diff --git a/binary_installer/create_installers.sh b/binary_installer/create_installers.sh
index 833ae82239..479823881a 100755
--- a/binary_installer/create_installers.sh
+++ b/binary_installer/create_installers.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ read -p "Press any key to continue, or CTRL-C to exit..."
 # make the installer zip for linux and mac
 rm -rf InvokeAI
 mkdir -p InvokeAI
-cp install.sh InvokeAI
+cp install.sh.in InvokeAI/install.sh
+chmod a+x InvokeAI/install.sh
 cp readme.txt InvokeAI
 
 zip -r InvokeAI-linux.zip InvokeAI
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ zip -r InvokeAI-mac.zip InvokeAI
 # make the installer zip for windows
 rm -rf InvokeAI
 mkdir -p InvokeAI
-cp install.bat InvokeAI
+cp install.bat.in InvokeAI/install.bat
 cp readme.txt InvokeAI
 cp WinLongPathsEnabled.reg InvokeAI
 
diff --git a/binary_installer/install.bat b/binary_installer/install.bat.in
similarity index 97%
rename from binary_installer/install.bat
rename to binary_installer/install.bat.in
index c4bbdd2358..aaf71160af 100644
--- a/binary_installer/install.bat
+++ b/binary_installer/install.bat.in
@@ -140,7 +140,11 @@ set err_msg=----- InvokeAI setup failed -----
 .venv\Scripts\python -m pip install %no_cache_dir% --no-warn-script-location -e .
 if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto err_exit
 
+<<<<<<< HEAD:binary_installer/install.bat
 copy binary_installer\invoke.bat .\invoke.bat
+=======
+copy installer\invoke.bat.in .\invoke.bat
+>>>>>>> main:binary_installer/install.bat.in
 echo ***** Installed invoke launcher script ******
 
 @rem more cleanup
diff --git a/binary_installer/install.sh b/binary_installer/install.sh.in
similarity index 88%
rename from binary_installer/install.sh
rename to binary_installer/install.sh.in
index b0c3286c07..c080884903 100644
--- a/binary_installer/install.sh
+++ b/binary_installer/install.sh.in
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
+# ensure we're in the correct folder in case user's CWD is somewhere else
+scriptdir=$(dirname "$0")
+cd "$scriptdir"
+
 set -euo pipefail
 IFS=$'\n\t'
 
@@ -22,6 +26,8 @@ function _err_exit {
 
 # This enables a user to install this project without manually installing git or Python
 
+echo -e "\n***** Installing InvokeAI into $(pwd)... *****\n"
+
 export no_cache_dir="--no-cache-dir"
 if [ $# -ge 1 ]; then
     if [ "$1" = "use-cache" ]; then
@@ -29,10 +35,6 @@ if [ $# -ge 1 ]; then
     fi
 fi
 
-echo "$no_cache_dir"
-
-echo -e "\n***** Installing InvokeAI... *****\n"
-
 
 OS_NAME=$(uname -s)
 case "${OS_NAME}" in
@@ -80,19 +82,17 @@ if [ "$OS_NAME" == "darwin" ] && [ "$OS_ARCH" == "arm64" ]; then
 fi
 
 # config
-echo "USING development BRANCH. REMEMBER TO CHANGE TO main BEFORE RELEASE"
 INSTALL_ENV_DIR="$(pwd)/installer_files/env"
 MICROMAMBA_DOWNLOAD_URL="https://micro.mamba.pm/api/micromamba/${MAMBA_OS_NAME}-${MAMBA_ARCH}/latest"
 RELEASE_URL=https://github.com/invoke-ai/InvokeAI
-# RELEASE_SOURCEBALL=/archive/refs/heads/main.tar.gz
-# RELEASE_SOURCEBALL=/archive/refs/heads/test-installer.tar.gz
-RELEASE_SOURCEBALL=/archive/refs/heads/development.tar.gz
+RELEASE_SOURCEBALL=/archive/refs/heads/main.tar.gz
 PYTHON_BUILD_STANDALONE_URL=https://github.com/indygreg/python-build-standalone/releases/download
 if [ "$OS_NAME" == "darwin" ]; then
     PYTHON_BUILD_STANDALONE=20221002/cpython-3.10.7+20221002-${PY_ARCH}-apple-darwin-install_only.tar.gz
 elif [ "$OS_NAME" == "linux" ]; then
     PYTHON_BUILD_STANDALONE=20221002/cpython-3.10.7+20221002-${PY_ARCH}-unknown-linux-gnu-install_only.tar.gz
 fi
+echo "INSTALLING $RELEASE_SOURCEBALL FROM $RELEASE_URL"
 
 PACKAGES_TO_INSTALL=""
 
@@ -192,28 +192,33 @@ echo -e "We're running under"
 _err_exit $? _err_msg
 
 _err_msg="\n----- pip update failed -----\n"
-.venv/bin/python3 -m pip install "$no_cache_dir" --no-warn-script-location --upgrade pip wheel
+.venv/bin/python3 -m pip install $no_cache_dir --no-warn-script-location --upgrade pip
 _err_exit $? _err_msg
 
-echo -e "\n***** Updated pip and wheel *****\n"
+echo -e "\n***** Updated pip *****\n"
 
 _err_msg="\n----- requirements file copy failed -----\n"
 cp binary_installer/py3.10-${OS_NAME}-"${OS_ARCH}"-${CD}-reqs.txt requirements.txt
 _err_exit $? _err_msg
 
