diff --git a/prepare_release.sh b/prepare_release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..c9ead878
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prepare_release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+UPSTREAM_URL='git@github.com:TNG/momo-scheduler.git'
+# default: not dry-run
+DRY_RUN=0
+UPSTREAM_BRANCH=main
+
+set -eux
+
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  case $arg in
+    --version=*)
+      VERSION="${1#*=}"
+      VERSION_PREFIXED="v${1#*=}"
+      ;;
+    --dry-run)
+      DRY_RUN=1
+      ;;
+    *)
+      printf "***************************\n"
+      printf "* Error: Invalid argument.*\n"
+      printf "***************************\n"
+      exit 1
+  esac
+  shift
+done
+
+if [[ ! $VERSION =~ ^[0-9]*\.[0-9]*\.[0-9]*(-[A-Z0-9]*)?$ ]]; then
+    echo "You have to provide a version as first parameter (without v-prefix, e.g. 0.14.0)"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+GIT_BRANCH=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
+if [[ ! $GIT_BRANCH =~ $UPSTREAM_BRANCH ]]; then
+    echo "You do not seem to be on the ${UPSTREAM_BRANCH} branch!"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$(git status --porcelain)" ]; then
+    echo "You have local changes!"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+git pull "${UPSTREAM_URL}" "${UPSTREAM_BRANCH}"
+
+RELEASE_BRANCH="${VERSION_PREFIXED}-release"
+git branch "$RELEASE_BRANCH"
+git checkout "$RELEASE_BRANCH"
+
+if [[ $DRY_RUN ]]; then
+  echo "Preparing release of version $VERSION (dry-run)"
+else
+  echo "Preparing release of version $VERSION"
+fi
+
+echo "Updating version in package.json"
+sed -i -e "s/\"version\":.*/\"version\":\ \"$VERSION\"\,/" package.json
+npm install
+
+echo "Committing version change"
+git add package.json
+git add package-lock.json
+git commit --signoff -m "Update version to $VERSION"
+
+echo "Linting, building and testing"
+npm run lint
+npm run build
+npm run test
+
+echo "Creating Tag"
+git tag -a -m "$VERSION_PREFIXED" "$VERSION_PREFIXED"
+
+if [[ $DRY_RUN ]]; then
+  echo "Pushing version and tag to GitHub repository (dry-run)"
+  git push --set-upstream "$UPSTREAM_URL" "$RELEASE_BRANCH" --dry-run
+  git push "$UPSTREAM_URL" "$VERSION_PREFIXED" --dry-run
+else
+  echo "Pushing version and tag to GitHub repository"
+  git push --set-upstream "$UPSTREAM_URL" "$RELEASE_BRANCH"
+  git push "$UPSTREAM_URL" "$VERSION_PREFIXED"
+
+  hub pull-request -b "$UPSTREAM_BRANCH" -m "Release version $VERSION"
+fi
diff --git a/release.sh b/release.sh
index 3664b037..7dfb5957 100755
--- a/release.sh
+++ b/release.sh
@@ -43,9 +43,11 @@ fi
 
 git pull "${UPSTREAM_URL}" "${UPSTREAM_BRANCH}"
 
-RELEASE_BRANCH="${VERSION_PREFIXED}-release"
-git branch "$RELEASE_BRANCH"
-git checkout "$RELEASE_BRANCH"
+echo "Checking version in package.json"
+if [ ! -n "$(sed -n -e '/\"version\": \"$VERSION\"/ p' package.json)" ]; then
+    echo "Version in package.json is not $VERSION!"
+    exit 1
+fi
 
 if [[ $DRY_RUN ]]; then
   echo "Releasing version $VERSION (dry-run)"
@@ -53,35 +55,17 @@ else
   echo "Releasing version $VERSION"
 fi
 
-echo "Updating version in package.json"
-sed -i -e "s/\"version\":.*/\"version\":\ \"$VERSION\"\,/" package.json
-npm install
-
-echo "Commiting version change"
-git add package.json
-git add package-lock.json
-git commit --signoff -m "Update version to $VERSION"
+npm ci
 
 echo "Linting, building and testing"
 npm run lint
 npm run build
 npm run test
 
-echo "Creating Tag"
-git tag -a -m "$VERSION_PREFIXED" "$VERSION_PREFIXED"
-
 if [[ $DRY_RUN ]]; then
-  echo "Pushing version and tag to GitHub repository (dry-run)"
-  git push --set-upstream "$UPSTREAM_URL" "$RELEASE_BRANCH" --dry-run
-  git push "$UPSTREAM_URL" "$VERSION_PREFIXED" --dry-run
-
   echo "Publish to npmjs (dry-run)"
   npm publish --access public --registry https://registry.npmjs.org/ --dry-run
 else
-  echo "Pushing version and tag to GitHub repository"
-  git push --set-upstream "$UPSTREAM_URL" "$RELEASE_BRANCH"
-  git push "$UPSTREAM_URL" "$VERSION_PREFIXED"
-
   echo "Publish to npmjs"
   npm publish --access public --registry https://registry.npmjs.org/
 fi