diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 79601465a0..ed3f80a4ec 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -361,6 +361,4 @@ src/common/Telemetry/*.etl
 /src/settings-ui/Settings.UI/Assets/Settings/search.index.json
 
 # PowerToysInstaller Build Temp Files
-installer/*/*.wxs.bk
-# Generated sparse manifest embedded into ImageResizer UI executable
-src/modules/imageresizer/ui/ImageResizerUI.exe.manifest
\ No newline at end of file
+installer/*/*.wxs.bk
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/PackageIdentity/PackageIdentity.vcxproj b/src/PackageIdentity/PackageIdentity.vcxproj
index bdfa627a11..b8bd2dc1f2 100644
--- a/src/PackageIdentity/PackageIdentity.vcxproj
+++ b/src/PackageIdentity/PackageIdentity.vcxproj
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@
 
   <!-- Target to generate sparse MSIX package -->
   <Target Name="GenerateSparsePackage" BeforeTargets="PrepareForBuild">
-    <!-- Use NoSign for Debug builds or CI builds to avoid certificate issues -->
+    <!-- Use NoSign only for CI builds to avoid certificate issues on hosted agents -->
     <PropertyGroup>
-      <NoSignParam Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Debug' OR '$(NoSignCI)' == 'true'">-NoSign</NoSignParam>
-      <NoSignParam Condition="'$(Configuration)' != 'Debug' AND '$(NoSignCI)' != 'true'"></NoSignParam>
+      <NoSignParam Condition="'$(NoSignCI)' == 'true'">-NoSign</NoSignParam>
+      <NoSignParam Condition="'$(NoSignCI)' != 'true'"></NoSignParam>
       <CIBuildParam Condition="'$(CIBuild)' == 'true'">-CIBuild</CIBuildParam>
       <CIBuildParam Condition="'$(CIBuild)' != 'true'"></CIBuildParam>
     </PropertyGroup>
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
     <ProjectGuid>{E2A5A82E-1E5B-4C8D-9A4F-2B1A8F9E5C3D}</ProjectGuid>
     <RootNamespace>PackageIdentity</RootNamespace>
     <ProjectName>PackageIdentity</ProjectName>
+    <UseFastUpToDateCheck>false</UseFastUpToDateCheck>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.Default.props" />
diff --git a/src/PackageIdentity/readme.md b/src/PackageIdentity/readme.md
index cd28e44cc4..935e8863b3 100644
--- a/src/PackageIdentity/readme.md
+++ b/src/PackageIdentity/readme.md
@@ -67,14 +67,14 @@ Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.PowerToys.SparseApp | Remove-AppxPackage
 ## CI-specific guidance
 
 - Pass `-CIBuild` to `BuildSparsePackage.ps1` (or build with `msbuild PackageIdentity.vcxproj /p:CIBuild=true`). This prevents the script from rewriting the manifest publisher to the local dev certificate subject.
-- The project automatically adds `-NoSign` when you build Debug or when `$(CIBuild)` is `true`. Provide your own signing step in CI if the package must be signed.
+- The project automatically adds `-NoSign` only when `$(CIBuild)` is `true`. Local Debug and Release builds are signed with the development certificate.
 - Make sure the agent trusts whichever certificate signs the package. If the package remains unsigned (`-NoSign`) it cannot be installed on test machines until it is signed.
 
 ## Consuming the identity from other components
 
 1. Add a new `<Application>` entry inside `src/PackageIdentity/AppxManifest.xml`. Use a unique `Id` (for example `PowerToys.MyModuleUI`) and set `Executable` to the Win32 binary relative to the `-ExternalLocation` root.
 2. Ensure the binary is copied into the platform/configuration output folder (`x64\Release`, `ARM64\Debug`, etc.) so the sparse package can locate it.
-3. Embed a sparse identity manifest in the Win32 binary so it binds to the MSIX identity at runtime. The manifest must declare an `<msix>` element with `packageName="Microsoft.PowerToys.SparseApp"`, `applicationId` matching the `<Application Id>`, and a `publisher` that matches the sparse package. Local builds can read the publisher from `src/PackageIdentity/.user/PowerToysSparse.publisher.txt` (emitted by `BuildSparsePackage.ps1`). See `src/modules/imageresizer/ui/ImageResizerUI.csproj` for an example MSBuild target (`GenerateSparseIdentityManifest`) that writes `ImageResizerUI.exe.manifest` and sets `ApplicationManifest` automatically.
+3. Embed a sparse identity manifest in the Win32 binary so it binds to the MSIX identity at runtime. The manifest must declare an `<msix>` element with `packageName="Microsoft.PowerToys.SparseApp"`, `applicationId` matching the `<Application Id>`, and a `publisher` that matches the sparse package. Keep the manifest’s publisher in sync with `src/PackageIdentity/.user/PowerToysSparse.publisher.txt` (emitted by `BuildSparsePackage.ps1`). See `src/modules/imageresizer/ui/ImageResizerUI.csproj` for an example that points `ApplicationManifest` to `ImageResizerUI.dev.manifest` for local builds and switches to `ImageResizerUI.prod.manifest` when `$(CIBuild)` is `true`.
 4. Register or re-register the sparse package so Windows learns about the new application Id.
 5. To launch the Win32 surface with identity, use the `shell:AppsFolder` activation form (for example: `shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.PowerToys.SparseApp_<PackageFamilyName>!PowerToys.MyModuleUI`) or activate it via `IApplicationActivationManager::ActivateApplication` using the same AppUserModelID.
 
