diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index f0f9513..0645707 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 stages:
     - build
     - debian-package
+    - release
 
 .image-buster:
     image: '${CONTAINER_REGISTRY_NAME}/exim-encrypt-dlfunc-build-buster'
@@ -113,3 +114,28 @@ debian-package:buster:
     dependencies:
         - build:buster
     needs: [ "build:buster" ]
+
+prepare_job:
+  stage: prepare                                              # This stage must run before the release stage
+  rules:
+    - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG
+      when: never                                             # Do not run this job when a tag is created manually
+#    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH             # Run this job when commits are pushed or merged to the default branch
+  script:
+    - echo "TAG=v$(cat VERSION)" >> variables.env             # and append to the variables.env file
+  artifacts:
+    reports:
+      dotenv: variables.env                                   # Use artifacts:reports:dotenv to expose the variables to other jobs
+
+release_job:
+  stage: release
+  image: registry.gitlab.com/gitlab-org/release-cli:latest
+  rules:
+    - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG                                      # Run this job when a tag is created manually
+  script:
+    - echo "running release_job"
+  release:
+    name: 'Release $CI_COMMIT_TAG'
+    description: 'Created using the release-cli'
+    tag_name: '$CI_COMMIT_TAG'
+    ref: '$CI_COMMIT_TAG'