diff --git a/.github/workflows/update-payload.yml b/.github/workflows/update-payload.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5d97f79b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/update-payload.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+name: Update MokoCassiopeia Payload
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  update-payload:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Get latest MokoCassiopeia release URL
+        id: moko
+        run: |
+          DOWNLOAD_URL=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoCassiopeia/releases \
+            | jq -r '[.[] | select(.assets | length > 0)][0].assets[0].browser_download_url')
+          echo "url=$DOWNLOAD_URL" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "Found: $DOWNLOAD_URL"
+
+      - name: Download MokoCassiopeia zip
+        if: steps.moko.outputs.url != 'null'
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p src/payload
+          curl -sL "${{ steps.moko.outputs.url }}" -o src/payload/mokocassiopeia.zip
+          ls -la src/payload/
+
+      - name: Check if payload changed
+        id: diff
+        run: |
+          git add src/payload/mokocassiopeia.zip
+          if git diff --cached --quiet; then
+            echo "changed=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          else
+            echo "changed=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          fi
+
+      - name: Commit updated payload
+        if: steps.diff.outputs.changed == 'true'
+        run: |
+          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+          git config user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          git commit -m "chore: update mokocassiopeia payload"
+          git push
diff --git a/src/mokowaas.xml b/src/mokowaas.xml
index 774dfd41..b1883cc9 100644
--- a/src/mokowaas.xml
+++ b/src/mokowaas.xml
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 		<filename plugin="mokowaas">script.php</filename>
 		<folder>Extension</folder>
 		<folder>Field</folder>
+		<folder>payload</folder>
 		<folder>services</folder>
 		<folder>language</folder>
 		<folder>administrator</folder>
diff --git a/src/script.php b/src/script.php
index 74b0ca05..53b5fdc6 100644
--- a/src/script.php
+++ b/src/script.php
@@ -253,45 +253,29 @@ class plgSystemMokoWaaSInstallerScript implements InstallerScriptInterface
 			return;
 		}
 
-		// Template not installed — get download URL from updates.xml
-		$updatesUrl = 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com'
-			. '/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoCassiopeia/main/updates.xml';
+		// Template not installed — install from bundled payload
+		$pluginPath = JPATH_PLUGINS . '/system/mokowaas';
+		$payloadZip = $pluginPath . '/payload/mokocassiopeia.zip';
 
-		$zipUrl = $this->getDownloadUrlFromUpdates($updatesUrl);
-
-		if (empty($zipUrl))
+		if (!file_exists($payloadZip))
 		{
 			Factory::getApplication()->enqueueMessage(
-				'MokoCassiopeia: could not resolve download URL '
-				. 'from updates.xml.',
+				'MokoCassiopeia payload not found at '
+				. $payloadZip,
 				'warning'
 			);
 
 			return;
 		}
 
-		$tmpFile = JPATH_ROOT . '/tmp/mokocassiopeia.zip';
-		$tmpDir  = JPATH_ROOT . '/tmp/mokocassiopeia';
+		$tmpDir = JPATH_ROOT . '/tmp/mokocassiopeia';
 
 		try
 		{
-			$data = @file_get_contents($zipUrl);
 
-			if ($data === false)
-			{
-				Factory::getApplication()->enqueueMessage(
-					'MokoCassiopeia download failed: ' . $zipUrl,
-					'warning'
-				);
-
-				return;
-			}
-
-			file_put_contents($tmpFile, $data);
-
-			// Extract the release zip
+			// Extract the bundled zip
 			$archive = new \Joomla\Archive\Archive();
-			$archive->extract($tmpFile, $tmpDir);
+			$archive->extract($payloadZip, $tmpDir);
 
 			// Release zips should have templateDetails.xml at root
 			// or one level deep
@@ -345,8 +329,6 @@ class plgSystemMokoWaaSInstallerScript implements InstallerScriptInterface
 		}
 		finally
 		{
-			@unlink($tmpFile);
-
 			if (is_dir($tmpDir))
 			{
 				Folder::delete($tmpDir);
@@ -449,32 +431,6 @@ class plgSystemMokoWaaSInstallerScript implements InstallerScriptInterface
 		}
 	}
 
-	private function getDownloadUrlFromUpdates($updatesUrl)
-	{
-		try
-		{
-			$xml = @file_get_contents($updatesUrl);
-
-			if ($xml === false)
-			{
-				return null;
-			}
-
-			$updates = new \SimpleXMLElement($xml);
-
-			if (isset($updates->update->downloads->downloadurl))
-			{
-				return (string) $updates->update->downloads->downloadurl;
-			}
-		}
-		catch (\Exception $e)
-		{
-			return null;
-		}
-
-		return null;
-	}
-
 	private const BLOCK_START = '; ===== BEGIN MokoWaaS Overrides (do not edit this block) =====';
 
 	/** Sentinel comment that marks the end of MokoWaaS overrides inside a Joomla override file. */