diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 43c2a96..6260bff 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,18 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+
+-  `rebar3 grisp deploy --tar` will not copy the release to the configured destination and will not execute `pre` and `post` scripts, usually defined in the `rebar.config` file.
+
+- the option `--destination` is ignored when using option `--tar`
+
+- Erlang/OTP-26 and older versions are now deprecated. A warning message will be print to inform trhe user.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- `rebar3 grisp firmware` command failure with latest rebar versions
+
 ## [2.10.2] - 2026-01-15
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/rebar.config.script b/rebar.config.script
index aee4858..661faf6 100644
--- a/rebar.config.script
+++ b/rebar.config.script
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ end.
 
 case OTPVersion of
     V when V < 27 ->
+        rebar_api:warn("You are running rebar3_grisp with Erlang/OTP-~p!~n"
+                       "rebar3_grisp deprecates this OTP version and will drop support for it in the next releases!~n"
+                       "Please upgrade to OTP 27 or newer before upgrading this plugin!",[OTPVersion]),
         NewOverrrides = {overrides, [EdifaOverride | Overrides]},
         lists:keystore(overrides, 1, CONFIG, NewOverrrides);
     _ ->
diff --git a/rebar.lock b/rebar.lock
index cbf1b8f..0c925a6 100644
--- a/rebar.lock
+++ b/rebar.lock
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
  {<<"edifa">>,{pkg,<<"edifa">>,<<"1.0.0">>},1},
  {<<"erlexec">>,{pkg,<<"erlexec">>,<<"2.0.7">>},2},
  {<<"grid">>,{pkg,<<"grid">>,<<"0.2.1">>},0},
- {<<"grisp_tools">>,{pkg,<<"grisp_tools">>,<<"2.8.0">>},0},
- {<<"grisp_update_packager">>,{pkg,<<"grisp_update_packager">>,<<"1.0.1">>},1},
+ {<<"grisp_tools">>,{pkg,<<"grisp_tools">>,<<"2.8.1">>},0},
+ {<<"grisp_update_packager">>,{pkg,<<"grisp_update_packager">>,<<"1.0.2">>},1},
  {<<"hackney">>,{pkg,<<"hackney">>,<<"1.20.1">>},1},
  {<<"idna">>,{pkg,<<"idna">>,<<"6.1.1">>},2},
  {<<"mapz">>,{pkg,<<"mapz">>,<<"2.4.0">>},1},
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@
  {<<"edifa">>, <<"0F1A01A0C79B7135F334B3FCEEB624F0574C5ED3E4554B06C8664AADA6A339C8">>},
  {<<"erlexec">>, <<"76D0BC7487929741B5BB9F74DA2AF5DAF1492134733CF9A05C7AAA278B6934C5">>},
  {<<"grid">>, <<"4DCBF6155AB24131CB493D417F28093F019197ED7401F28BF82FF60E2C9B0D2C">>},
- {<<"grisp_tools">>, <<"23CF651214F1885B98325B8340E2CC4591785399FA0B4D5B291D0E66F07F1AD7">>},
- {<<"grisp_update_packager">>, <<"4548C7A5E0D4EBED0052E49F87E836D5A5C75FFDB76E793FDBDF5D11409CCBBE">>},
+ {<<"grisp_tools">>, <<"8E882F0D75695B9EFF5AB4BC1E076246086D87DA095D5114F43451D11A2EE101">>},
+ {<<"grisp_update_packager">>, <<"A74922B6602159A6718B1EE13045D3866BFF26D6A49C8C7A8EABC5F352E41BB9">>},
  {<<"hackney">>, <<"8D97AEC62DDDDD757D128BFD1DF6C5861093419F8F7A4223823537BAD5D064E2">>},
  {<<"idna">>, <<"8A63070E9F7D0C62EB9D9FCB360A7DE382448200FBBD1B106CC96D3D8099DF8D">>},
  {<<"mapz">>, <<"77A8E38B69BAB16C5D3EBD44E6C619F8AF1F1598B0CAAE301D266605A0865756">>},
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@
  {<<"edifa">>, <<"A1E010561E7D236A24C668D95626BE2BFE082ED0331CE1E6798BE0CD43F59A7B">>},
  {<<"erlexec">>, <<"AF2DD940BB8E32F5AA40A65CB455DCAA18F5334FD3507E9BFD14A021E9630897">>},
  {<<"grid">>, <<"C8EA819A0E40631BECE3149FBA7D306DF6CF8BC35358089878F05B20E6D87D4C">>},
- {<<"grisp_tools">>, <<"0BA58D7C99010BEE9F599D9555B4FC0D75969C92995162CB0B12AF13DAF34692">>},
- {<<"grisp_update_packager">>, <<"B958039BEAD404A5E05D56E904B70C840F10F188070CFBFF0A9ADC92DE9E5451">>},
+ {<<"grisp_tools">>, <<"D761A141D96B03FE182937434DE96D325923126F50606A0ADDE64864C5F469F7">>},
+ {<<"grisp_update_packager">>, <<"6484C6910C7F4CF235119206A5FEFD16ED08BE2D3A16E62EC1820A207B4D5B20">>},
  {<<"hackney">>, <<"FE9094E5F1A2A2C0A7D10918FEE36BFEC0EC2A979994CFF8CFE8058CD9AF38E3">>},
  {<<"idna">>, <<"92376EB7894412ED19AC475E4A86F7B413C1B9FBB5BD16DCCD57934157944CEA">>},
  {<<"mapz">>, <<"4B68DF5CF0522E0D6545DF7B681BC052865CDB78405AD4CC9C55FE45EE7B25BE">>},
diff --git a/src/rebar3_grisp_deploy.erl b/src/rebar3_grisp_deploy.erl
index d115f90..cc5111e 100644
--- a/src/rebar3_grisp_deploy.erl
+++ b/src/rebar3_grisp_deploy.erl
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ init(State) ->
             {opts, [
                 {relname, $n, "relname", string, "Specify the name for the release that will be deployed"},
                 {relvsn, $v, "relvsn", string, "Specify the version of the release"},
-                {tar, $t, "tar", {boolean, false}, "Create tarball with the release in _grisp/deploy"},
+                {tar, $t, "tar", {boolean, false}, "Create a tarball with the release in _grisp/deploy, instead of deployng to 'destination'"},
                 {destination, $d, "destination", string, "Path to put deployed release in"},
                 {force, $f, "force", {boolean, false}, "Replace existing files"},
                 {pre_script, undefined, "pre-script", string, "Shell script to run before deploying begins"},
@@ -75,20 +75,15 @@ do(RState) ->
     try
         {RelName, RelVsn}
             = rebar3_grisp_util:select_release(RState2, RelNameArg, RelVsnArg),
-        DistSpec = case {Tar, CopyDest}  of
-            {false, D} when D =:= undefined; D =:= "" ->
-                error(no_deploy_destination);
-            {true, D}  when D =:= undefined; D =:= "" -> [
-                bundle_dist_spec(RState2, RelName, RelVsn, Force)
-            ];
-            {false, _} -> [
-                copy_dist_spec(RState2, CopyDest, Force)
-            ];
-            {true, _} -> [
-                bundle_dist_spec(RState2, RelName, RelVsn, Force),
-                copy_dist_spec(RState2, CopyDest, Force)
-            ]
-        end,
+        DistOptions = #{
+            destination => CopyDest,
+            pre_script => PreScript,
+            post_script => PostScript,
+            tar => Tar,
+            force => Force,
+            bundle =>
+                rebar3_grisp_util:bundle_file_path(RState, RelName, RelVsn)
+        },
         Profiles = [P || P <- rebar_state:current_profiles(RState2),
                          P =/= default, P =/= grisp, P =/= test],
         DeploySpec = #{
@@ -97,13 +92,11 @@ do(RState) ->
             otp_version_requirement => OTPVersion,
             platform => Board,
             custom_build => CustomBuild,
-            distribute => DistSpec,
+            distribute => distribution_spec(DistOptions),
             release => #{
                 name => RelName,
                 version => RelVsn,
-                profiles => Profiles,
-                tar => Tar,
-                force => Force
+                profiles => Profiles
             },
             handlers => grisp_tools:handlers_init(#{
                 event => {fun event_handler/2, #{
@@ -112,11 +105,7 @@ do(RState) ->
                 }},
                 shell => {fun rebar3_grisp_handler:shell/3, #{}},
                 release => {fun release_handler/2, RState2}
-            }),
-            scripts => #{
-                pre_script => PreScript,
-                post_script => PostScript
-            }
+            })
         },
         State = grisp_tools:deploy(DeploySpec),
         #{release := RState3} = grisp_tools:handlers_finalize(State),
@@ -235,9 +224,17 @@ format_error(Reason) ->
 
