diff --git a/.dockerignore b/.dockerignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..f7275bbbd035b827023cbae18954c0703b200c34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.dockerignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+venv/
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 41e9a25f2205413fbae3eb684219be6823fa22c6..18dac071326dd970c17935edef9f1f103b5d0ca7 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ workflow:
 
 stages:
   - test
+  - release
   - build
 
 variables:
@@ -34,21 +35,33 @@ lint dockerfile:
       changes:
         - Dockerfile
 
+release:
+  stage: release
+  image: docker.io/python:3.8-alpine
+  before_script:
+    - pip install --user --requirement requirements.ci.txt
+  script:
+    - semantic-release --verbosity=DEBUG publish
+  rules:
+    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH
+
 build container image:
   stage: build
   image:
     name: gcr.io/kaniko-project/executor:debug
     entrypoint: [""]
   script:
+    - "[[ -n $CI_COMMIT_TAG ]] && export version=$CI_COMMIT_TAG || export version=$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA"
     - mkdir -p /kaniko/.docker
     - echo "{\"auths\":{\"$CI_REGISTRY\":{\"auth\":\"$(echo -n ${CI_REGISTRY_USER}:${CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD} | base64 | tr -d '\n')\"},\"$harbor_registry\":{\"auth\":\"$HARBOR_ROBOT_TOKEN64\"}}}" > /kaniko/.docker/config.json
     - /kaniko/executor
       --context $CI_PROJECT_DIR
       --dockerfile $CI_PROJECT_DIR/Dockerfile
       --build-arg build_date=$(date -u +'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')
-      --build-arg vcs_ref=${CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA}
-      --build-arg version=${CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA}
-      --destination $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE/repdav:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
-      --destination $harbor_registry/$harbor_repo/repdav:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
+      --build-arg vcs_ref=${version}
+      --build-arg version=${version}
+      --destination $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE/repdav:$version
+      --destination $harbor_registry/$harbor_repo/repdav:$version
   rules:
     - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH
+    - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..3f57bc936fcb565e86410d6f96ff9bd0f2b3bee2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+[tool.semantic_release]
+version_source = "tag"
+branch = "main"
+major_on_zero = false
+tag_format = "{version}"
+build_command = false
+upload_to_repository = false
+hvcs = "gitlab"
+hvcs_domain = "gitlab.gwdg.de"
+hvcs_api_domain = "gitlab.gwdg.de/api/v4"
+check_build_status = true
diff --git a/requirements.ci.txt b/requirements.ci.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..65e34489b55addb73e7db573da2279c234a1b1f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/requirements.ci.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+python-semantic-release==7.25.0