diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f73d7c65d..e4a156599 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -526,6 +526,7 @@ upgrade notes
 per-folder, per-user permissions  - if your setup is getting complex, consider making a [config file](./docs/example.conf) instead of using arguments
 * much easier to manage, and you can modify the config at runtime with `systemctl reload copyparty` or more conveniently using the `[reload cfg]` button in the control-panel (if the user has `a`/admin in any volume)
   * changes to the `[global]` config section requires a restart to take effect
+* when using config-files, ignore all the `-a` and `-v` stuff below, and CTRL-F `config file example` on this page instead
 
 a quick summary can be seen using [`--help-accounts`](https://copyparty.eu/cli/#accounts-help-page)
 
@@ -575,6 +576,8 @@ and if you want to use config files instead of commandline args (good!) then her
 
 * you can also `PRTY_CONFIG=foobar.conf python copyparty-sfx.py` (convenient in docker etc)
 
+config file example:
+
 ```yaml
 [accounts]
   u1: p1  # create account "u1" with password "p1"
@@ -2195,7 +2198,7 @@ as for client-side stuff, there is [plugins for modifying UI/UX](./contrib/plugi
 
 autologin based on IP range (CIDR)  , using the global-option `--ipu`
 
-for example, if everyone with an IP that starts with `192.168.123` should automatically log in as the user `spartacus`, then you can either specify `--ipu=192.168.123.0/24=spartacus` as a commandline option, or put this in a config file:
+for example, if everyone with an IP that starts with `192.168.123` should automatically log in as the user `spartacus`, then you can either specify `--ipu=192.168.123.0/24=spartacus` as a commandline option, same as this config file example:
 
 ```yaml
 [global]
@@ -2211,7 +2214,7 @@ repeat the option to map additional subnets
 
 limit a user to certain IP ranges (CIDR)  , using the global-option `--ipr`
 
-for example, if the user `spartacus` should get rejected if they're not connecting from an IP that starts with `192.168.123` or `172.16`, then you can either specify `--ipr=192.168.123.0/24,172.16.0.0/16=spartacus` as a commandline option, or put this in a config file:
+for example, if the user `spartacus` should get rejected if they're not connecting from an IP that starts with `192.168.123` or `172.16`, then you can either specify `--ipr=192.168.123.0/24,172.16.0.0/16=spartacus` as a commandline option, same as this config file example:
 
 ```yaml
 [global]
@@ -2248,7 +2251,7 @@ but if you just want to let users change their own passwords, then you probably
 
 other ways to auth by header
 
-if you have a middleware which adds a header with a user identifier, for example tailscale's `Tailscale-User-Login: alice.m@forest.net` then you can automatically auth as `alice` by defining that mapping with `--idp-hm-usr '^Tailscale-User-Login^alice.m@forest.net^alice'` or the following config file:
+if you have a middleware which adds a header with a user identifier, for example tailscale's `Tailscale-User-Login: alice.m@forest.net` then you can automatically auth as `alice` by defining that mapping with `--idp-hm-usr '^Tailscale-User-Login^alice.m@forest.net^alice'` or the following config file example:
 
 ```yaml
 [global]
@@ -2569,7 +2572,7 @@ change the association of a file extension
 
 using commandline args, you can do something like `--mime gif=image/jif` and `--mime ts=text/x.typescript` (can be specified multiple times)
 