 %--- Internal ------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-copy_dist_spec(RState, CopyDest, Force) ->
-    PreScript = get_option(pre_script, [deploy, pre_script], RState, undefined),
-    PostScript = get_option(pre_script, [deploy, post_script], RState, undefined),
+distribution_spec(#{tar := true} = DistOptions) ->
+    [bundle_dist_spec(DistOptions)];
+distribution_spec(#{tar := false} = DistOptions) ->
+    [copy_dist_spec(DistOptions)].
+
+copy_dist_spec(#{destination := undefined}) ->
+    error(no_deploy_destination);
+copy_dist_spec(#{destination := CopyDest,
+                 pre_script := PreScript,
+                 post_script := PostScript,
+                 force := Force}) ->
     {copy, #{
         type => copy,
         force => Force,
@@ -248,8 +245,7 @@ copy_dist_spec(RState, CopyDest, Force) ->
         }
     }}.
 
-bundle_dist_spec(RState, RelName, RelVsn, Force) ->
-    BundleFile = rebar3_grisp_util:bundle_file_path(RState, RelName, RelVsn),
+bundle_dist_spec(#{bundle := BundleFile, force := Force}) ->
     {bundle, #{
         type => archive,
         force => Force,
diff --git a/src/rebar3_grisp_firmware.erl b/src/rebar3_grisp_firmware.erl
index ade4e14..8adfa88 100644
--- a/src/rebar3_grisp_firmware.erl
+++ b/src/rebar3_grisp_firmware.erl
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ init(State) ->
                 {image, $i, "image", {boolean, false}, "Generate an eMMC image firmware under _grisp/firmware"},
                 {bootloader, $b, "bootloader", {boolean, false}, "Generate a bootloader firmware under _grisp/firmware"},
                 {truncate, $t, "truncate", {boolean, true}, "Truncate the generated image firmware to contain only the first partition"},
-                {quiet, $q, "quiet", {boolean, false}, "Do not show the instructions on how to burn the firmwares"} 
+                {quiet, $q, "quiet", {boolean, false}, "Do not show the instructions on how to burn the firmwares"}
             ]},
             {profiles, [grisp]},
             {short_desc, "Generate GRiSP firmware image files"},
@@ -181,8 +181,7 @@ deploy_bundle(RState, Refresh, RelName, RelVsn, ExtraRelArgs) ->
         "deploy",
         "--tar",
         "--relname", atom_to_list(RelName),
-        "--relvsn", RelVsn,
-        "--destination", ""
+        "--relvsn", RelVsn
     ] ++ case Refresh =:= true of
         true -> ["--force"];
         false -> []