diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 8035d7980..e3701b139 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -2,12 +2,9 @@
 version: 2.1
 orbs:
   aws-s3: circleci/aws-s3@1.0.9
-jobs:
-  # generate bundles
-  build:
-    docker:
-      - image: circleci/node:7.10
-    working_directory: ~/answers
+commands:
+  setup-workspace:
+    description: "Checks out the repo and installs node_modules with the cache"
     steps:
       - checkout
       # Download and cache dependencies
@@ -21,6 +18,40 @@ jobs:
           paths:
             - node_modules
           key: v1-dependencies-{{ checksum "package.json" }}
+  deploy-to-aws:
+    description: "Deploys the dist directory to a given subdirectory of the answers bucket"
+    parameters:
+      subdirectory:
+        type: string
+        default: ''
+      cache-control:
+        type: string
+        default: "no-cache"
+    steps:
+      - attach_workspace:
+          at: ~/answers
+      - run:
+          name: Configure AWS
+          command: |
+            mkdir ~/.aws
+            cp .circleci/aws_config ~/.aws/config
+            echo -e $AWS_PROD_PROFILE >> ~/.aws/config
+      - aws-s3/copy:
+          from: dist
+          to: '${AWS_DEPLOY_BUCKET}<< parameters.subdirectory >>'
+          arguments: |
+            --acl public-read \
+            --cache-control << parameters.cache-control >> \
+            --recursive \
+            --profile production \
+jobs:
+  # generate bundles
+  build:
+    docker:
+      - image: circleci/node:7.10
+    working_directory: ~/answers
+    steps:
+      - setup-workspace
       - run: npm run build
       - persist_to_workspace:
           root: .
@@ -33,18 +64,7 @@ jobs:
       - image: circleci/node:7.10
     working_directory: ~/answers
     steps:
-      - checkout
-      # Download and cache dependencies
-      - restore_cache:
-          keys:
-            - v1-dependencies-{{ checksum "package.json" }}
-            # fallback to using the latest cache if no exact match is found
-            - v1-dependencies-
-      - run: npm install
-      - save_cache:
-          paths:
-            - node_modules
-          key: v1-dependencies-{{ checksum "package.json" }}
+      - setup-workspace
       - run: npm run test
   # deploy to S3 in the root folder, overwriting the existing latest version
   deploy_latest:
@@ -52,66 +72,24 @@ jobs:
       - image: circleci/python:2.7
     working_directory: ~/answers
     steps:
-      - attach_workspace:
-          at: ~/answers
-      - run:
-          name: Configure AWS
-          command: |
-            mkdir ~/.aws
-            cp .circleci/aws_config ~/.aws/config
-            echo -e $AWS_PROD_PROFILE >> ~/.aws/config
-      - aws-s3/copy:
-          from: dist
-          to: '${AWS_DEPLOY_BUCKET}'
-          arguments: |
-            --acl public-read \
-            --cache-control "no-cache" \
-            --recursive \
-            --profile production \
+      - deploy-to-aws
   # deploys assets to an uncached folder in the S3 bucket named by branch
   deploy_branch:
     docker:
       - image: circleci/python:2.7
     working_directory: ~/answers
     steps:
-      - attach_workspace:
-          at: ~/answers
-      - run:
-          name: Configure AWS
-          command: |
-            mkdir ~/.aws
-            cp .circleci/aws_config ~/.aws/config
-            echo -e $AWS_PROD_PROFILE >> ~/.aws/config
-      - aws-s3/copy:
-          from: dist
-          to: '${AWS_DEPLOY_BUCKET}/dev/${CIRCLE_BRANCH}'
-          arguments: |
-            --acl public-read \
-            --cache-control "no-cache" \
-            --recursive \
-            --profile production \
+      - deploy-to-aws:
+          subdirectory: '/dev/${CIRCLE_BRANCH}'
   # deploys assets to a long-lived-cache folder in the S3 bucket named by release tag
   deploy_version:
     docker:
       - image: circleci/python:2.7
     working_directory: ~/answers
     steps:
-      - attach_workspace:
-          at: ~/answers
-      - run:
-          name: Configure AWS
-          command: |
-            mkdir ~/.aws
-            cp .circleci/aws_config ~/.aws/config
-            echo -e $AWS_PROD_PROFILE >> ~/.aws/config
-      - aws-s3/copy:
-          from: dist
-          to: '${AWS_DEPLOY_BUCKET}/${CIRCLE_TAG}'
-          arguments: |
-            --acl public-read \
-            --cache-control "max-age=31536000" \
-            --recursive \
-            --profile production \
+      - deploy-to-aws:
+          subdirectory: '/${CIRCLE_TAG}'
+          cache-control: 'max-age=31536000'
 workflows:
   version: 2
   build_and_deploy:
@@ -129,6 +107,8 @@ workflows:
       - hold:
           type: approval
           filters:
+            tags:
+              only: /^v.*/
             branches:
               only: master
           requires: