diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index b2c6c069..faed2b81 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Dependencies
         run: |
           sudo apt-get update
-          sudo apt-get install build-essential ffmpeg protobuf-compiler ccache gawk
+          sudo apt-get install build-essential ffmpeg protobuf-compiler ccache upx-ucl gawk
           sudo apt-get install -qy binutils-aarch64-linux-gnu gcc-aarch64-linux-gnu g++-aarch64-linux-gnu libgmock-dev
       - name: Install CUDA Dependencies
         run: |
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Dependencies
         run: |
           sudo apt-get update
-          sudo apt-get install -y wget curl build-essential ffmpeg protobuf-compiler ccache gawk cmake libgmock-dev
+          sudo apt-get install -y wget curl build-essential ffmpeg protobuf-compiler ccache upx-ucl gawk cmake libgmock-dev
       - name: Intel Dependencies
         run: |
           wget -O- https://apt.repos.intel.com/intel-gpg-keys/GPG-PUB-KEY-INTEL-SW-PRODUCTS.PUB | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/oneapi-archive-keyring.gpg > /dev/null
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Dependencies
         run: |
           sudo apt-get update
-          sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends libopencv-dev protobuf-compiler ccache
+          sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends libopencv-dev protobuf-compiler ccache upx-ucl
           go install google.golang.org/grpc/cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc@1958fcbe2ca8bd93af633f11e97d44e567e945af
           go install google.golang.org/protobuf/cmd/protoc-gen-go@v1.34.2
       - name: Build stablediffusion
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 084d016d..e6efe77f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Dependencies
         run: |
           sudo apt-get update
-          sudo apt-get install build-essential curl ffmpeg
+          sudo apt-get install build-essential ccache upx-ucl curl ffmpeg
           sudo apt-get install -y libgmock-dev
           curl https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/misc/gpgkeys/anaconda.asc | gpg --dearmor > conda.gpg && \
              sudo install -o root -g root -m 644 conda.gpg /usr/share/keyrings/conda-archive-keyring.gpg && \
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 78ed4cd3..fcad8343 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ RUN apt-get update && \
         cmake \
         curl \
         git \
-        unzip && \
+        unzip upx-ucl && \
     apt-get clean && \
     rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 906e8ca5..882b6fe6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ RANDOM := $(shell bash -c 'echo $$RANDOM')
 
 VERSION?=$(shell git describe --always --tags || echo "dev" )
 # go tool nm ./local-ai | grep Commit
-LD_FLAGS?=
+LD_FLAGS?=-s -w
 override LD_FLAGS += -X "github.com/mudler/LocalAI/internal.Version=$(VERSION)"
 override LD_FLAGS += -X "github.com/mudler/LocalAI/internal.Commit=$(shell git rev-parse HEAD)"
 
@@ -72,6 +72,14 @@ WHITE  := $(shell tput -Txterm setaf 7)
 CYAN   := $(shell tput -Txterm setaf 6)
 RESET  := $(shell tput -Txterm sgr0)
 
+UPX?=
+# check if upx exists
+ifeq (, $(shell which upx))
+	UPX=
+else
+	UPX=$(shell which upx)
+endif
+
 # Default Docker bridge IP
 E2E_BRIDGE_IP?=172.17.0.1
 
