diff --git a/git-flow-release b/git-flow-release
index e61b4612..2daed24a 100644
--- a/git-flow-release
+++ b/git-flow-release
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 #
 _finish_from_develop() {
 	local opts merge_branch commit keepmsg remotebranchdeleted localbranchdeleted compare_refs_result merge_result
-
+	
 	remotebranchdeleted=$FLAGS_FALSE
 	localbranchdeleted=$FLAGS_FALSE
 
@@ -439,6 +439,7 @@ git flow release publish
 git flow release track
 git flow release rebase
 git flow release delete
+git flow release create
 
 Manage your release branches.
 
@@ -548,6 +549,197 @@ require_no_existing_release_branches() {
 	[ -z "$release_branches" ] || die "There is an existing release branch '$first_branch'. Finish that one first."
 }
 
+cmd_create() {
+	OPTIONS_SPEC="\
+git flow release create [options] <version> [<base>]
+
+Create a new release branch
+--
+h,help              Show this help
+showcommands!       Show git commands while executing them
+F,[no]fetch         Fetch from origin before performing finish
+s,sign!             Sign the release tag cryptographically
+u,signingkey!       Use the given GPG-key for the digital signature (implies -s)
+m,message!          Use the given tag message
+f,[no]messagefile=  Use the contents of the given file as a tag message
+p,[no]push          Push to origin after performing finish
+[no]pushproduction  Push the production branch
+[no]pushdevelop     Push the develop branch
+[no]pushtag         Push the tag
+k,[no]keep          Keep branch after performing finish
+[no]keepremote      Keep the remote branch
+[no]keeplocal       Keep the local branch
+D,[no]force_delete  Force delete release branch after finish
+n,[no]tag           Don't tag this release
+b,[no]nobackmerge   Don't back-merge master, or tag if applicable, in develop
+S,[no]squash        Squash release during merge
+[no]ff-master       Fast forward master branch if possible
+e,[no]edit          The --noedit option can be used to accept the auto-generated message on merging
+T,tagname!          Use given tag name
+nodevelopmerge!  Don't back-merge develop branch
+"
+	
+	local base
+
+	# Define flags
+	DEFINE_boolean 'fetch' false "fetch from $ORIGIN before performing finish" F
+	DEFINE_boolean 'sign' false "sign the release tag cryptographically" s
+	DEFINE_string  'signingkey' "" "use the given GPG-key for the digital signature (implies -s)" u
+	DEFINE_string  'message' "" "use the given tag message" m
+	DEFINE_string  'messagefile' "" "use the contents of the given file as a tag message" f
+	DEFINE_boolean 'push' false "push to $ORIGIN after performing finish" p
+	DEFINE_boolean 'pushproduction' false "push the production branch"
+	DEFINE_boolean 'pushdevelop' false "push the develop branch"
+	DEFINE_boolean 'pushtag' false "push the tag"
+	DEFINE_boolean 'keep' false "keep branch after performing finish" k
+	DEFINE_boolean 'keepremote' false "keep the remote branch"
+	DEFINE_boolean 'keeplocal' false "keep the local branch"
+	DEFINE_boolean 'force_delete' false "force delete release branch after finish" D
+	DEFINE_boolean 'notag' false "don't tag this release" n
+	DEFINE_boolean 'nobackmerge' false "don't back-merge $MASTER_BRANCH, or tag if applicable, in $DEVELOP_BRANCH " b
+	DEFINE_boolean 'squash' false "squash release during merge" S
+	DEFINE_boolean 'squash-info' false "add branch info during squash"
+	DEFINE_boolean 'ff-master' false "fast forward master branch if possible"
+	DEFINE_boolean 'edit' true "accept the auto-generated message on merging" e
+	DEFINE_string  'tagname' "" "use the given tag name" T
+	DEFINE_boolean 'nodevelopmerge' false "don't merge $BRANCH into $DEVELOP_BRANCH "
+
+	# Override defaults with values from config
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.fetch"          "fetch"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.sign"           "sign"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.push"           "push"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.pushproduction" "pushproduction"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.pushdevelop"    "pushdevelop"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.pushtag"        "pushtag"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.keep"           "keep"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.keepremote"     "keepremote"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.keeplocal"      "keeplocal"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.force-delete"   "force_delete"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.notag"          "notag"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.nobackmerge"    "nobackmerge"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.squash"         "squash"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.squash-info"    "squash_info"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.ff-master"      "ff-master"
+	gitflow_override_flag_string    "release.finish.signingkey"     "signingkey"
+	gitflow_override_flag_string    "release.finish.message"        "message"
+	gitflow_override_flag_string    "release.finish.messagefile"    "messagefile"
+	gitflow_override_flag_boolean   "release.finish.nodevelopmerge" "nodevelopmerge"
+
+		
+
+	parse_args "$@"
+	eval set -- "${FLAGS_ARGV}"
+	
+	base=${2:-$DEVELOP_BRANCH}
+# Run filter on the version
+	VERSION=$(run_filter_hook create-start-version $VERSION)
+	if [ $? -eq 127 ]; then
+		die $VERSION
+	fi
+
+	# As VERSION might have changed reset BRANCH with new VERSION
+	BRANCH=$PREFIX$VERSION
+
+	require_base_is_local_branch "$base"
+	gitflow_require_version_arg
+
+	require_no_existing_release_branches
+
+	# Sanity checks
+	git_config_bool_exists "gitflow.allowdirty" || require_clean_working_tree
+	require_branch_absent "$BRANCH"
+	require_tag_absent "$VERSION_PREFIX$VERSION"
+	if flag fetch; then
+		git_fetch_branch "$ORIGIN" "$base"
+	fi
+	if git_remote_branch_exists "$ORIGIN/$base"; then
+		require_branches_equal "$base" "$ORIGIN/$base"
+	fi
+
+	run_pre_hook "$VERSION_PREFIX$VERSION" "$ORIGIN" "$BRANCH" "$base"
+
+	gitflow_config_set_base_branch $base $BRANCH
+
+	# Create branch
+	git_do checkout -b "$BRANCH" "$base" || die "Could not create release branch '$BRANCH'."
+
+	run_post_hook "$VERSION_PREFIX$VERSION" "$ORIGIN" "$BRANCH" "$base"
+
+	echo
+	echo "Summary of actions:"
+	echo "- A new branch '$BRANCH' was created, based on '$base'"
+	echo "- You are now on branch '$(git_current_branch)'"
+	echo
+	echo "Follow-up actions:"
+	echo "- Bump the version number now!"
+	echo "- Start committing last-minute fixes in preparing your release"
+	echo "- When done, run:"
+	echo
+	echo "     git flow release finish '$VERSION'"
+	echo
+	# Run filter on the version
+	VERSION=$(run_filter_hook create-finish-version $VERSION)
+	if [ $? -eq 127 ]; then
+		die $VERSION
+	fi
+
+	# Use branch name if no tag name is given
+	if [ "$FLAGS_tagname" != "" ]; then
+		TAGNAME=$FLAGS_tagname
+	else
+		TAGNAME=$VERSION
+	fi
+
+	# As VERSION might have changed reset BRANCH with new VERSION
+	BRANCH=$PREFIX$VERSION
+
+	BASE_BRANCH=$(gitflow_config_get_base_branch $BRANCH)
+	BASE_BRANCH=${BASE_BRANCH:-$DEVELOP_BRANCH}
+	git_local_branch_exists "$BASE_BRANCH" || die "The base '$BASE_BRANCH' doesn't exists locally or is not a branch. Can't finish the release branch '$BRANCH'."
+
+	# Handle flags that imply other flags
+	if [ "$FLAGS_signingkey" != "" ]; then
+		FLAGS_sign=$FLAGS_TRUE
+	fi
+
+	# Keeping both branches implies the --keep flag to be true.
+	if flag keepremote && flag keeplocal; then
+		FLAGS_keep=$FLAGS_TRUE
+	fi
+
+	# Pushing implies we push all.
+	if flag push; then
+		FLAGS_pushproduction=$FLAGS_TRUE
+		FLAGS_pushdevelop=$FLAGS_TRUE
+		FLAGS_pushtag=$FLAGS_TRUE
+	fi
+	# If we push either of these it means we need to do a push
+	if flag pushproduction || flag pushdevelop || flag pushtag; then
+		FLAGS_push=$FLAGS_TRUE
+	fi
+
+	# Sanity checks
+	require_branch "$BRANCH"
+	require_clean_working_tree
+
+	# We always fetch the Branch from Origin
+	# This is done to avoid possible commits on the remote that are not
+	# merged into the local branch
+	if git_remote_branch_exists "$ORIGIN/$BRANCH"; then
+			git_fetch_branch "$ORIGIN" "$BRANCH"
+	fi
+
+	if [ "$BASE_BRANCH" = "$DEVELOP_BRANCH" ]; then
+		SUBCOMMAND="create"
+		SUBACTION="finish"
+		_finish_from_develop
+	else
+		SUBCOMMAND="create"
+		SUBACTION="finish"
+		_finish_base
+	fi
+}
+
 cmd_start() {
 	OPTIONS_SPEC="\
 git flow release start [options] <version> [<base>]
diff --git a/hooks/filter-flow-create-finish-version b/hooks/filter-flow-create-finish-version
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0169fb70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/filter-flow-create-finish-version
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Runs during git flow release create finish
+#
+# Positional arguments:
+# $1    Version
+#
+# Return VERSION - When VERSION is returned empty, git-flow will stop as the
+# version is necessary
+#
+# The following variables are available as they are exported by git-flow:
+#
+# MASTER_BRANCH - The branch defined as Master
+# DEVELOP_BRANCH - The branch defined as Develop
+#
+VERSION=$1
+
+# Implement your script here.
