diff --git a/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yml b/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85905c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+name: Prepare Release
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  pull-requests: write
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      level:
+        description: 'Specify SemVer version level you wish to bump (see: https://github.com/crate-ci/cargo-release/blob/master/docs/reference.md#bump-level)'
+        required: true
+        type: choice
+        options:
+          - release
+          - patch
+          - minor
+          - major
+          - alpha
+          - beta
+          - rc
+
+jobs:
+  prepare-release:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Use Rust version from rust-toolchain.toml
+        run: rustup show
+
+      - uses: cargo-bins/cargo-binstall@main
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: cargo binstall cargo-release -y
+
+      - name: Set up git config
+        run: |
+          git config author.email "${{ github.event.sender.id }}+${{ github.event.sender.login }}@users.noreply.github.com"
+          git config author.name "${{ github.event.sender.login }}"
+          git config committer.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          git config committer.name "GitHub Actions Bot"
+          git config user.email "${{ github.event.sender.id }}+${{ github.event.sender.login }}@users.noreply.github.com"
+          git config user.name "${{ github.event.sender.login }}"
+
+      - name: Determine new version number by dry-running `cargo-release`
+        run: |
+          NEW_VERSION="$(
+            cargo release version ${{ inputs.level }} 2>&1 \
+              | grep "Upgrading .* from .* to .*" \
+              | awk '{print $6}' \
+          )"
+          echo "New version is $NEW_VERSION"
+          echo "NEW_VERSION=$NEW_VERSION" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
+      - name: Switch to the release branch
+        run: |
+          BRANCH_NAME="release/v${{ env.NEW_VERSION }}"
+          git switch -c "$BRANCH_NAME"
+
+      - name: Roll changelog, bump version, and push branch
+        run: |
+          # see https://opensource.axo.dev/cargo-dist/book/workspaces/cargo-release-guide.html#using-cargo-release-with-pull-requests
+          cargo release "${{ inputs.level }}" --execute --no-confirm --config prepare-release.toml
+
+      - name: Open the release PR
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+        run: |
+          TITLE="chore(release): prepare release ${{ env.NEW_VERSION }}"
+
+          cat >BODY.md <<EOF
+          This PR was automatically generated by this workflow: ${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}
+          
+          After merging, run the following:
+
+          '''bash
+          git checkout main
+          git pull
+          cargo dist plan
+          cargo release --execute
+          '''
+          EOF
+          
+          gh pr create --base main --title "$TITLE" --body-file BODY.md
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ddd34f2..35380e2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
-## [Unreleased]
+<!-- next-header -->
+
+## [Unreleased] - ReleaseDate
 
 - Added `dfx` mode, which selects a dfx version and dispatches execution to it.
 - Added `dfxvm install` command, which installs a dfx version.
@@ -13,3 +15,6 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - Added `dfxvm update` command, which sets the latest dfx version as the default.
 - Added `dfxvm uninstall` command, which uninstalls a dfx version.
 - Added `dfxvm list` command, which lists all installed dfx versions.
+
+<!-- next-url -->
+[Unreleased]: https://github.com/dfinity/dfxvm/compare/828e4ed...HEAD
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 69b64b5..cb66959 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -17,5 +17,26 @@ this in-code documentation must be mirrored by a corresponding change
 in `docs/cli-reference`. Finally, any feature or notable bugfix should be
 mentioned in [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md), under the `## Unreleased` header.
 
+## Release Process
+
+Prerequisites to make a release:
+```bash
+cargo install cargo-release
+cargo install cargo-dist
+```
+
+To make a release, follow these steps:
+1. Run the [Prepare Release][prepare-release-workflow] workflow.
+2. Obtain approval and merge the PR that the workflow generated.
+3. Run the following locally:
+
+```bash
+git checkout main
+git pull
+cargo dist plan
+cargo release --execute
+```
+
 [code-of-conduct]: https://github.com/dfinity/ic-docutrack/blob/main/.github/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
 [cla]: https://github.com/dfinity/cla/blob/master/CLA.md
+[prepare-release-workflow]: https://github.com/dfinity/dfxvm/actions/workflows/prepare-release.yml
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index db8958c..1e1d66c 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ authors = ["DFINITY Stiftung <sdk@dfinity.org>"]
 description = "dfx version manager"
 repository = "https://github.com/dfinity/dfxvm"
 license = "Apache-2.0"
+publish = false # don't publish to crates.io
 
 # See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
 
@@ -55,3 +56,7 @@ targets = ["x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu", "aarch64-apple-darwin", "x86_64-apple-dar
 pr-run-mode = "plan"
 # The archive format to use for non-windows builds (defaults .tar.xz)
 unix-archive = ".tar.gz"
+# In coordination with "publish = false" at the package level,
+# this makes `cargo dist` generate binaries for the GitHub release,
+# while preventing `cargo release` from publishing to crates.io.
+dist = true
diff --git a/prepare-release.toml b/prepare-release.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3435cae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prepare-release.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+pre-release-replacements = [
+    {file="CHANGELOG.md", search="Unreleased", replace="{{version}}"},
+    {file="CHANGELOG.md", search="\\.\\.\\.HEAD", replace="...v{{version}}", exactly=1},
+    {file="CHANGELOG.md", search="ReleaseDate", replace="{{date}}"},
+    {file="CHANGELOG.md", search="<!-- next-header -->", replace="<!-- next-header -->\n\n## [Unreleased] - ReleaseDate", exactly=1},
+    {file="CHANGELOG.md", search="<!-- next-url -->", replace="<!-- next-url -->\n[Unreleased]: https://github.com/dfinity/dfxvm/compare/v{{version}}...HEAD", exactly=1},
+]
+publish = false
+tag = false
+allow-branch = [ "release/v*" ]