@@ -377,6 +385,7 @@ build: prepare backend-assets grpcs ## Build the project
 	$(info ${GREEN}I BUILD_TYPE: ${YELLOW}$(BUILD_TYPE)${RESET})
 	$(info ${GREEN}I GO_TAGS: ${YELLOW}$(GO_TAGS)${RESET})
 	$(info ${GREEN}I LD_FLAGS: ${YELLOW}$(LD_FLAGS)${RESET})
+	$(info ${GREEN}I UPX: ${YELLOW}$(UPX)${RESET})
 ifneq ($(BACKEND_LIBS),)
 	$(MAKE) backend-assets/lib
 	cp -f $(BACKEND_LIBS) backend-assets/lib/
@@ -733,13 +742,22 @@ backend-assets/grpc: protogen-go replace
 backend-assets/grpc/bert-embeddings: sources/go-bert.cpp sources/go-bert.cpp/libgobert.a backend-assets/grpc
 	CGO_LDFLAGS="$(CGO_LDFLAGS)" C_INCLUDE_PATH=$(CURDIR)/sources/go-bert.cpp LIBRARY_PATH=$(CURDIR)/sources/go-bert.cpp \
 	$(GOCMD) build -ldflags "$(LD_FLAGS)" -tags "$(GO_TAGS)" -o backend-assets/grpc/bert-embeddings ./backend/go/llm/bert/
+ifneq ($(UPX),)
+	$(UPX) backend-assets/grpc/bert-embeddings
+endif
 
 backend-assets/grpc/gpt4all: sources/gpt4all sources/gpt4all/gpt4all-bindings/golang/libgpt4all.a backend-assets/gpt4all backend-assets/grpc
 	CGO_LDFLAGS="$(CGO_LDFLAGS)" C_INCLUDE_PATH=$(CURDIR)/sources/gpt4all/gpt4all-bindings/golang/ LIBRARY_PATH=$(CURDIR)/sources/gpt4all/gpt4all-bindings/golang/ \
 	$(GOCMD) build -ldflags "$(LD_FLAGS)" -tags "$(GO_TAGS)" -o backend-assets/grpc/gpt4all ./backend/go/llm/gpt4all/
+ifneq ($(UPX),)
+	$(UPX) backend-assets/grpc/gpt4all
+endif
 
 backend-assets/grpc/huggingface: backend-assets/grpc
 	$(GOCMD) build -ldflags "$(LD_FLAGS)" -tags "$(GO_TAGS)" -o backend-assets/grpc/huggingface ./backend/go/llm/langchain/
+ifneq ($(UPX),)
+	$(UPX) backend-assets/grpc/huggingface
+endif
 
 backend/cpp/llama/llama.cpp:
 	LLAMA_VERSION=$(CPPLLAMA_VERSION) $(MAKE) -C backend/cpp/llama llama.cpp
@@ -765,6 +783,9 @@ else
 	echo "BUILD_GRPC_FOR_BACKEND_LLAMA is not defined."
 	LLAMA_VERSION=$(CPPLLAMA_VERSION) $(MAKE) -C backend/cpp/${VARIANT} grpc-server
 endif
+ifneq ($(UPX),)
+	$(UPX) backend/cpp/${VARIANT}/grpc-server
+endif
 
 # This target is for manually building a variant with-auto detected flags
 backend-assets/grpc/llama-cpp: backend-assets/grpc backend/cpp/llama/llama.cpp
@@ -837,33 +858,57 @@ backend-assets/grpc/llama-cpp-grpc: backend-assets/grpc backend/cpp/llama/llama.
 backend-assets/util/llama-cpp-rpc-server: backend-assets/grpc/llama-cpp-grpc
 	mkdir -p backend-assets/util/
 	cp -rf backend/cpp/llama-grpc/llama.cpp/build/bin/rpc-server backend-assets/util/llama-cpp-rpc-server
+ifneq ($(UPX),)
+	$(UPX) backend-assets/util/llama-cpp-rpc-server
+endif
 
 backend-assets/grpc/llama-ggml: sources/go-llama.cpp sources/go-llama.cpp/libbinding.a backend-assets/grpc
 	CGO_LDFLAGS="$(CGO_LDFLAGS)" C_INCLUDE_PATH=$(CURDIR)/sources/go-llama.cpp LIBRARY_PATH=$(CURDIR)/sources/go-llama.cpp \
 	$(GOCMD) build -ldflags "$(LD_FLAGS)" -tags "$(GO_TAGS)" -o backend-assets/grpc/llama-ggml ./backend/go/llm/llama-ggml/
+ifneq ($(UPX),)
+	$(UPX) backend-assets/grpc/llama-ggml
+endif
 
