diff --git a/packages/Makefile b/packages/Makefile
index 3c427e51b6..a2139dcd4f 100644
--- a/packages/Makefile
+++ b/packages/Makefile
@@ -1,24 +1,45 @@
-PACKAGE_PATH=$(shell cd $(name) && pwd)
-SHA_SUM=$(shell sha256sum $(name)/zarf-package-$(name).tar.zst | cut -d " " -f1)
-build-package:
+# Figure out which Zarf binary we should use based on the operating system we are on
+ZARF_BIN := zarf
+UNAME_S := $(shell uname -s)
+UNAME_P := $(shell uname -p)
+ifneq ($(UNAME_S),Linux)
+	ifeq ($(UNAME_S),Darwin)
+		ZARF_BIN := $(addsuffix -mac,$(ZARF_BIN))
+	endif
+	ifeq ($(UNAME_P),i386)
+		ZARF_BIN := $(addsuffix -intel,$(ZARF_BIN))
+	endif
+	ifeq ($(UNAME_P),arm64)
+		ZARF_BIN := $(addsuffix -apple,$(ZARF_BIN))
+	endif
+endif
+
+PACKAGE_PATH :=  $(shell cd $(name) && pwd)
+
+.PHONY: default 
+default: help
+
+.PHONY: build-package
+package:
 ifdef name
-	@cd $(name) && zarf package create --confirm 
-	@echo "\nCreated $(name) add the sha and path to your zarf yaml components: "
+	@cd $(name) && $(ZARF_BIN) package create --confirm 
+	@echo "\nCreated $(name) add the sha and path to your zarf yaml components: " 
 	@echo "  - name: $(name)"
-	@echo "    files:"
-	@echo "      - source: \"$(PACKAGE_PATH)/zarf-package-$(name).tar.zst\""
-	@echo "        shasum: $(SHA_SUM)"
-	@echo "        target: /usr/local/bin/zarf-package-$(name).tar.zst"
-	@echo "    scripts:"
-	@echo "      after:"
+	@echo "    files:" 
+	@echo "      - source: \"$(PACKAGE_PATH)/zarf-package-$(name).tar.zst\""  
+	@echo "        shasum: `cd $(PACKAGE_PATH) && sha256sum zarf-package-$(name).tar.zst | cut -d " " -f1`" 
+	@echo "        target: \"/usr/local/bin/zarf-package-$(name).tar.zst\"" 
+	@echo "    scripts:" 
+	@echo "      after:" 
 	@echo "        - \"./zarf package deploy /usr/local/bin/zarf-package-$(name).tar.zst --confirm\""
 else
-	@echo "Please provide a valid package name. ie: make build-package name=flux"
+	@echo "Please provide a valid package name. ie: make package name=flux"
 endif
 
-
+.PHONY: help
 help:
 	@echo "\nAvailable commands: "
-	@echo "\n  build-package     Builds a tar.zst given the name of the component you wish to create."
-	@echo "                    example: make build-package name=flux"
+	@echo "\n  package     Builds a tar.zst given the name of the component you wish to create."
+	@echo "               example: make build-package name=flux"
+	@echo "\n  help        shows this menu."
 	@echo
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/README.md b/packages/README.md
index e56bfb2fc6..581187e74a 100644
--- a/packages/README.md
+++ b/packages/README.md
@@ -1,20 +1,20 @@
 # Zarf Prebuilt Packages
 ## Prerequisites
-- zarf binary in PATH as zarf or ```alias zarf="$HOME/path/to/zarf/cli```
-- sha256sum
+- Add zarf binary to path `export PATH=path/to/zarf/binary:$PATH`
+- Install `sha256sum` (on Mac it's `brew install coreutils`)
 
 ## Usage
-executing the command `make build-package name=NAME_OF_PACKAGE` will build the zarf-package.tar.zst in the folder of the required package. It will also output the required yaml to add to your zarf.yaml components section.  
+executing the command `make package name=NAME_OF_PACKAGE` will build the zarf-package.tar.zst in the folder of the required package. It will also output the required yaml to add to your zarf.yaml components section.  
 ### Building Composable Packages example: 
 ```yaml
-☁  packages  ⚡  make build-package name=flux
+☁  packages  ⚡  make package name=flux
 
 Created flux add the sha and path to your zarf yaml components: 
   - name: flux
     files:
       - source: "/home/ubuntu/github/zarf/packages/flux/zarf-package-flux.tar.zst"
         shasum: a8932720c6fe95e99be74c9dd1a6e8905b5c92b2b4672b3350e45739f3aad8be
-        target: /usr/local/bin/zarf-package-flux.tar.zst
+        target: "/usr/local/bin/zarf-package-flux.tar.zst"
     scripts:
       after:
         - "./zarf package deploy /usr/local/bin/zarf-package-flux.tar.zst --confirm"
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ components:
     files:
       - source: "/home/ubuntu/github/zarf/packages/flux/zarf-package-flux.tar.zst"
         shasum: a8932720c6fe95e99be74c9dd1a6e8905b5c92b2b4672b3350e45739f3aad8be
-        target: /usr/local/bin/zarf-package-flux.tar.zst
+        target: "/usr/local/bin/zarf-package-flux.tar.zst"
     scripts:
       after:
         - "./zarf package deploy /usr/local/bin/zarf-package-flux.tar.zst --confirm"