diff --git a/.github/actions/assemble-release/action.yml b/.github/actions/assemble-release/action.yml
index 2afd5d9..81f5e8a 100644
--- a/.github/actions/assemble-release/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/assemble-release/action.yml
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ runs:
       run: |
         shopt -s nocaseglob # so globs are case-insensitive
         shopt -s globstar
+        shopt -s nullglob
         mkdir -p ${{ env.RELEASE_STAGING  }}   
         cp -r -v ${{ inputs.artifacts }} ${{ env.RELEASE_STAGING }}
         cd ${{ env.RELEASE_STAGING }}
@@ -52,8 +53,8 @@ runs:
     - name: Assemble Release
       id: assemble-release
       shell: bash
+      working-directory: ${{ env.RELEASE_STAGING }}
       run: |
-        cd ${{ env.RELEASE_STAGING }}
         zip -r ${{ github.workspace }}/${{ inputs.output-file-name }}.zip .
         echo 'ARTIFACT_FILENAME=${{ inputs.output-file-name }}' >> $GITHUB_ENV
         echo 'artifact-path=${{ github.workspace }}/${{ inputs.output-file-name }}' >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
@@ -65,3 +66,4 @@ runs:
         path: ${{ env.RELEASE_STAGING }}
         name: ${{ inputs.output-file-name }}
         if-no-files-found: error
+        include-hidden-files: 'true' # behavior changed in 4.4.0. Include hidden for matching the behavior of `zip`
diff --git a/.github/workflows/internal-test-plugin-nuget.yml b/.github/workflows/internal-test-plugin-nuget.yml
index ebfd955..6f5a4f1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/internal-test-plugin-nuget.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/internal-test-plugin-nuget.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # This is an internal test for KSPBuildTools and not intended to be used by other projects
-name: Test Plugin Mod
+name: Test Plugin Mod (NuGet)
 
 on:
   workflow_call:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/internal-test-plugin.yml b/.github/workflows/internal-test-plugin.yml
index 8d53e28..77877ad 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/internal-test-plugin.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/internal-test-plugin.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,24 @@ jobs:
           solution-file-path: plugin-mod.csproj
 
       - uses: ./.github/actions/assemble-release
+        id: assemble-release
         with:
-          artifacts: ${{ env.TESTDIR }}/GameData
+          working-directory: ${{ env.TESTDIR }}
           output-file-name: plugin-mod
+
+      - name: Get github artifact
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: plugin-mod
+          path: github-artifact
+
+      - name: Compare with zip artifact
+        run: |
+          unzip ${{ steps.assemble-release.outputs.artifact-path }} -d zip-artifact
+          
+          tree github-artifact
+          tree zip-artifact
+          
+          if [[ $(tree github-artifact/* | sed '1d') != $(tree zip-artifact/* | sed '1d') ]]; then echo "tree mismatch" && false; fi # fail if contents differ
+          if [[ ! -d github-artifact/GameData ]]; then echo "GameData not present" && false; fi # fail if GameData folder isnt present
+          if [[ -f github-artifact/GameData/plugin-mod/PluginMod.pdb ]]; then echo "pdb still present" && false; fi # fail if PDB is still present
\ No newline at end of file