diff --git a/src/modules/imageresizer/ui/ImageResizerUI.csproj b/src/modules/imageresizer/ui/ImageResizerUI.csproj
index d71a4c6888..b146db8435 100644
--- a/src/modules/imageresizer/ui/ImageResizerUI.csproj
+++ b/src/modules/imageresizer/ui/ImageResizerUI.csproj
@@ -25,10 +25,11 @@
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <SparsePackagePublisherDefault>CN=Microsoft Corporation, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US</SparsePackagePublisherDefault>
-    <SparsePackageName>Microsoft.PowerToys.SparseApp</SparsePackageName>
-    <SparseApplicationId>PowerToys.ImageResizerUI</SparseApplicationId>
-    <GeneratedSparseManifest>$(IntermediateOutputPath)ImageResizerUI.exe.manifest</GeneratedSparseManifest>
+    <ApplicationManifest>ImageResizerUI.dev.manifest</ApplicationManifest>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(CIBuild)'=='true'">
+    <ApplicationManifest>ImageResizerUI.prod.manifest</ApplicationManifest>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
@@ -72,27 +73,4 @@
     <Copy SourceFiles="@(ResourceFiles)" DestinationFolder="$(OutputPath)Resources" SkipUnchangedFiles="true" />
   </Target>
 
-  <Target Name="GenerateSparseIdentityManifest" BeforeTargets="PrepareForBuild">
-    <PropertyGroup>
-      <SparsePackagePublisher>$(SparsePackagePublisherDefault)</SparsePackagePublisher>
-    </PropertyGroup>
-    <ReadLinesFromFile File="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)..\..\..\PackageIdentity\.user\PowerToysSparse.publisher.txt" Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)..\..\..\PackageIdentity\.user\PowerToysSparse.publisher.txt')">
-      <Output TaskParameter="Lines" PropertyName="SparsePackagePublisherFromFile" />
-    </ReadLinesFromFile>
-    <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(SparsePackagePublisherFromFile)' != ''">
-      <SparsePackagePublisher>$(SparsePackagePublisherFromFile)</SparsePackagePublisher>
-    </PropertyGroup>
-    <MakeDir Directories="$(IntermediateOutputPath)" />
-    <ItemGroup>
-      <SparseManifestLines Include="&lt;?xml version=&quot;1.0&quot; encoding=&quot;utf-8&quot;?&gt;" />
-      <SparseManifestLines Include="&lt;assembly manifestVersion=&quot;1.0&quot; xmlns=&quot;urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1&quot;&gt;" />
-      <SparseManifestLines Include="  &lt;assemblyIdentity version=&quot;1.0.0.0&quot; name=&quot;PowerToys.ImageResizer.app&quot;/&gt;" />
-      <SparseManifestLines Include="  &lt;msix xmlns=&quot;urn:schemas-microsoft-com:msix.v1&quot; publisher=&quot;$(SparsePackagePublisher)&quot; packageName=&quot;$(SparsePackageName)&quot; applicationId=&quot;$(SparseApplicationId)&quot;/&gt;" />
-      <SparseManifestLines Include="&lt;/assembly&gt;" />
-    </ItemGroup>
-    <WriteLinesToFile File="$(GeneratedSparseManifest)" Lines="@(SparseManifestLines)" Overwrite="true" Encoding="UTF-8" />
-    <PropertyGroup>
-      <ApplicationManifest>$(GeneratedSparseManifest)</ApplicationManifest>
-    </PropertyGroup>
-  </Target>
 </Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/modules/imageresizer/ui/ImageResizerUI.dev.manifest b/src/modules/imageresizer/ui/ImageResizerUI.dev.manifest
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cb91bc2b66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/imageresizer/ui/ImageResizerUI.dev.manifest
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<assembly manifestVersion="1.0" xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
+  <assemblyIdentity version="1.0.0.0" name="PowerToys.ImageResizer.app" />
+  <msix xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:msix.v1"
+        publisher="CN=PowerToys Dev, O=PowerToys, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US"
+        packageName="Microsoft.PowerToys.SparseApp"
+        applicationId="PowerToys.ImageResizerUI" />
+</assembly>
diff --git a/src/modules/imageresizer/ui/ImageResizerUI.prod.manifest b/src/modules/imageresizer/ui/ImageResizerUI.prod.manifest
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bbb50a9ec5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/imageresizer/ui/ImageResizerUI.prod.manifest
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<assembly manifestVersion="1.0" xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
+  <assemblyIdentity version="1.0.0.0" name="PowerToys.ImageResizer.app" />
+  <msix xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:msix.v1"
+        publisher="CN=Microsoft Corporation, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US"
+        packageName="Microsoft.PowerToys.SparseApp"
+        applicationId="PowerToys.ImageResizerUI" />
+</assembly>