 _err_msg="\n----- main pip install failed -----\n"
-.venv/bin/python3 -m pip install "$no_cache_dir" --no-warn-script-location -r requirements.txt
+.venv/bin/python3 -m pip install $no_cache_dir --no-warn-script-location -r requirements.txt
 _err_exit $? _err_msg
 
 echo -e "\n***** Installed Python dependencies *****\n"
 
 _err_msg="\n----- InvokeAI setup failed -----\n"
-.venv/bin/python3 -m pip install "$no_cache_dir" --no-warn-script-location -e .
+.venv/bin/python3 -m pip install $no_cache_dir --no-warn-script-location -e .
 _err_exit $? _err_msg
 
 echo -e "\n***** Installed InvokeAI *****\n"
 
+<<<<<<< HEAD:binary_installer/install.sh
 cp binary_installer/invoke.sh .
+=======
+cp installer/invoke.sh.in ./invoke.sh
+chmod a+x ./invoke.sh
+>>>>>>> main:binary_installer/install.sh.in
 echo -e "\n***** Installed invoke launcher script ******\n"
 
 # more cleanup
@@ -227,6 +232,8 @@ deactivate
 
 echo -e "\n***** Finished downloading models *****\n"
 
-echo "All done! Run the command './invoke.sh' to start InvokeAI."
+echo "All done! Run the command"
+echo "  \"$scriptdir/invoke.sh\""
+echo "to start InvokeAI."
 read -p "Press any key to exit..."
 exit
diff --git a/binary_installer/invoke.bat b/binary_installer/invoke.bat.in
similarity index 100%
rename from binary_installer/invoke.bat
rename to binary_installer/invoke.bat.in
diff --git a/binary_installer/invoke.sh b/binary_installer/invoke.sh.in
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
similarity index 100%
rename from binary_installer/invoke.sh
rename to binary_installer/invoke.sh.in
diff --git a/docs/installation/BUILDING_BINARY_INSTALLERS.md b/docs/installation/BUILDING_BINARY_INSTALLERS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d4b4004e7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/installation/BUILDING_BINARY_INSTALLERS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+# How to build "binary" installers (InvokeAI-mac/windows/linux_on_*.zip)
+
+## 1. Ensure `installers/requirements.in` is correct
+
+and up to date on the branch to be installed.
+
+## <a name="step-2"></a> 2. Run `pip-compile` on each platform.
+
+On each target platform, in the branch that is to be installed, and
+inside the InvokeAI git root folder, run the following commands:
+
+```commandline
+conda activate invokeai # or however you activate python
+pip install pip-tools
+pip-compile --allow-unsafe --generate-hashes --output-file=installer/<reqsfile>.txt installer/requirements.in
+```
+where `<reqsfile>.txt` is whichever of
+```commandline
+py3.10-darwin-arm64-mps-reqs.txt
+py3.10-darwin-x86_64-reqs.txt
+py3.10-linux-x86_64-cuda-reqs.txt
+py3.10-windows-x86_64-cuda-reqs.txt
+```
+matches the current OS and architecture.
+> There is no way to cross-compile these. They must be done on a system matching the target OS and arch.
+
+## <a name="step-3"></a> 3. Set github repository and branch
+
+Once all reqs files have been collected and committed **to the branch
+to be installed**, edit `installer/install.sh.in` and `installer/install.bat.in` so that `RELEASE_URL`
+and `RELEASE_SOURCEBALL` point to the github repo and branch that is
+to be installed.
+
+For example, to install `main` branch of `InvokeAI`, they should be
+set as follows:
+
+`install.sh.in`:
+```commandline
+RELEASE_URL=https://github.com/invoke-ai/InvokeAI
+RELEASE_SOURCEBALL=/archive/refs/heads/main.tar.gz
+```
+
+`install.bat.in`:
+```commandline
+set RELEASE_URL=https://github.com/invoke-ai/InvokeAI
+set RELEASE_SOURCEBALL=/archive/refs/heads/main.tar.gz
+```
+
+Or, to install `damians-cool-feature` branch of `damian0815`, set them
+as follows:
+
+`install.sh.in`:
+```commandline
+RELEASE_URL=https://github.com/damian0815/InvokeAI
+RELEASE_SOURCEBALL=/archive/refs/heads/damians-cool-feature.tar.gz
+```
+
+`install.bat.in`:
+```commandline
+set RELEASE_URL=https://github.com/damian0815/InvokeAI
+set RELEASE_SOURCEBALL=/archive/refs/heads/damians-cool-feature.tar.gz
+```
+
+The branch and repo specified here **must** contain the correct reqs
+files. The installer zip files **do not** contain requirements files,
+they are pulled from the specified branch during the installation
+process.
+
+## 4. Create zip files.
+
+cd into the `installers/` folder and run
+`./create_installers.sh`. This will create
+`InvokeAI-mac_on_<branch>.zip`,
+`InvokeAI-windows_on_<branch>.zip` and
+`InvokeAI-linux_on_<branch>.zip`. These files can be distributed to end users.
+
+These zips will continue to function as installers for all future
+pushes to those branches, as long as necessary changes to
+`requirements.in` are propagated in a timely manner to the
+`py3.10-*-reqs.txt` files using pip-compile as outlined in [step
+2](#step-2).
+
+To actually install, users should unzip the appropriate zip file into an empty
+folder and run `install.sh` on macOS/Linux or `install.bat` on
+Windows.