-in a config file, this is the same as:
+that's the same as this config file example:
 
 ```yaml
 [global]
diff --git a/contrib/package/arch/PKGBUILD b/contrib/package/arch/PKGBUILD
index c79ee2f38..917036088 100644
--- a/contrib/package/arch/PKGBUILD
+++ b/contrib/package/arch/PKGBUILD
@@ -27,9 +27,6 @@ backup=("etc/${pkgname}/copyparty.conf" )
 sha256sums=("654ef47555bb402e27d8905c900c99f54b7f1d6db874a749effdf9ab23cf4223")
 
 build() {
-    cd "${srcdir}/${pkgname}-${pkgver}/copyparty/web"
-    make
-
     cd "${srcdir}/${pkgname}-${pkgver}"
     python -m build --wheel --no-isolation
 }
diff --git a/contrib/package/makedeb-mpr/PKGBUILD b/contrib/package/makedeb-mpr/PKGBUILD
index cb8e4f85d..1b5e3d71e 100644
--- a/contrib/package/makedeb-mpr/PKGBUILD
+++ b/contrib/package/makedeb-mpr/PKGBUILD
@@ -24,9 +24,6 @@ backup=("/etc/${pkgname}.d/init" )
 sha256sums=("654ef47555bb402e27d8905c900c99f54b7f1d6db874a749effdf9ab23cf4223")
 
 build() {
-    cd "${srcdir}/${pkgname}-${pkgver}/copyparty/web"
-    make
-
     cd "${srcdir}/${pkgname}-${pkgver}"
     python -m build --wheel --no-isolation
 }
diff --git a/contrib/package/rpm/copyparty.spec b/contrib/package/rpm/copyparty.spec
index 69ac26ee4..f32912c6e 100644
--- a/contrib/package/rpm/copyparty.spec
+++ b/contrib/package/rpm/copyparty.spec
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@ See release at https://github.com/9001/copyparty/releases
 %setup -q
 
 %build
-cd "copyparty/web"
-make
-cd -
 %pyproject_wheel
 
 %install
diff --git a/contrib/systemd/copyparty.conf b/contrib/systemd/copyparty.conf
index 5d9bdbe3a..6161cccbb 100644
--- a/contrib/systemd/copyparty.conf
+++ b/contrib/systemd/copyparty.conf
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
-[global]
-  i: 127.0.0.1
-
-[accounts]
-  user: password
-
 [/]
   /var/lib/copyparty-jail
   accs:
-    r: *
-    rwdma: user
-  flags:
-    grid
\ No newline at end of file
+    r: *    # everyone can [r]ead  (browse/download)
+
+
+# above is a very simple config;
+# the webroot is /var/lib/copyparty-jail
+# readable by everyone, no login required
+#
+# you'll want to replace this file; some inspiration:
+# a basic example: https://github.com/9001/copyparty/blob/hovudstraum/contrib/systemd/copyparty.example.conf
+# another example: https://github.com/9001/copyparty/blob/hovudstraum/docs/example.conf
+# CTRL-F "config file example" here: https://github.com/9001/copyparty
+# full list of options: https://copyparty.eu/cli/
diff --git a/contrib/systemd/copyparty.example.conf b/contrib/systemd/copyparty.example.conf
index b85ec7707..836499d2e 100644
--- a/contrib/systemd/copyparty.example.conf
+++ b/contrib/systemd/copyparty.example.conf
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@
 # vim: ft=yaml:
 
 
-# put this file in /etc/
-
-
 [global]
   e2dsa  # enable file indexing and filesystem scanning
   e2ts   # and enable multimedia indexing
diff --git a/contrib/systemd/index.md b/contrib/systemd/index.md
index cfd1b7157..2e132cf98 100644
--- a/contrib/systemd/index.md
+++ b/contrib/systemd/index.md
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@ this is `/var/lib/copyparty-jail`, the fallback webroot when copyparty has not y
 please edit `/etc/copyparty/copyparty.conf` (if running as a system service)
 or `$HOME/.config/copyparty/copyparty.conf` if running as a user service
 
-a basic configuration example is available at https://github.com/9001/copyparty/blob/hovudstraum/contrib/systemd/copyparty.example.conf
-a configuration example that explains most flags is available at https://github.com/9001/copyparty/blob/hovudstraum/docs/chungus.conf
+* a basic example config: https://github.com/9001/copyparty/blob/hovudstraum/contrib/systemd/copyparty.example.conf
+* another example with focus on syntax: https://github.com/9001/copyparty/blob/hovudstraum/docs/example.conf
+* and CTRL-F "config file example" here: https://github.com/9001/copyparty
 
-the full list of configuration options can be seen at https://ocv.me/copyparty/helptext.html 
+the full list of configuration options can be seen at https://copyparty.eu/cli/ 
 or by running `copyparty --help`
diff --git a/copyparty/web/Makefile b/copyparty/web/Makefile
index 2f9670c55..a048a64e3 100644
--- a/copyparty/web/Makefile
+++ b/copyparty/web/Makefile
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ pk: $(addsuffix .gz, $(wildcard tl/*.js *.js *.css) \
 un: $(addsuffix .un, $(wildcard tl/*.gz *.gz a/*.gz))
 
 tl/%.js.gz: tl/%.js
-	./Makefile.s1 <$< | pigz -c11 -J 34 -I 573 >$@
+	sh Makefile.s1 <$< | pigz -c11 -J 34 -I 573 >$@
+	pigz -dc <$@ | grep -q ^Ls
 	touch -r $< $@
 	rm $<
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index a9966b58e..a63c86c14 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ copyparty = [
     "web/*.css",
     "web/*.html",
     "web/*.xml",
+    "web/*.gif",
     "web/tl/*.js",
     "web/tl/*.gz",
     "web/a/*.txt",
diff --git a/scripts/make-tgz-release.sh b/scripts/make-tgz-release.sh
index f7cf25ca0..0bdaae45b 100755
--- a/scripts/make-tgz-release.sh
+++ b/scripts/make-tgz-release.sh
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ scripts/genlic.py "$rls_dir/copyparty/res/COPYING.txt"
 
 cd "$rls_dir"
 find -type d -exec chmod 755 '{}' \+
-find -type f -exec chmod 644 '{}' \+
+find -type f -exec chmod u+rw,go+r '{}' \+
 
 commaver="$(
 	printf '%s\n' "$ver" |
@@ -99,6 +99,12 @@ rm -f \
 cp -pv LICENSE LICENSE.txt
 mv setup.py{,.disabled}
 
+( cd copyparty/web
+make -j$(nproc)
+rm Makefile*
+printf 'all:\n\t@echo "NOTE: no longer necessary to run copyparty/web/Makefile when building from source tarball"\n' >Makefile
+)
+
 # the regular cleanup memes
 find -name '*.pyc' -delete
 find -name __pycache__ -delete