diff --git a/.github/workflows/_docs.yml b/.github/workflows/_docs.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 0868b55839..0000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/_docs.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,54 +0,0 @@
-on:
-  workflow_call:
-
-jobs:
-  build:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-
-    steps:
-      - name: Avoid git conflicts when tag and branch pushed at same time
-        if: github.ref_type == 'tag'
-        run: sleep 60
-
-      - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v7
-        with:
-          # Need this to get version number from last tag
-          fetch-depth: 0
-
-      - name: Install system packages
-        run: sudo apt-get install graphviz
-
-      - name: Install uv
-        uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v8.3.2
-
-      - name: Build docs
-        run: uv run --locked tox -e docs
-
-      - name: Remove environment.pickle
-        run: rm build/html/.doctrees/environment.pickle
-
-      - name: Upload built docs artifact
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
-        with:
-          name: docs
-          path: build
-
-      - name: Sanitize ref name for docs version
-        run: echo "DOCS_VERSION=${GITHUB_REF_NAME//[^A-Za-z0-9._-]/_}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-
-      - name: Move to versioned directory
-        run: mv build/html .github/pages/$DOCS_VERSION
-
-      - name: Write switcher.json
-        run: python .github/pages/make_switcher.py --add $DOCS_VERSION ${{ github.repository }} .github/pages/switcher.json
-
-      - name: Publish Docs to gh-pages
-        if: github.ref_type == 'tag' || github.ref_name == 'main'
-        # We pin to the SHA, not the tag, for security reasons.
-        # https://docs.github.com/en/actions/learn-github-actions/security-hardening-for-github-actions#using-third-party-actions
-        uses: peaceiris/actions-gh-pages@84c30a85c19949d7eee79c4ff27748b70285e453 # v4.1.0
-        with:
-          github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-          publish_dir: .github/pages
-          keep_files: true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/_release.yml b/.github/workflows/_release.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 14b4b269a6..0000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/_release.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-on:
-  workflow_call:
-
-jobs:
-  artifacts:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-
-    steps:
-      - name: Download artifacts
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
-        with:
-          merge-multiple: true
-
-      - name: Zip up docs
-        run: |
-          set -vxeuo pipefail
-          if [ -d html ]; then
-            mv html $GITHUB_REF_NAME
-            zip -r docs.zip $GITHUB_REF_NAME
-            rm -rf $GITHUB_REF_NAME
-          fi
-
-      - name: Create GitHub Release
-        # We pin to the SHA, not the tag, for security reasons.
-        # https://docs.github.com/en/actions/learn-github-actions/security-hardening-for-github-actions#using-third-party-actions
-        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@3d0d9888cb7fd7b750713d6e236d1fcb99157228 # v3.0.2
-        with:
-          prerelease: ${{ contains(github.ref_name, 'a') || contains(github.ref_name, 'b') || contains(github.ref_name, 'rc') }}
-          files: "*"
-          generate_release_notes: true
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 05d03967b2..4cdbf27d40 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -40,10 +40,13 @@ jobs:
       contents: read
       packages: write
 
-  docs:
-    uses: ./.github/workflows/_docs.yml
-    permissions:
-      contents: write
+  docs: # Call the docs building workflow directly
+    uses: DiamondLightSource/myst-version-switcher-plugin/.github/workflows/docs.yml@v0.24
+    with:
+      # Whatever turns your sources into docs/_build/html at $BASE_URL. uv and Node
+      # are preinstalled, so: make docs · tox -e docs · npm ci && npm run docs
+      build-command: uv run --locked tox -e docs
+      html-dir: build/html
 
   dist:
     uses: ./.github/workflows/_dist.yml
@@ -57,7 +60,21 @@ jobs:
 
   release:
     needs: [dist, test, docs]
-    if: github.ref_type == 'tag'
-    uses: ./.github/workflows/_release.yml
+    if: github.ref_type == 'tag' # tag pushes only
+    uses: DiamondLightSource/myst-version-switcher-plugin/.github/workflows/release.yml@v0.24
+    permissions:
+      contents: write # create the Release + attach assets
+
+  publish:
+    needs: [docs]
+    # don't publish a pages site in the fork's org
+    if: github.repository == 'DiamondLightSource/blueapi'
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/publish-dispatch.yml # your workflow (below)
+    with:
+      version-name: ${{ needs.docs.outputs.version-name }}
     permissions:
-      contents: write
+      contents: read
+      actions: write
+      pages: write
+      id-token: write
+      statuses: write
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-dispatch.yml b/.github/workflows/publish-dispatch.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4a02e00d05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish-dispatch.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# .github/workflows/publish-dispatch.yml
+name: Publish (dispatch)
+on:
+  workflow_call: # ci.yml's `publish` job, for every event
+    inputs:
+      version-name: {required: false, default: "", type: string}
+  # tag re-dispatch + fork-PR preview + manual re-deploy
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      pr:
+        description: "Fork PR to approve + preview (empty = re-deploy)"
+        required: false
+        default: ""
+      retry-until:
+        description: "Internal = epoch-second retry deadline. Don't set manually."
+        required: false
+        default: ""
+
+jobs:
+  publish:
+    uses: DiamondLightSource/myst-version-switcher-plugin/.github/workflows/publish.yml@v0.24
+    with:
+      # "" on dispatch → pure durable gather
+      version-name: ${{ inputs.version-name }}
+      # set (dispatch) → pin that fork head SHA
+      pr: ${{ inputs.pr }}
+      # the file the tag re-dispatch re-fires
+      dispatch-workflow: publish-dispatch.yml
+      # forwarded so the re-dispatch job's auto-retry can re-fire this shim
+      retry-until: ${{ inputs.retry-until }}
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      actions: write
+      pages: write
+      id-token: write
+      statuses: write
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 0e96d9dea2..736cb5987c 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -5,9 +5,8 @@
 https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/configuration.html
 """
 
+import os
 import sys
-from pathlib import Path
-from subprocess import check_output
 
 import requests
 
@@ -21,14 +20,7 @@
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
 release = blueapi.__version__
 
-# The short X.Y version.
-if "+" in release:
-    # Not on a tag, use branch name
-    root = Path(__file__).absolute().parent.parent
-    git_branch = check_output("git branch --show-current".split(), cwd=root)
-    version = git_branch.decode().strip()
-else:
-    version = release
+version = os.environ.get("VERSION_NAME", "local")
 
 extensions = [
     # Use this for generating API docs
@@ -172,7 +164,7 @@
         "version_match": version,
     },
     "check_switcher": False,
-    "navbar_end": ["theme-switcher", "icon-links", "version-switcher"],
+    "navbar_end": ["theme-switcher", "navbar-icon-links", "version-switcher"],
     "navigation_with_keys": False,
 }