+
+# Return the VERSION
+echo ${VERSION}
+exit 0
diff --git a/hooks/filter-flow-create-start-version b/hooks/filter-flow-create-start-version
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..885603e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/filter-flow-create-start-version
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Runs during git flow release create start
+#
+# Positional arguments:
+# $1    Version
+#
+# Return VERSION - When VERSION is returned empty, git-flow will stop as the
+# version is necessary
+#
+# The following variables are available as they are exported by git-flow:
+#
+# MASTER_BRANCH - The branch defined as Master
+# DEVELOP_BRANCH - The branch defined as Develop
+#
+VERSION=$1
+
+# Implement your script here.
+
+# Return the VERSION
+echo ${VERSION}
+exit 0
diff --git a/hooks/filter-flow-release-finish-version b/hooks/filter-flow-release-finish-version
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..987ca8a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/filter-flow-release-finish-version
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Runs during git flow release finish
+#
+# Positional arguments:
+# $1    Version
+#
+# Return VERSION - When VERSION is returned empty, git-flow will stop as the
+# version is necessary
+#
+# The following variables are available as they are exported by git-flow:
+#
+# MASTER_BRANCH - The branch defined as Master
+# DEVELOP_BRANCH - The branch defined as Develop
+#
+VERSION=$1
+
+# Implement your script here.
+
+# Return the VERSION
+echo ${VERSION}
+exit 0
diff --git a/hooks/post-flow-create-finish b/hooks/post-flow-create-finish
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..be85ea7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/post-flow-create-finish
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Runs at the end of git flow release create finish
+#
+# Positional arguments:
+# $1    The version (including the version prefix)
+# $2    The origin remote
+# $3    The full branch name (including the release prefix)
+#
+# The following variables are available as they are exported by git-flow:
+#
+# MASTER_BRANCH - The branch defined as Master
+# DEVELOP_BRANCH - The branch defined as Develop
+#
+VERSION=$1
+ORIGIN=$2
+BRANCH=$3
+
+# Implement your script here.
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/hooks/post-flow-release-create b/hooks/post-flow-release-create
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..42c9034e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/post-flow-release-create
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Runs at the end of git flow release create start
+#
+# Positional arguments:
+# $1    The version (including the version prefix)
+# $2    The origin remote
+# $3    The full branch name (including the release prefix)
+# $4    The base from which this release is started
+#
+# The following variables are available as they are exported by git-flow:
+#
+# MASTER_BRANCH - The branch defined as Master
+# DEVELOP_BRANCH - The branch defined as Develop
+#
+VERSION=$1
+ORIGIN=$2
+BRANCH=$3
+BASE=$4
+
+# Implement your script here.
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/hooks/pre-flow-create-finish b/hooks/pre-flow-create-finish
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..cebf8ab9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/pre-flow-create-finish
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Runs before git flow release create finish
+#
+# Positional arguments:
+# $1    The version (including the version prefix)
+# $2    The origin remote
+# $3    The full branch name (including the release prefix)
+#
+# The following variables are available as they are exported by git-flow:
+#
+# MASTER_BRANCH - The branch defined as Master
+# DEVELOP_BRANCH - The branch defined as Develop
+#
+VERSION=$1
+ORIGIN=$2
+BRANCH=$3
+
+# Implement your script here.
+
+# To terminate the git-flow action, return a non-zero exit code.
+exit 0
diff --git a/hooks/pre-flow-release-create b/hooks/pre-flow-release-create
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..5b2c1c4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/pre-flow-release-create
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Runs before git flow release create start
+#
+# Positional arguments:
+# $1    The version (including the version prefix)
+# $2    The origin remote
+# $3    The full branch name (including the release prefix)
+# $4    The base from which this release is started
+#
+# The following variables are available as they are exported by git-flow:
+#
+# MASTER_BRANCH - The branch defined as Master
+# DEVELOP_BRANCH - The branch defined as Develop
+#
+VERSION=$1
+ORIGIN=$2
+BRANCH=$3
+BASE=$4
+
+# Implement your script here.
+
+# To terminate the git-flow action, return a non-zero exit code.
+exit 0