diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 645983194..3ed84ff9b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -164,11 +164,6 @@ jobs:
           printf "\n\nSystem environment:\n\n"
           env
 
-      - name: Fetch GUI
-        run: make fetch-gui
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-
       - name: Build rclone
         run: |
           make
diff --git a/bin/fetch-gui-dist.sh b/bin/fetch-gui-dist.sh
index e15a3fe94..9346102ba 100755
--- a/bin/fetch-gui-dist.sh
+++ b/bin/fetch-gui-dist.sh
@@ -1,16 +1,22 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-# Fetch the latest GUI dist from rclone/rclone-web GitHub releases.
+# Fetch the latest GUI dist.zip from rclone/rclone-web GitHub releases.
 #
-# Downloads dist.zip from the latest release and extracts it to
-# cmd/gui/dist/. Skips the download if the local tag matches.
+# Downloads dist.zip from the latest release to cmd/gui/dist.zip and
+# records the tag in cmd/gui/dist.tag. Both files are committed to the
+# repo so that builds are reproducible and `go build` works on a fresh
+# clone without needing to fetch anything.
 #
-# Requires: curl, unzip
+# Skips the download when both dist.zip and dist.tag exist and the tag
+# matches the latest release.
+#
+# Requires: curl
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
 REPO="rclone/rclone-web"
-DEST="cmd/gui/dist"
-TAG_FILE="${DEST}/.tag"
+DEST_DIR="cmd/gui"
+ZIP_FILE="${DEST_DIR}/dist.zip"
+TAG_FILE="${DEST_DIR}/dist.tag"
 
 CURL_OPTS=(-fSs --retry 5 --retry-delay 2 --retry-all-errors)
 
@@ -49,14 +55,16 @@ sys.exit(1)
 
 echo "Latest release: ${TAG}"
 
-# Check if we already have this version
-if [ -f "${TAG_FILE}" ] && [ "$(cat "${TAG_FILE}")" = "${TAG}" ]; then
+# Skip only when both the zip and the tag are present and the tag matches.
+# If only the tag exists (e.g. someone deleted the zip), force a re-download.
+if [ -f "${ZIP_FILE}" ] && [ -f "${TAG_FILE}" ] && [ "$(cat "${TAG_FILE}")" = "${TAG}" ]; then
     echo "Already up to date (${TAG})"
     exit 0
 fi
 
-# Download dist.zip
-TMPFILE=$(mktemp /tmp/rclone-gui-dist.XXXXXX.zip)
+# Download dist.zip directly to its final location, via a temp file so a
+# failed download doesn't leave a partial file behind.
+TMPFILE=$(mktemp "${DEST_DIR}/.dist.zip.XXXXXX")
 trap 'rm -f "${TMPFILE}"' EXIT
 
 echo "Downloading dist.zip from ${TAG}..."
@@ -65,17 +73,8 @@ curl -L "${CURL_OPTS[@]}" "${AUTH_HEADER[@]}" -o "${TMPFILE}" "${ASSET_URL}" ||
     exit 1
 }
 
-# Extract
-echo "Extracting to ${DEST}/..."
-rm -rf "${DEST}"
-mkdir -p "${DEST}"
-unzip -q "${TMPFILE}" -d "${DEST}"
-
-# Restore marker files
-git checkout "${DEST}"/.gitignore
-git checkout "${DEST}"/README.md
-
-# Write tag for cache comparison
+mv "${TMPFILE}" "${ZIP_FILE}"
+chmod 644 "${ZIP_FILE}"
 echo -n "${TAG}" > "${TAG_FILE}"
 
-echo "Done. GUI dist updated to ${TAG}"
+echo "Done. ${ZIP_FILE} updated to ${TAG}"
diff --git a/cmd/gui/dist.tag b/cmd/gui/dist.tag
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a5ba93251
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/gui/dist.tag
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1.1.7
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cmd/gui/dist.zip b/cmd/gui/dist.zip
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bfb41323f
Binary files /dev/null and b/cmd/gui/dist.zip differ
diff --git a/cmd/gui/dist/.gitignore b/cmd/gui/dist/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 58bbeb139..000000000
--- a/cmd/gui/dist/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-# This directory gets the web gui release which we ignore
-*
-# Except this file which we use to keep the directory available
-!.gitignore
diff --git a/cmd/gui/dist/README.md b/cmd/gui/dist/README.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 45a48533b..000000000
--- a/cmd/gui/dist/README.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Use `make fetch-gui` to populate this directory.
diff --git a/cmd/gui/gui.go b/cmd/gui/gui.go
index a21108efe..0a7ea42d4 100644
--- a/cmd/gui/gui.go
+++ b/cmd/gui/gui.go
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@ package gui
 
 import (
 	"archive/zip"
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
-	"embed"
+	_ "embed"
 	"fmt"
 	iofs "io/fs"
 	"net/http"
@@ -24,8 +25,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
-//go:embed dist
-var assets embed.FS
+//go:embed dist.zip
+var distZip []byte
+
+//go:embed dist.tag
+var distTag string
 
 var (
 	guiAddr       []string
@@ -192,7 +196,11 @@ For more help see [the GUI docs](/gui/).
 		guiServer.Serve()
 
 		guiURL := guiServer.URLs()[0]
-		fs.Logf(nil, "Serving GUI on %s", guiURL)
+		guiSource := fmt.Sprintf("version %s", strings.TrimSpace(distTag))
+		if srcPath != "" {
+			guiSource = fmt.Sprintf("from %s", srcPath)
+		}
+		fs.Logf(nil, "Serving GUI %s on %s", guiSource, guiURL)
 
 		// Open browser
 		loginURL := buildLoginURL(guiURL, rcURL, opt.Auth.BasicUser, opt.Auth.BasicPass, opt.NoAuth)
@@ -231,20 +239,20 @@ func originFromURL(rawURL string) string {
 }
 
 // guiSourceFS opens the GUI bundle at the given path. An empty path
-// returns the embedded bundle. The returned cleanup func must be
-// called on shutdown (no-op for embedded/DirFS, Close for the zip
-// reader).
+// returns the embedded bundle (read from the zip embedded in the binary).
+// The returned cleanup func must be called on shutdown (no-op for the
+// embedded bundle and DirFS, Close for an external zip reader).
 func guiSourceFS(path string) (iofs.FS, func() error, error) {
 	noop := func() error { return nil }
 	if path == "" {
-		sub, err := iofs.Sub(assets, "dist")
+		zr, err := zip.NewReader(bytes.NewReader(distZip), int64(len(distZip)))
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("embedded GUI dir not found: was `make fetch-gui` run before building?: %w", err)
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read embedded GUI zip: was `make fetch-gui` run before building?: %w", err)
 		}
-		if _, err := iofs.Stat(sub, "index.html"); err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("embedded GUI not found: was `make fetch-gui` run before building?: %w", err)
+		if _, err := iofs.Stat(zr, "index.html"); err != nil {
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("embedded GUI has no index.html: was `make fetch-gui` run before building?: %w", err)
 		}
-		return sub, noop, nil
+		return zr, noop, nil
 	}
 	info, err := os.Stat(path)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/docs/content/gui.md b/docs/content/gui.md
index 8011739ee..72e32f20b 100644
--- a/docs/content/gui.md
+++ b/docs/content/gui.md
@@ -120,4 +120,6 @@ Tailscale (all free).
 
 ## History
 
-In v1.74 the GUI was redone and embedded within rclone for ease of use.
+In v1.74 the GUI was redone and embedded within rclone for ease of
+use. The GUI bundle ships as a compressed zip embedded in the rclone
+binary and is served from the zip at runtime.