diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI.yml b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1907aaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+name: CI
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  pull_request:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - "**"
+    tags-ignore:
+      - "*"
+
+env:
+  BUILD_DIR: build-ci
+  BUILD_TYPE: Release
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  build-test:
+    name: Build and test Linux
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          submodules: recursive
+
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.x"
+
+      - name: Install Linux dependencies
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get update
+          sudo apt-get install -y libsmbclient-dev
+
+      - name: Install Conan
+        run: |
+          python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+          python -m pip install "conan>=2,<3"
+          conan profile detect --force
+
+      - name: Cache Conan packages
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: ~/.conan2
+          key: conan-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('conanfile.txt') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            conan-${{ runner.os }}-
+
+      - name: Configure CI tests
+        run: |
+          cmake \
+            -S . \
+            -B "$BUILD_DIR" \
+            -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE="$BUILD_TYPE" \
+            -DC2CORE_BUILD_TESTS=ON \
+            -DC2CORE_BUILD_FUNCTIONAL_TESTS=OFF \
+            -DCMAKE_PROJECT_TOP_LEVEL_INCLUDES="$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/conan_provider.cmake"
+
+      - name: Build
+        run: cmake --build "$BUILD_DIR" --config "$BUILD_TYPE" --parallel "$(nproc)"
+
+      - name: Run CI tests
+        run: ctest --test-dir "$BUILD_DIR" --output-on-failure --timeout 60
+
+      - name: Functional tests
+        if: ${{ false }}
+        run: echo "Functional tests require a lab/runtime environment and are intentionally skipped in standard CI."
diff --git a/.github/workflows/Release.yml b/.github/workflows/Release.yml
index f4a4346..7f2cbbd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/Release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/Release.yml
@@ -1,16 +1,13 @@
-name: CI CD
+name: CD
 
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
-  pull_request:
   push:
-    branches:
-      - "**"
     tags:
       - "*"
 
 env:
-  BUILD_DIR: build-conan
+  BUILD_DIR: build-release
   BUILD_TYPE: Release
   RELEASE_TARBALL: Release.tar.gz
   RELEASE_ARTIFACT: C2LinuxImplant-Linux-Release
@@ -19,8 +16,8 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
-  build-test:
-    name: Build and test Linux deliverables
+  build-package:
+    name: Build Linux release
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
 
     steps:
@@ -53,20 +50,25 @@ jobs:
           restore-keys: |
             conan-${{ runner.os }}-
 
-      - name: Configure
+      - name: Configure release
         run: |
           cmake \
             -S . \
             -B "$BUILD_DIR" \
             -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE="$BUILD_TYPE" \
-            -DC2CORE_BUILD_TESTS=ON \
+            -DC2CORE_BUILD_TESTS=OFF \
+            -DC2CORE_BUILD_FUNCTIONAL_TESTS=OFF \
             -DCMAKE_PROJECT_TOP_LEVEL_INCLUDES="$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/conan_provider.cmake"
 
       - name: Build
         run: cmake --build "$BUILD_DIR" --config "$BUILD_TYPE" --parallel "$(nproc)"
 
-      - name: Test
-        run: ctest --test-dir "$BUILD_DIR" --output-on-failure --timeout 60
+      - name: Validate release configuration
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+
+          grep -qx "C2CORE_BUILD_TESTS:BOOL=OFF" "$BUILD_DIR/CMakeCache.txt"
+          grep -qx "C2CORE_BUILD_FUNCTIONAL_TESTS:BOOL=OFF" "$BUILD_DIR/CMakeCache.txt"
 
       - name: Validate deliverables
         run: |
@@ -164,7 +166,7 @@ jobs:
   release:
     name: Publish GitHub release
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
-    needs: build-test
+    needs: build-package
     if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
     permissions:
       contents: write
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9eb9409..50f388b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,11 +9,17 @@ set(CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
 
 option(BUILD_TEAMSERVER "Build teamserver-side command parsing/help code" OFF)
 option(C2CORE_BUILD_TESTS "Enable C2Core tests from the parent project" OFF)
+option(C2CORE_BUILD_FUNCTIONAL_TESTS "Enable manual/env-driven C2Core functional tests" OFF)
 if(BUILD_TEAMSERVER)
   add_compile_definitions(BUILD_TEAMSERVER)
 endif()
 if(C2CORE_BUILD_TESTS)
   add_compile_definitions(C2CORE_BUILD_TESTS)
+endif()
+if(C2CORE_BUILD_FUNCTIONAL_TESTS)
+  add_compile_definitions(C2CORE_BUILD_FUNCTIONAL_TESTS)
+endif()
+if(C2CORE_BUILD_TESTS OR C2CORE_BUILD_FUNCTIONAL_TESTS)
   enable_testing()
 endif()
 
@@ -82,7 +88,7 @@ IMPORTED_LOCATION "${DONUT_BUILD_DIR}/lib/libdonut.a"
 
 add_subdirectory(core/modules)
 add_subdirectory(core/beacon)
-if(C2CORE_BUILD_TESTS)
+if(C2CORE_BUILD_TESTS OR C2CORE_BUILD_FUNCTIONAL_TESTS)
   add_subdirectory(core/beacon/tests)
   add_subdirectory(core/listener/tests)
 endif()
@@ -92,4 +98,3 @@ include_directories(core/beacon)
 include_directories(core/modules/ModuleCmd)
 add_subdirectory(beacon/beacon)
 
-