diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index abc02b8bf..408efe35a 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ variables:
     stack.yaml.lock
 
 
-
 default:
   image:
     name: ${CI_REGISTRY}/uniworx/containers/debian:12.5
@@ -56,7 +55,7 @@ stages:
   - setup
   - frontend
   - backend
-  - release # TODO
+  - release
 
 
 setup:dynamic:
@@ -118,8 +117,11 @@ setup:containers:backend:manual:
     - when: manual
   allow_failure: true
 
+
 frontend:
   stage: frontend
+  variables:
+    GIT_STRATEGY: none
   needs:
     - setup:dynamic
     - job: setup:containers:frontend
@@ -130,8 +132,11 @@ frontend:
       - artifact: frontend.yml
         job: setup:dynamic
 
+
 backend:dev: &backend
   stage: backend
+  variables:
+    GIT_STRATEGY: none
   needs:
     - setup:dynamic
     - job: setup:containers:backend
@@ -149,6 +154,69 @@ backend:prod:
     PROD_BUILD: -prod
 
 
+release:prepare:
+  stage: release
+  script:
+    - echo "Preparing release..."
+    # TODO: get tag and pass to following release jobs as artifact
+  rules: &release-rules #TODO: only start job for tags v$MAJOR.$MINOR.$SUBMINOR, t$MAJOR.$MINOR.$SUBMINOR, and d$MAJOR.$MINOR.$SUBMINOR
+    - when: manual
+
+release:changelog:
+  stage: release
+  script:
+    - xzcat node-dependencies.nar.xz | nix-store --import
+    - nix -L run ".#jqChangelogJson" -- -r '.versions[0].version' > .current-version
+    - nix -L run ".#jqChangelogJson" -- -r '.versions[0].body' > .current-changelog.md
+    - echo "VERSION=$(cat .current-version)" >> build.env
+  artifacts:
+    reports:
+      dotenv: build.env
+    paths:
+      - .current-version
+      - .current-changelog.md
+    name: "changelog-${CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA}"
+    expire_in: "1 day"
+
+release:container:
+  stage: release
+  variables:
+    GIT_STRATEGY: none
+  image: ${IMAGE_BUILDER}
+  script:
+    - echo "Building container for release ${RELEASE}..."
+    - buildah bud 
+    - echo "Pushing container ${RELEASE} to container registry..."
+    - buildah push 
+    # - skopeo --insecure-policy copy --dest-creds "${CI_REGISTRY_USER}:${CI_JOB_TOKEN}" docker-archive://$(pwd)/uniworx.tar.gz docker://${CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE}:${VERSION}
+    # - skopeo --insecure-policy copy --src-creds "${CI_REGISTRY_USER}:${CI_JOB_TOKEN}" --dest-creds "${CI_REGISTRY_USER}:${CI_JOB_TOKEN}" docker://${CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE}:${VERSION} docker://${CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE}:latest
+  needs:
+    - frontend # sanity
+    - backend # sanity
+    - release:changelog
+  rules: *release-rules
+
+release:release:
+  stage: release
+  variables:
+    GIT_STRATEGY: none
+  image: registry.gitlab.com/gitlab-org/release-cli:latest
+  rules: *release-rules
+  script:
+    - echo "Creating release ${VERSION}"
+  release:
+    name: "${VERSION}"
+    tag_name: '$CI_COMMIT_TAG'
+    description: .current-changelog.md
+  needs:
+    - frontend # sanity
+    - backend # sanity
+    - release:container
+    - release:changelog
+  retry: 0
+
+
+
 # frontend dependencies:
 #   stage: setup
 #   cache: