diff --git a/src/nextjournal/garden_cli/template.clj b/src/nextjournal/garden_cli/template.clj
index 41d1652..087a5bd 100644
--- a/src/nextjournal/garden_cli/template.clj
+++ b/src/nextjournal/garden_cli/template.clj
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
    [babashka.fs :as fs]
    [cheshire.core :as cheshire]
    [clojure.string :as str]
-   [clojure.java.io :as io]))
+   [clojure.java.io :as io]
+   [nextjournal.garden-cli.unzip :as unzip]))
 
 ;; adapted from https://github.com/babashka/neil
 
@@ -64,9 +65,14 @@
        (spit path)))
 
 (defn template [target-dir]
-  (let [perms "rwxr-xr-x"]
-    (fs/copy-tree (fs/path (io/resource "project-template")) target-dir {:replace-existing true
-                                                                         :posix-file-permissions perms})
-    (fs/walk-file-tree target-dir {:pre-visit-dir (fn [dir _] (fs/set-posix-file-permissions dir perms) :continue)
-                                   :visit-file (fn [file _] (fs/set-posix-file-permissions file perms) :continue)})
+  (let [perms "rwxr-xr-x"
+        template (io/resource "project-template")]
+    (if (= "file" (.getProtocol template))
+      ;;running from git dep
+      (do (fs/copy-tree (fs/path template) target-dir {:replace-existing true
+                                                       :posix-file-permissions perms})
+          (fs/walk-file-tree target-dir {:pre-visit-dir (fn [dir _] (fs/set-posix-file-permissions dir perms) :continue)
+                                         :visit-file (fn [file _] (fs/set-posix-file-permissions file perms) :continue)}))
+      ;;running from jar
+      (unzip/unzip (io/resource "project-template.zip") target-dir))
     (substitute-file (str (fs/path target-dir "deps.edn")) (data-fn))))
diff --git a/src/nextjournal/garden_cli/unzip.clj b/src/nextjournal/garden_cli/unzip.clj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b358e22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nextjournal/garden_cli/unzip.clj
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+(ns nextjournal.garden-cli.unzip
+  (:require [clojure.java.io :as io]
+            [babashka.fs :refer [create-dirs parent]])
+  (:import [java.net URI]
+           [java.nio.file CopyOption
+            Files
+            StandardCopyOption
+            LinkOption Path]
+           [java.util.zip ZipInputStream]))
+
+(defn- as-path
+  ^Path [path]
+  (if (instance? Path path) path
+      (if (instance? URI path)
+        (java.nio.file.Paths/get ^URI path)
+        (.toPath (io/file path)))))
+
+(defn- ->copy-opts ^"[Ljava.nio.file.CopyOption;"
+  [replace-existing copy-attributes atomic-move nofollow-links]
+  (into-array CopyOption
+              (cond-> []
+                replace-existing (conj StandardCopyOption/REPLACE_EXISTING)
+                copy-attributes  (conj StandardCopyOption/COPY_ATTRIBUTES)
+                atomic-move      (conj StandardCopyOption/ATOMIC_MOVE)
+                nofollow-links   (conj LinkOption/NOFOLLOW_LINKS))))
+
+;; adapted from babashka.fs to work with resources as input streams
+(defn unzip
+  "Unzips `zip-file` to `dest` directory (default `\".\"`).
+
+   Options:
+   * `:replace-existing` - `true` / `false`: overwrite existing files"
+  ([zip-file] (unzip zip-file "."))
+  ([zip-file dest] (unzip zip-file dest nil))
+  ([zip-file dest {:keys [replace-existing]}]
+   (let [output-path (as-path dest)
+         _ (create-dirs dest)
+         cp-opts (->copy-opts replace-existing nil nil nil)]
+     (with-open
+      [fis (io/input-stream zip-file)
+       zis (ZipInputStream. fis)]
+       (loop []
+         (let [entry (.getNextEntry zis)]
+           (when entry
+             (let [entry-name (.getName entry)
+                   new-path (.resolve output-path entry-name)]
+               (if (.isDirectory entry)
+                 (create-dirs new-path)
+                 (do
+                   (create-dirs (parent new-path))
+                   (Files/copy ^java.io.InputStream zis
+                               new-path
+                               cp-opts))))
+             (recur))))))))
diff --git a/standalone-build.sh b/standalone-build.sh
index 3fe63dc..4fdc555 100755
--- a/standalone-build.sh
+++ b/standalone-build.sh
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ targetdir="$(readlink -f "$1")"
 mkdir -p "$targetdir"
 cd "$clidir"
 bb_version="$(bb -o "(:min-bb-version (clojure.edn/read-string (slurp \"bb.edn\")))")"
+cd resources/project-template
+zip -r project-template.zip .
+mv project-template.zip ..
+cd ../..
 bb uberjar cli.jar -m nextjournal.garden-cli
 tmpdir="$(mktemp -d)"
 mv cli.jar "$tmpdir"