diff --git a/.github/workflows/demo-version-index.yaml b/.github/workflows/demo-version-index.yaml
index 300a6621c..05af9c496 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/demo-version-index.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/demo-version-index.yaml
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ on:
     paths:
       - .github/workflows/demo-version-index.yaml
       - app-engine/demo-version-index/**
+  release:
+    types: [published]
 
 jobs:
   appspot:
@@ -16,6 +18,9 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
 
+      - name: Generate static content
+        run: python3 app-engine/demo-version-index/generate.py
+
       - uses: google-github-actions/auth@v0
         with:
           credentials_json: '${{ secrets.APPENGINE_DEPLOY_KEY }}'
diff --git a/app-engine/demo-version-index/.gitignore b/app-engine/demo-version-index/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..980c85122
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app-engine/demo-version-index/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+static/
diff --git a/app-engine/demo-version-index/README.md b/app-engine/demo-version-index/README.md
index bc760d854..eddc84b10 100644
--- a/app-engine/demo-version-index/README.md
+++ b/app-engine/demo-version-index/README.md
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ releases and demos at https://index-dot-shaka-player-demo.appspot.com/
 
  - app.yaml: App Engine config file.  Defines the runtime (Python 3).
 
- - main.py: A python service that queries available versions and generates the
-            index from a template.
+ - generate.py: A python script that generates the index's static content from
+                a template.
 
  - requirements.txt: Used by App Engine to install the necessary Python server
-                     requirements (Flask, App Engine API).
+                     requirements (Flask).
 
  - templates/index.html: A Jinja2 template used to generate the index HTML.
diff --git a/app-engine/demo-version-index/app.yaml b/app-engine/demo-version-index/app.yaml
index 017d92393..87808b49c 100644
--- a/app-engine/demo-version-index/app.yaml
+++ b/app-engine/demo-version-index/app.yaml
@@ -1,2 +1,22 @@
+# Copyright 2022 Google LLC
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
 runtime: python39
-default_expiration: 1s
+default_expiration: 1h
+
+# Serve the static/ folder directly.
+- url: /(.+)
+  secure: always
+  static_files: static/\1
+  upload: static/.+
diff --git a/app-engine/demo-version-index/main.py b/app-engine/demo-version-index/generate.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
similarity index 72%
rename from app-engine/demo-version-index/main.py
rename to app-engine/demo-version-index/generate.py
index bc0122b87..14dd8b80b
--- a/app-engine/demo-version-index/main.py
+++ b/app-engine/demo-version-index/generate.py
@@ -1,17 +1,16 @@
-# Shaka Player Version Index - Appspot Entrypoint
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+# Shaka Player Version Index Generator
 # Copyright 2022 Google LLC
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 # Generate an index of Shaka Player versions on appspot.
 
 import collections
-import google.appengine.api.modules
 import jinja2
 import os
-import random
 import re
-
-from flask import Flask, render_template
+import subprocess
 
 DEMO_URL_TEMPLATE = 'https://{0}-dot-shaka-player-demo.appspot.com/'
 
@@ -90,13 +89,20 @@ def version_to_metadata(v):
     'ui_lib_defs': version_to_ui_lib_defs_url(v),
   }
 
-def is_release_version(name):
-  return re.match(r'v\d+-\d+-\d+(?:-.+)?', name)
-
-def appengine_version_to_package_version(version):
-  # Replace the first two dashes with dots.  More dashes indicate a prerelease
-  # version, as seen in "v2.0.0-beta3".
-  return version.replace('-', '.', 2)
+def is_release_tag(name):
+  matches = re.match(r'v\d+\.\d+\.\d+(-.+)?', name)
+  # Doesn't match, not a version tag.
+  if not matches:
+    return False
+  # A "master" (old) or "main" (new) tag, indicating the state of the main
+  # branch at the time of a release.  Not an actual version in itself, though.
+  if matches.group(1) == '-master' or matches.group(1) == '-main':
+    return False
+  # For historical reasons, these oldest few tags are not currently deployed to
+  # appengine.  All other matching tags are, though.
+  if name in ['v1.2.0', 'v1.2.1', 'v1.2.2', 'v1.2.3']:
+    return False
+  return True
 
 def version_key(version):
   if version == 'nightly':
@@ -111,32 +117,13 @@ def version_key(version):
   version_tuple = [int(x) for x in main_version.split('.')]
   return version_tuple + [suffix]
 
-def get_appengine_versions():
-  if os.getenv('GAE_ENV', '').startswith('standard'):
-    # NOTE: this doesn't return anything useful in a local dev server.
-    return google.appengine.api.modules.modules.get_versions()
+def get_release_tags():
+  output = subprocess.check_output(['git', 'tag'], text=True)
+  return list(filter(is_release_tag, output.split('\n')))
 
-  # For a local dev server, fake it so we can test sorting.
-  fake_versions = [
-    'v1-6-0', 'v1-6-1', 'v1-6-2', 'v1-6-3', 'v1-6-4', 'v1-6-5',
-    'v2-0-0-beta', 'v2-0-0-beta2', 'v2-0-0-beta3', 'v2-0-0',
-    'v2-1-0', 'v2-1-1', 'v2-1-2',
-    'v2-2-1', 'v2-2-2-beta', 'v2-2-2-beta2', 'v2-2-2', 'v2-2-9', 'v2-2-10',
-  ]
-  random.shuffle(fake_versions)  # in-place shuffle
-  return fake_versions
-
-
-app = Flask(__name__)
-
-@app.route('/')
-def root():
-  appengine_versions = get_appengine_versions()
-  # Filter for release versions only.
-  appengine_versions = filter(is_release_version, appengine_versions)
-
-  # Now convert from appengine versions (v2-0-0) to package versions (v2.0.0).
-  versions = list(map(appengine_version_to_package_version, appengine_versions))
+def generate():
+  # Get all release tags.
+  versions = get_release_tags()
   # Now sort, putting prerelease versions ahead of the corresponding release.
   versions.sort(key=version_key)
 
@@ -158,5 +145,20 @@ def root():
   version_metadata['nightly'] = version_to_metadata('nightly')
   version_metadata['nightly']['best'] = True
 
-  for i in version_metadata.values(): print(i)
-  return render_template('index.html', versions=version_metadata.values())
+  # Debug: uncomment to see a list of version metadata objects.
+  #for i in version_metadata.values(): print(i)
+
+  script_path = os.path.dirname(__file__)
+  template_path = os.path.join(script_path, 'templates', 'index.html')
+  output_path = os.path.join(script_path, 'static', 'index.html')
+
+  os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(output_path), exist_ok=True)
+
+  with open(template_path, 'r') as template_file:
+    with open(output_path, 'w') as output_file:
+      template = jinja2.Template(template_file.read())
+      output = template.render(versions=version_metadata.values())
+      output_file.write(output)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+  generate()
diff --git a/app-engine/demo-version-index/requirements.txt b/app-engine/demo-version-index/requirements.txt
index f1baaf589..9675853bc 100644
--- a/app-engine/demo-version-index/requirements.txt
+++ b/app-engine/demo-version-index/requirements.txt
@@ -3,4 +3,3 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 Flask==2.0.3
-appengine-python-standard==0.3.1