diff --git a/.github/readme.md b/.github/readme.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aaa5aa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/readme.md
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# Debug workflows locally
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- (1) [Github CLI](https://github.com/cli/cli)
+
+Verify that Github CLI is installed and available via `gh --version`. You need to authorize yourself via `gh login`. Once authorised, verify that `gh auth token` returns a value. You'll need that token to authorize yourself through `act`.
+
+- (2) [Act](https://github.com/nektos/act)
+
+Verify that act is installed and available via `act --version`. There are [various ways](https://nektosact.com/installation/index.html) to install it via a tool, downloading the artifact that matches your OS and adding it to the path is sufficient however.
+
+- (3) [Docker](https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/)
+
+Verify that docker is installed and available via `docker --version`.  Act uses docker containers to containerize your workflows. You'll need to start the `Docker Desktop` application to guarantee that the docker engine is running.
+
+## Debug a workflow
+
+The tool `act` only works on workflows that have the `push` event. Add the `push` event to the workflow that you want to test if it is missing.
+
+```bash
+    #   # Non-standard image that has `pwsh` installed            # Workflow to debug               # Token to authorize
+    act -P 'ubuntu-latest=ghcr.io/catthehacker/ubuntu:pwsh-22.04' -W '.github/workflows/build.yaml' -s GITHUB_TOKEN="$(gh auth token)"
+
+    # for repeated tests                                                                                                               # do not pull (-p) the docker image each time
+    act -P 'ubuntu-latest=ghcr.io/catthehacker/ubuntu:pwsh-22.04' -W '.github/workflows/build.yaml' -s GITHUB_TOKEN="$(gh auth token)" -p=false
+```
+
+Useful references:
+
+- [Documentation about act](https://nektosact.com/introduction.html)
+- [List of all official docker images](https://github.com/catthehacker/docker_images)
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yaml b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
index 9afe5fb..54bfc11 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
@@ -22,15 +22,31 @@ name: build
 
 on:
     workflow_dispatch:
+    workflow_call:
 
 jobs:
+    update:
+        uses: ./.github/workflows/generate.yaml
     build:
+        needs: [update]
         name: build application
         runs-on: ubuntu-latest
         steps:
             # https://github.com/actions/checkout/tree/v4/
             - name: Checkout spooky db code
               uses: actions/checkout@v4
+              with: 
+                  ref: master
+
+            - name: Remove existing unit information
+              run: |
+                rm app/data/*.json
+                
+            - name: Download recent unit information
+              uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+              with:
+                  name: spookydb-generated-files
+                  path: app/data
 
             # https://github.com/actions/setup-node/tree/main
             - name: Use Node.js 20.x
diff --git a/.github/workflows/generate.yaml b/.github/workflows/generate.yaml
index 71c2a15..14b156a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/generate.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/generate.yaml
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ name: generate
 
 on:
     workflow_dispatch:
+    workflow_call:
 
 jobs:
     generate:
@@ -29,14 +30,18 @@ jobs:
         permissions: write-all
         runs-on: ubuntu-latest
         steps:
+            # Checking repositories
             - name: Checkout spooky db code
               uses: actions/checkout@v4
+              with:
+                  ref: master
 
             - name: Checkout FAForever blueprints and lua files
               uses: actions/checkout@v4
               with:
                   repository: FAForever/fa
                   path: fa
+                  ref: deploy/faf
                   sparse-checkout-cone-mode: false
                   sparse-checkout: |
                       *.bp
@@ -47,6 +52,7 @@ jobs:
               with:
                   repository: FAForever/nomads
                   path: nomads
+                  ref: master
                   sparse-checkout-cone-mode: false
                   sparse-checkout: |
                       *.bp
@@ -77,10 +83,9 @@ jobs:
                   mv fa/lua/version.lua tools/temp/lua/version.lua
 
             - name: Run the script
-              shell: pwsh
+              shell: bash
               working-directory: tools # script expects this directory
               run: |
-                  lua -v
                   pwsh ./index.ps1 -target ../app -inputUnits "temp/units" -inputLua "temp/lua"
 
             # Store the created files
@@ -88,6 +93,6 @@ jobs:
             - name: Create artifact
               uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
               with:
-                  name: Generated files
+                  name: spookydb-generated-files
                   path: |
                       app/data
diff --git a/tools/index.ps1 b/tools/index.ps1
index 0ccf103..7d1e637 100644
--- a/tools/index.ps1
+++ b/tools/index.ps1
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ param (
     [string]$inputLua = ""
 )
 
+Write-Output "target: $target"
+Write-Output "inputUnits: $inputUnits"
+Write-Output "inputLua: $inputLua"
+
 $env:Path -split ';'
 
 Function Create-UnitIndex {
@@ -21,29 +25,29 @@ Function Create-UnitIndex {
 
     $version = lua getVersion.lua "$luaVersionFile"
 
-    echo '{'
-    echo "`"version`": `"$version`","
+    Write-Output '{'
+    Write-Output "`"version`": `"$version`","
 
     $blueprints = Get-ChildItem "$unitDir\**\*_unit.bp"
     $count = 1
     $total = $blueprints.Count
 
-    echo '"units": '
-    echo '['
+    Write-Output '"units": '
+    Write-Output '['
     $blueprints | Foreach-Object {
         $file = $_.BaseName
         Write-Progress -Activity "Parsing $file" -Status "($count/$total)"
 
         lua blueprint2json.lua $_.FullName
         if ($count -lt $total) {
-            echo ','
+            Write-Output ','
         }
 
         $count++
     }
-    echo ']'
+    Write-Output ']'
 
-    echo '}'
+    Write-Output '}'
 }
 
 Function Create-Version {
@@ -53,7 +57,7 @@ Function Create-Version {
 
     $version = lua getVersion.lua "$luaVersionFile"
 
-    echo "{ `"version`": `"$version`" }"
+    Write-Output "{ `"version`": `"$version`" }"
 }
 
 Function Run {