diff --git a/.github/workflows/compilers.yml b/.github/workflows/compilers.yml
index 701ce5a7dd9..e3fcd7dd85b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/compilers.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/compilers.yml
@@ -344,21 +344,23 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
         run: |
+          # one at a time
+          head="compat"
+          id=$(gh pr list -H $head -s open --json id -q ".[0].id")
+          [[ -n "${id// /}" ]] && (echo "PR already open"; exit 0) || (echo "opening PR")
+
           # setup bot user
           git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
           git config user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
 
           # create new branch
-          now=$(date +'%Y-%m-%dT%H-%M-%S')
-          updated_branch="compat_$now"
-          default_branch="${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}"
-          git switch -c "$updated_branch"
+          git switch -c "$head"
 
-          # commit wide CSVs and Markdown tables and push branch
+          # commit and push
           git add DEVELOPER.md .github/compat/comp.csv .github/compat/test.csv
           git commit -m "Update compatibility tables"
-          git push -u origin "$updated_branch"
+          git push -u origin "$head"
 
           # open PR
           cat <(echo '### Compile') <(echo) .github/compat/comp.md <(echo) <(echo '### Test') <(echo) .github/compat/test.md > compat.md
-          gh pr create -B "$default_branch" -H "$updated_branch" --title "Update compile/test compatibility tables" --body-file compat.md
\ No newline at end of file
+          gh pr create -B "${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}" -H "$head" --title "Update compile/test compatibility tables" --body-file compat.md
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/distribution/build_dist.py b/distribution/build_dist.py
index 68c454ec650..3c9e490b7f4 100644
--- a/distribution/build_dist.py
+++ b/distribution/build_dist.py
@@ -304,29 +304,29 @@ def build_distribution(
     shutil.copy(_project_root_path / "code.json", output_path)
 
     # full releases include examples, source code, makefiles and docs
-    if full:
-        # examples
-        setup_examples(
-            bin_path=output_path / "bin",
-            examples_path=output_path / "examples",
-            overwrite=overwrite,
-        )
+    if not full:
+        return
+
+    # examples
+    setup_examples(
+        bin_path=output_path / "bin",
+        examples_path=output_path / "examples",
+        overwrite=overwrite,
+    )
 
-        # copy source code files
-        copy_sources(output_path=output_path)
+    # copy source code files
+    copy_sources(output_path=output_path)
 
-        # build and copy makefiles
-        build_makefiles(output_path=output_path)
+    # build and copy makefiles
+    build_makefiles(output_path=output_path)
 
-        # docs
-        build_documentation(
-            bin_path=output_path / "bin",
-            output_path=output_path / "doc",
-            examples_repo_path=examples_repo_path,
-            # benchmarks_path=_benchmarks_path / "run-time-comparison.md",
-            full=full,
-            overwrite=overwrite,
-        )
+    # docs
+    build_documentation(
+        bin_path=output_path / "bin",
+        full=full,
+        output_path=output_path / "doc",
+        overwrite=overwrite,
+    )
 
 
 @requires_exe("pdflatex")
diff --git a/distribution/check_dist.py b/distribution/check_dist.py
index 6248204c306..87c545469d5 100644
--- a/distribution/check_dist.py
+++ b/distribution/check_dist.py
@@ -75,19 +75,18 @@ def test_sources(dist_dir_path, releasemode, full):
     if not full:
         pytest.skip(reason="sources not included in minimal distribution")
 
+    assert (dist_dir_path / "meson.build").is_file()
+    assert (dist_dir_path / "meson.options").is_file()
     assert (dist_dir_path / "src").is_dir()
     assert (dist_dir_path / "src" / "mf6.f90").is_file()
-
     version_file_path = dist_dir_path / "src" / "Utilities" / "version.f90"
     assert version_file_path.is_file()
 
-    # find IDEVELOPMODE line
+    # check IDEVELOPMODE
     lines = open(version_file_path, "r").read().splitlines()
     pattern = ":: IDEVELOPMODE ="
     line = next(iter([l for l in lines if pattern in l]), None)
     assert line
-
-    # make sure IDEVELOPMODE was set correctly
     idevelopmode = 0 if releasemode else 1
     assert f"IDEVELOPMODE = {idevelopmode}" in line