diff --git a/pio-scripts/output_bins.py b/pio-scripts/output_bins.py
index cfedacead..092754c38 100644
--- a/pio-scripts/output_bins.py
+++ b/pio-scripts/output_bins.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import os
 import shutil
 import gzip
 
-OUTPUT_DIR = "build_output{}".format(os.path.sep)
+OUTPUT_DIR = os.path.join("build_output")
 
 def _get_cpp_define_value(env, define):
     define_list = [item[-1] for item in env["CPPDEFINES"] if item[0] == define]
@@ -13,27 +13,20 @@ def _get_cpp_define_value(env, define):
 
     return None
 
-def _create_dirs(dirs=["firmware", "map"]):
-    # check if output directories exist and create if necessary
-    if not os.path.isdir(OUTPUT_DIR):
-        os.mkdir(OUTPUT_DIR)
-
+def _create_dirs(dirs=["map", "release", "release_gz"]):
     for d in dirs:
-        if not os.path.isdir("{}{}".format(OUTPUT_DIR, d)):
-            os.mkdir("{}{}".format(OUTPUT_DIR, d))
+        os.makedirs(os.path.join(OUTPUT_DIR, d), exist_ok=True)
 
 def create_release(source):
     release_name = _get_cpp_define_value(env, "WLED_RELEASE_NAME")
-    # get file extension of source file (.bin or .bin.gz)
-    ext = source.split(".", 1)[1]
     if release_name:
-        folder = "release"
-        if ext == "bin.gz":
-            folder = "release_gz"
-        _create_dirs([folder])
         version = _get_cpp_define_value(env, "WLED_VERSION")
-        release_file = "{}{}{}WLED_{}_{}.{}".format(OUTPUT_DIR, folder, os.path.sep, version, release_name, ext)
+        release_file = os.path.join(OUTPUT_DIR, "release", f"WLED_{version}_{release_name}.bin")
+        release_gz_file = os.path.join(OUTPUT_DIR, "release_gz", f"WLED_{version}_{release_name}.bin.gz")
+        print(f"Copying {source} to {release_file}")
         shutil.copy(source, release_file)
+        print(f"Creating gzip file {release_gz_file} from {release_file}")
+        bin_gzip(release_file, release_gz_file)
 
 def bin_rename_copy(source, target, env):
     _create_dirs()
@@ -41,38 +34,16 @@ def bin_rename_copy(source, target, env):
 
     # create string with location and file names based on variant
     map_file = "{}map{}{}.map".format(OUTPUT_DIR, os.path.sep, variant)
-    bin_file = "{}firmware{}{}.bin".format(OUTPUT_DIR, os.path.sep, variant)
 
-    # check if new target files exist and remove if necessary
-    for f in [map_file, bin_file]:
-        if os.path.isfile(f):
-            os.remove(f)
-
-    # copy firmware.bin to firmware/<variant>.bin
-    shutil.copy(str(target[0]), bin_file)
-
-    create_release(bin_file)
+    create_release(str(target[0]))
 
     # copy firmware.map to map/<variant>.map
     if os.path.isfile("firmware.map"):
         shutil.move("firmware.map", map_file)
 
-def bin_gzip(source, target, env):
-    _create_dirs()
-    variant = env["PIOENV"]
-
-    # create string with location and file names based on variant
-    bin_file = "{}firmware{}{}.bin".format(OUTPUT_DIR, os.path.sep, variant)
-    gzip_file = "{}firmware{}{}.bin.gz".format(OUTPUT_DIR, os.path.sep, variant)
-
-    # check if new target files exist and remove if necessary
-    if os.path.isfile(gzip_file): os.remove(gzip_file)
-
-    # write gzip firmware file
-    with open(bin_file,"rb") as fp:
-        with gzip.open(gzip_file, "wb", compresslevel = 9) as f:
+def bin_gzip(source, target):
+    with open(source,"rb") as fp:
+        with gzip.open(target, "wb", compresslevel = 9) as f:
             shutil.copyfileobj(fp, f)
 
-    create_release(gzip_file)
-
-env.AddPostAction("$BUILD_DIR/${PROGNAME}.bin", [bin_rename_copy, bin_gzip])
+env.AddPostAction("$BUILD_DIR/${PROGNAME}.bin", bin_rename_copy)