diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 36ac8b1459..3660664278 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -111,6 +111,14 @@ jobs:
         key: fmp-sonar-{{ checksum "pom.xml" }}
         paths:
         - ~/.m2
+  RELEASE:
+    machine: true
+    steps:
+    - checkout
+    - run:
+        command: |
+          bash ./scripts/prepare-environment.sh
+          bash ./scripts/release.sh
 
 workflows:
   version: 2
@@ -128,3 +136,7 @@ workflows:
         filters:
           branches:
             only: master
+    - RELEASE:
+        filters:
+          branches:
+            only: release-project
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/prepare-environment.sh b/scripts/prepare-environment.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..857a47e136
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/prepare-environment.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#
+# Copyright 2016 Red Hat, Inc.
+#
+# Red Hat licenses this file to you 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.
+#
+
+echo $SETTINGS_XML | base64 --decode > $HOME/.m2/settings.xml
+echo $PUBRING | base64 --decode > $HOME/.gnupg/pubring.gpg
+echo $SEC_JENKINS |  base64 --decode > $HOME/.gnupg/sec_jenkins.gpg
+echo $SECRING | base64 --decode > $HOME/.gnupg/secring.gpg
+echo $TRUSTDB | base64 --decode > $HOME/.gnupg/trustdb.gpg
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/release.sh b/scripts/release.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b3e3947e12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#
+# Copyright 2016 Red Hat, Inc.
+#
+# Red Hat licenses this file to you under the Apache License, version
+# 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+# with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or
+# implied.  See the License for the specific language governing
+# permissions and limitations under the License.
+#
+
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -x
+
+project="fabric8io/fabric8-maven-plugin"
+
+source ./scripts/utils.sh
+
+# stage
+output=$(stage_project)
+echo $output
+
+# promote
+release_sonatype_repo
diff --git a/scripts/utils.sh b/scripts/utils.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..73f5f9b9c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/utils.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#
+# Copyright 2016 Red Hat, Inc.
+#
+# Red Hat licenses this file to you under the Apache License, version
+# 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+# with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or
+# implied.  See the License for the specific language governing
+# permissions and limitations under the License.
+#
+
+
+function get_project_version() {
+    project_version=$(mvn -q \
+    -Dexec.executable="echo" \
+    -Dexec.args='${project.version}' \
+    --non-recursive \
+    org.codehaus.mojo:exec-maven-plugin:1.3.1:exec)
+    echo $project_version
+}
+
+function setup_git_ssh() {
+    git config --global user.email fabric8cd@gmail.com
+    git config --global user.name fabric8cd
+}
+
+function push_tag() {
+    release_version=$1
+    git tag -fa v${release_version} -m 'Release version ${release_version}'
+    git push origin v${release_version}
+}
+
+# check the logic of this for getting repo_id
+function get_repo_ids() {
+  find target/  -maxdepth 1 -name "*.properties" > target/repos.txt
+  filename=$(cat target/repos.txt)
+  repo_id=$filename
+  echo $repo_id
+  exit 0
+}
+
+# check this
+function stage_sonatype_repo() {
+    mvn clean -B
+    mvn -V -B -e -U install org.sonatype.plugins:nexus-staging-maven-plugin:1.6.7:deploy -P release -DnexusUrl=https://oss.sonatype.org -DserverId=oss-sonatype-staging
+    get_repo_ids
+}
+
+function stage_project() {
+    setup_git_ssh
+    if [ -z $GH_USER ]; then
+        GH_USER=fabric8cd
+        echo $GH_USER
+    fi
+    git remote set-url origin https://${GH_USER}:${GH_TOKEN}@github.com/${project}.git
+
+    version=$(get_project_version)
+    
+    if [ -z $RELEASE_VERSION && -z $version ]; then
+        echo "NO RELEASE VERSION SET IN ENV AND POM! Exiting..."
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    if [ -z $version]; then
+        version=$RELEASE_VERSION
+    fi    
+    
+    mvn versions:set -DnewVersion=$version
+    repo_ids=$(stage_sonatype_repo)
+    push_tag $version
+    echo "$project,$version,$repo_ids"
+}
+
+# check how to handle if there is a failure in the release
+function release_sonatype_repo() {
+    repo_id=$1
+    mvn -B org.sonatype.plugins:nexus-staging-maven-plugin:1.6.5:rc-release -DserverId=oss-sonatype-staging -DnexusUrl=https://oss.sonatype.org -DstagingRepositoryId=${repo_id} -Ddescription=\"Next release is ready\" -DstagingProgressTimeoutMinutes=60
+}
\ No newline at end of file