/tasks/installer.cpp b/src/tasks/installer.cpp
index 51ea489..c54a2c5 100644
--- a/src/tasks/installer.cpp
+++ b/src/tasks/installer.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ bool installer::prebuilt()
 	return false;
 }
 
+bool installer::is_super() const
+{
+	return true;
+}
+
 std::string installer::version()
 {
 	return {};
diff --git a/src/tasks/tasks.h b/src/tasks/tasks.h
index 78b0f4f..164d15a 100644
--- a/src/tasks/tasks.h
+++ b/src/tasks/tasks.h
@@ -170,6 +170,8 @@ public:
 	static std::string version();
 	static fs::path source_path();
 
+	bool is_super() const;
+
 protected:
 	void do_clean(clean c) override;
 	void do_fetch() override;