diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c1276d7..3325357 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -7,3 +7,8 @@ install/
 cloned/
 html/
 __pycache__
+
+# Pre-built static libraries are attached to GitHub releases as assets, not
+# committed. Only the .sha256 checksum is tracked; the .a is downloaded by
+# CMake at configure time.
+lib/*.a
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 57a735e..c03b4b0 100755
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,6 +26,25 @@ elseif(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Windows")
     message(FATAL_ERROR "Windows is currently not supported.")
 endif()
 
+# Download the pre-built static library from the matching GitHub release and
+# verify it against the committed checksum. The .a itself is not tracked in
+# this repo, only lib/${SIM_PLUGIN_LIB}.sha256.
+file(READ ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/${SIM_PLUGIN_LIB}.sha256 EXPECTED_HASH)
+set(SIM_PLUGIN_LIB_URL https://github.com/flexivrobotics/flexiv_sim_plugin/releases/download/v${PROJECT_VERSION}/${SIM_PLUGIN_LIB})
+set(SIM_PLUGIN_LIB_PATH ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${SIM_PLUGIN_LIB})
+message(STATUS "Downloading ${SIM_PLUGIN_LIB_URL} ...")
+file(DOWNLOAD ${SIM_PLUGIN_LIB_URL} ${SIM_PLUGIN_LIB_PATH}
+     SHOW_PROGRESS
+     TLS_VERIFY ON
+     EXPECTED_HASH SHA256=${EXPECTED_HASH}
+     STATUS status)
+list(GET status 0 code)
+if(code EQUAL 0)
+  message(STATUS "Download finished")
+else()
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "Download failed: ${status}")
+endif()
+
 # ===================================================================
 #      PROJECT DEPENDENCIES
 # ===================================================================
diff --git a/cmake/FlexivInstallLibrary.cmake b/cmake/FlexivInstallLibrary.cmake
index 2d64d84..4d558d4 100644
--- a/cmake/FlexivInstallLibrary.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FlexivInstallLibrary.cmake
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ macro(FlexivInstallLibrary)
     # Replace the dummy static lib with the actual static lib 
     install(CODE 
             "file(REMOVE ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/${CMAKE_STATIC_LIBRARY_PREFIX}${PROJECT_NAME}${CMAKE_STATIC_LIBRARY_SUFFIX})")
-    install(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/${SIM_PLUGIN_LIB}
+    install(FILES ${SIM_PLUGIN_LIB_PATH}
             DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}
             RENAME ${CMAKE_STATIC_LIBRARY_PREFIX}${PROJECT_NAME}${CMAKE_STATIC_LIBRARY_SUFFIX}
             )
diff --git a/include/flexiv/sim_plugin/data.hpp b/include/flexiv/sim_plugin/data.hpp
index a9e5711..f546b9c 100644
--- a/include/flexiv/sim_plugin/data.hpp
+++ b/include/flexiv/sim_plugin/data.hpp
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ struct SimRobotStates
      * @note This contains values for both the external axes (if any) and the robot manipulator. */
     std::vector<float> dq = {};
 
-    /** Current wrist force sensor reading of the simulated robot: \f$ [f_x, f_y, f_z] \f$. Unit:
-     * \f$ [N] \f$. */
+    /** Current wrist force sensor reading of the simulated robot: \f$ [f_x, f_y, f_z] \f$. Unit: \f$
+     * [N] \f$. */
     std::vector<float> wrist_force = {};
 
     /** Current wrist torque sensor reading of the simulated robot: \f$ [m_x, m_y, m_z] \f$. Unit:
@@ -83,4 +83,4 @@ struct SimRobotCommands
 } /* namespace sim_plugin */
 } /* namespace flexiv */
 
-#endif /* FLEXIV_SIM_PLUGIN_DATA_HPP_ */
\ No newline at end of file
+#endif /* FLEXIV_SIM_PLUGIN_DATA_HPP_ */
diff --git a/lib/libflexiv_sim_plugin.x86_64-linux-gnu.a b/lib/libflexiv_sim_plugin.x86_64-linux-gnu.a
deleted file mode 100644
index 75a9215..0000000
Binary files a/lib/libflexiv_sim_plugin.x86_64-linux-gnu.a and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/lib/libflexiv_sim_plugin.x86_64-linux-gnu.a.sha256 b/lib/libflexiv_sim_plugin.x86_64-linux-gnu.a.sha256
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e33d922
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/libflexiv_sim_plugin.x86_64-linux-gnu.a.sha256
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+d95da285eac19eac1d64e5e953a2690f26f4791b9c03d5a9896569717fae6fc0
\ No newline at end of file