 backend-assets/grpc/piper: sources/go-piper sources/go-piper/libpiper_binding.a backend-assets/grpc backend-assets/espeak-ng-data
 	CGO_CXXFLAGS="$(PIPER_CGO_CXXFLAGS)" CGO_LDFLAGS="$(PIPER_CGO_LDFLAGS)" LIBRARY_PATH=$(CURDIR)/sources/go-piper \
 	$(GOCMD) build -ldflags "$(LD_FLAGS)" -tags "$(GO_TAGS)" -o backend-assets/grpc/piper ./backend/go/tts/
+ifneq ($(UPX),)
+	$(UPX) backend-assets/grpc/piper
+endif
 
 backend-assets/grpc/rwkv: sources/go-rwkv.cpp sources/go-rwkv.cpp/librwkv.a backend-assets/grpc
 	CGO_LDFLAGS="$(CGO_LDFLAGS)" C_INCLUDE_PATH=$(CURDIR)/sources/go-rwkv.cpp LIBRARY_PATH=$(CURDIR)/sources/go-rwkv.cpp \
 	$(GOCMD) build -ldflags "$(LD_FLAGS)" -tags "$(GO_TAGS)" -o backend-assets/grpc/rwkv ./backend/go/llm/rwkv
+ifneq ($(UPX),)
+	$(UPX) backend-assets/grpc/rwkv
+endif
 
 backend-assets/grpc/stablediffusion: sources/go-stable-diffusion sources/go-stable-diffusion/libstablediffusion.a backend-assets/grpc
 	CGO_LDFLAGS="$(CGO_LDFLAGS)" CPATH="$(CPATH):$(CURDIR)/sources/go-stable-diffusion/:/usr/include/opencv4" LIBRARY_PATH=$(CURDIR)/sources/go-stable-diffusion/ \
 	$(GOCMD) build -ldflags "$(LD_FLAGS)" -tags "$(GO_TAGS)" -o backend-assets/grpc/stablediffusion ./backend/go/image/stablediffusion
+ifneq ($(UPX),)
+	$(UPX) backend-assets/grpc/stablediffusion
+endif
 
 backend-assets/grpc/tinydream: sources/go-tiny-dream sources/go-tiny-dream/libtinydream.a backend-assets/grpc
 	CGO_LDFLAGS="$(CGO_LDFLAGS)" LIBRARY_PATH=$(CURDIR)/go-tiny-dream \
 	$(GOCMD) build -ldflags "$(LD_FLAGS)" -tags "$(GO_TAGS)" -o backend-assets/grpc/tinydream ./backend/go/image/tinydream
+ifneq ($(UPX),)
+	$(UPX) backend-assets/grpc/tinydream
+endif
 
 backend-assets/grpc/whisper: sources/whisper.cpp sources/whisper.cpp/libwhisper.a backend-assets/grpc
 	CGO_LDFLAGS="$(CGO_LDFLAGS) $(CGO_LDFLAGS_WHISPER)" C_INCLUDE_PATH="$(CURDIR)/sources/whisper.cpp/include:$(CURDIR)/sources/whisper.cpp/ggml/include" LIBRARY_PATH=$(CURDIR)/sources/whisper.cpp \
 	$(GOCMD) build -ldflags "$(LD_FLAGS)" -tags "$(GO_TAGS)" -o backend-assets/grpc/whisper ./backend/go/transcribe/
+ifneq ($(UPX),)
+	$(UPX) backend-assets/grpc/whisper
+endif
 
 backend-assets/grpc/local-store: backend-assets/grpc
 	$(GOCMD) build -ldflags "$(LD_FLAGS)" -tags "$(GO_TAGS)" -o backend-assets/grpc/local-store ./backend/go/stores/
+ifneq ($(UPX),)
+	$(UPX) backend-assets/grpc/local-store
+endif
 
 grpcs: prepare $(GRPC_BACKENDS)