diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 68ae1a5..6951edc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
----
 name: Build test
 on:
   push:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/release-pr.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..751fd51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-pr.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+name: Draft Release
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types: [opened, synchronize, reopened, closed]
+    paths:
+      - VERSION
+    branches: [main]
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  pull-requests: write
+
+jobs:
+  validate-release-commit:
+    if: >
+      !(github.event.pull_request.merged == true &&
+        !contains(join(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name), 'release'))
+
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout merge
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Get release commit info
+        id: version
+        run: |
+          ver=$(cat VERSION)
+          if ! echo "$ver" | grep -Eq '^[0-9]{4}\.[0-9]{2}\.[0-9]+$'; then
+            echo "Invalid version format: $ver"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          echo "version=$ver" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+          headline="$(git show --format=%s ${{github.event.pull_request.head.sha}})"
+          if ! echo "$headline" | grep -Eq "^[Rr]elease microcom $ver$"; then
+            echo "Invalid commit headline: $headline"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          body="$(
+            git show -s --format=%b ${{github.event.pull_request.head.sha}} \
+            | sed -E '/^Signed-off-by: /d'
+          )"
+
+          echo 'body<<EOF' >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "$body" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo 'EOF' >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+      - name: Install Dependencies
+        run: sudo apt install -y libreadline6-dev autoconf automake
+
+      - name: Build release packages
+        run: |
+          autoreconf -i
+          ./configure
+          make check
+          make dist
+
+      # DRAFT release on pr creation and update
+      - name: Create or update release draft
+        if: github.event.pull_request.merged == false
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
+        with:
+          draft: true
+          tag_name: v${{steps.version.outputs.version}}
+          name: microcom ${{steps.version.outputs.version}}
+          body: ${{steps.version.outputs.body}}
+          files: |
+            microcom-*.tar.gz
+            microcom-*.tar.xz
+
+      # PUBLISH release on merge
+      - name: Publish release on merge
+        if: github.event.pull_request.merged == true
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
+        with:
+          draft: false
+          tag_name: v${{steps.version.outputs.version}}
+          files: |
+            microcom-*.tar.gz
+            microcom-*.tar.xz
+
+      - run: gh pr edit "$NUMBER" --add-label "$LABELS"
+        if: github.event.pull_request.merged == false
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN}}
+          GH_REPO: ${{github.repository}}
+          NUMBER: ${{github.event.pull_request.number}}
+          LABELS: release
+
+      - run: gh pr comment "$NUMBER" --body "Release published!"
+        if: github.event.pull_request.merged == true
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN}}
+          GH_REPO: ${{github.repository}}
+          NUMBER: ${{github.event.pull_request.number}}
+          LABELS: release
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index e9fa3e6..57c44c5 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4 --install
 
-EXTRA_DIST = DCO README.md
+EXTRA_DIST = COPYING DCO README.md VERSION
 
 bin_PROGRAMS = microcom
 microcom_SOURCES = commands.c commands_fsl_imx.c microcom.c mux.c parser.c serial.c telnet.c
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4bd65b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+2023.09.0
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2af4cd9..5d7484a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-AC_INIT([microcom], [2023.09.0], [oss-tools@pengutronix.de])
+AC_INIT([microcom], [m4_esyscmd_s(cat VERSION)], [oss-tools@pengutronix.de])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([build-aux])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([dist-xz])