diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index a17aa85..cc990f9 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module github.com/rancher/steve
 
-go 1.13
+go 1.16
 
 replace (
 	github.com/crewjam/saml => github.com/rancher/saml v0.0.0-20180713225824-ce1532152fde
diff --git a/pkg/ui/embed.go b/pkg/ui/embed.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..19f3197
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/ui/embed.go
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+// +build embed
+
+package ui
+
+import (
+	"embed"
+	"io"
+	"io/fs"
+	"net/http"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+// content holds our static web server content.
+//go:embed ui/*
+var staticContent embed.FS
+
+type fsFunc func(name string) (fs.File, error)
+
+func (f fsFunc) Open(name string) (fs.File, error) {
+	return f(name)
+}
+
+func pathExist(path string) bool {
+	path = formatPath(path)
+	_, err := staticContent.Open(path)
+	return err == nil
+}
+
+func openFile(path string) (fs.File, error) {
+	path = formatPath(path)
+	file, err := staticContent.Open(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		logrus.Errorf("openEmbedFile %s err: %v", path, err)
+	}
+	return file, err
+}
+
+func formatPath(path string) string {
+	// To replace _nuxt/_cluster/...
+	// For embed, If a pattern names a directory,
+	// all files in the subtree rooted at that directory are embedded (recursively),
+	// except that files with names beginning with ‘.’ or ‘_’ are excluded.
+	return strings.ReplaceAll(path, "_", "")
+}
+
+func serveEmbed(basePath string) http.Handler {
+	handler := fsFunc(func(name string) (fs.File, error) {
+		logrus.Debugf("serveEmbed name: %s", name)
+		assetPath := filepath.Join(basePath, name)
+		logrus.Debugf("serveEmbed final path: %s", assetPath)
+		return openFile(assetPath)
+	})
+
+	return http.FileServer(http.FS(handler))
+}
+
+func serveEmbedIndex(basePath string) http.Handler {
+	return http.HandlerFunc(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+		path := filepath.Join(basePath, "dashboard", "index.html")
+		logrus.Debugf("serveEmbedIndex : %s", path)
+		f, _ := staticContent.Open(path)
+		io.Copy(rw, f)
+		f.Close()
+	})
+}
+
+func (u *Handler) ServeAsset() http.Handler {
+	return u.middleware(http.HandlerFunc(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+		serveEmbed(u.pathSetting()).ServeHTTP(rw, req)
+	}))
+}
+
+func (u *Handler) ServeFaviconDashboard() http.Handler {
+	return u.middleware(http.HandlerFunc(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+		serveEmbed(filepath.Join(u.pathSetting(), "dashboard")).ServeHTTP(rw, req)
+	}))
+}
+
+func (u *Handler) IndexFileOnNotFound() http.Handler {
+	return http.HandlerFunc(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+		path := filepath.Join(u.pathSetting(), req.URL.Path)
+		if pathExist(path) {
+			u.ServeAsset().ServeHTTP(rw, req)
+		} else {
+			u.IndexFile().ServeHTTP(rw, req)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+func (u *Handler) IndexFile() http.Handler {
+	return u.indexMiddleware(http.HandlerFunc(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+		serveEmbedIndex(u.pathSetting()).ServeHTTP(rw, req)
+	}))
+}
diff --git a/pkg/ui/external.go b/pkg/ui/external.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1243a9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/ui/external.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+// +build !embed
+
+package ui
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+)
+
+func (u *Handler) ServeAsset() http.Handler {
+	return u.middleware(http.HandlerFunc(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+		http.FileServer(http.Dir(u.pathSetting())).ServeHTTP(rw, req)
+	}))
+}
+
+func (u *Handler) ServeFaviconDashboard() http.Handler {
+	return u.middleware(http.HandlerFunc(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+		http.FileServer(http.Dir(filepath.Join(u.pathSetting(), "dashboard"))).ServeHTTP(rw, req)
+	}))
+}
+
+func (u *Handler) IndexFileOnNotFound() http.Handler {
+	return http.HandlerFunc(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+		// we ignore directories here because we want those to come from the CDN when running in that mode
+		if stat, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(u.pathSetting(), req.URL.Path)); err == nil && !stat.IsDir() {
+			u.ServeAsset().ServeHTTP(rw, req)
+		} else {
+			u.IndexFile().ServeHTTP(rw, req)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+func (u *Handler) IndexFile() http.Handler {
+	return u.indexMiddleware(http.HandlerFunc(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+		if path, isURL := u.path(); isURL {
+			_ = serveIndex(rw, path)
+		} else {
+			http.ServeFile(rw, req, filepath.Join(path, "index.html"))
+		}
+	}))
+}
diff --git a/pkg/ui/handler.go b/pkg/ui/handler.go
index f630487..fc35f91 100644
--- a/pkg/ui/handler.go
+++ b/pkg/ui/handler.go
@@ -5,14 +5,16 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/rancher/apiserver/pkg/middleware"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
+const (
+	defaultPath = "./ui"
+)
+
 var (
 	insecureClient = &http.Client{
 		Transport: &http.Transport{
@@ -24,10 +26,6 @@ var (
 	}
 )
 
-const (
-	defaultPath = "./ui"
-)
-
 type StringSetting func() string
 type BoolSetting func() bool
 
@@ -104,17 +102,6 @@ func NewUIHandler(opts *Options) *Handler {
 	return h
 }
 
-func (u *Handler) canDownload(url string) bool {
-	u.downloadOnce.Do(func() {
-		if err := serveIndex(ioutil.Discard, url); err == nil {
-			u.downloadSuccess = true
-		} else {
-			logrus.Errorf("Failed to download %s, falling back to packaged UI", url)
-		}
-	})
-	return u.downloadSuccess
-}
-
 func (u *Handler) path() (path string, isURL bool) {
 	switch u.offlineSetting() {
 	case "dynamic":
@@ -132,37 +119,15 @@ func (u *Handler) path() (path string, isURL bool) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (u *Handler) ServeAsset() http.Handler {
-	return u.middleware(http.HandlerFunc(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
-		http.FileServer(http.Dir(u.pathSetting())).ServeHTTP(rw, req)
-	}))
-}
-
-func (u *Handler) ServeFaviconDashboard() http.Handler {
-	return u.middleware(http.HandlerFunc(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
-		http.FileServer(http.Dir(filepath.Join(u.pathSetting(), "dashboard"))).ServeHTTP(rw, req)
-	}))
-}
-
-func (u *Handler) IndexFileOnNotFound() http.Handler {
-	return http.HandlerFunc(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
-		// we ignore directories here because we want those to come from the CDN when running in that mode
-		if stat, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(u.pathSetting(), req.URL.Path)); err == nil && !stat.IsDir() {
-			u.ServeAsset().ServeHTTP(rw, req)
+func (u *Handler) canDownload(url string) bool {
+	u.downloadOnce.Do(func() {
+		if err := serveIndex(ioutil.Discard, url); err == nil {
+			u.downloadSuccess = true
 		} else {
-			u.IndexFile().ServeHTTP(rw, req)
+			logrus.Errorf("Failed to download %s, falling back to packaged UI", url)
 		}
 	})
-}
-
-func (u *Handler) IndexFile() http.Handler {
-	return u.indexMiddleware(http.HandlerFunc(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
-		if path, isURL := u.path(); isURL {
-			_ = serveIndex(rw, path)
-		} else {
-			http.ServeFile(rw, req, filepath.Join(path, "index.html"))
-		}
-	}))
+	return u.downloadSuccess
 }
 
 func serveIndex(resp io.Writer, url string) error {
diff --git a/pkg/ui/routes.go b/pkg/ui/routes.go
index afa7a4f..b8ea5db 100644
--- a/pkg/ui/routes.go
+++ b/pkg/ui/routes.go
@@ -5,10 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/gorilla/mux"
-)
-
-var (
-	UIOffline = "dynamic"
+	"github.com/rancher/steve/pkg/version"
 )
 
 func New(path string) http.Handler {
@@ -20,7 +17,13 @@ func New(path string) http.Handler {
 			return path
 		},
 		Offline: func() string {
-			return UIOffline
+			if path != "" {
+				return "true"
+			}
+			return "dynamic"
+		},
+		ReleaseSetting: func() bool {
+			return version.IsRelease()
 		},
 	})
 
diff --git a/pkg/version/version.go b/pkg/version/version.go
index bfbfa54..f18e206 100644
--- a/pkg/version/version.go
+++ b/pkg/version/version.go
@@ -1,12 +1,23 @@
 package version
 
-import "fmt"
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
+	"strings"
+)
 
 var (
 	Version   = "dev"
 	GitCommit = "HEAD"
+
+	// K-EXPLORER
+	releasePattern = regexp.MustCompile("^v[0-9]")
 )
 
 func FriendlyVersion() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s (%s)", Version, GitCommit)
 }
+
+func IsRelease() bool {
+	return !strings.Contains(Version, "dev") && releasePattern.MatchString(Version)
+}