diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 8e2f63b..6a6b706 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - master
-
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  
 jobs:
 
   lint:
+    if: ${{ github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     steps:
@@ -20,3 +22,52 @@ jobs:
       uses: plexsystems/protolint-action@v0.2.0
       with:
         configDirectory: .
+  
+  release:
+    if: ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+    - name: checkout source
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+    - name: Setup Python
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+      with:
+        python-version: 3.x
+
+    - name: Cache python libs
+      uses: actions/cache@v3
+      id: cache-pip # needed in if test
+      with:
+        path: ~/.cache/pip
+        key: ${{ runner.os }}-pip
+
+    - name: Upgrade python tools
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+
+    - name: Get release version string
+      run: echo "version=$(./scripts/buildinfo.py short)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      id: version
+
+    - name: Create release
+      uses: actions/create-release@v1
+      id: create_release
+      with:
+        release_name: Meshtastic Protobufs ${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
+        tag_name: v${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
+        body: Protobufs for version ${{ steps.version.outputs.version }} release of Meshtastic firmware
+      env:
+        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+
+    - name: Bump version.properties
+      run: >-
+        scripts/bump_version.py
+        
+    - name: Create version.properties pull request
+      uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v3
+      with:
+        add-paths: |
+          version.properties
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/buildinfo.py b/scripts/buildinfo.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..4865f90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/buildinfo.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+import configparser
+import sys
+from readprops import readProps
+
+verObj = readProps('version.properties')
+propName = sys.argv[1]
+print(f"{verObj[propName]}")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/bump_version.py b/scripts/bump_version.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6128fad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/bump_version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+"""Bump the version number"""
+
+lines = None
+
+with open('version.properties', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+    lines = f.readlines()
+
+with open('version.properties', 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+    for line in lines:
+        if line.lstrip().startswith("build = "):
+            words = line.split(" = ")
+            ver = f'build = {int(words[1]) + 1}'
+            f.write(f'{ver}\n')
+        else:
+            f.write(line)
diff --git a/scripts/readprops.py b/scripts/readprops.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94199c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/readprops.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import subprocess
+import configparser
+import traceback
+import sys
+
+
+def readProps(prefsLoc):
+    """Read the version of our project as a string"""
+
+    config = configparser.RawConfigParser()
+    config.read(prefsLoc)
+    version = dict(config.items('VERSION'))
+    verObj = dict(short = "{}.{}.{}".format(version["major"], version["minor"], version["build"]),
+        long = "unset")
+
+    # Try to find current build SHA if if the workspace is clean.  This could fail if git is not installed
+    try:
+        sha = subprocess.check_output(
+            ['git', 'rev-parse', '--short', 'HEAD']).decode("utf-8").strip()
+        isDirty = subprocess.check_output(
+            ['git', 'diff', 'HEAD']).decode("utf-8").strip()
+        suffix = sha
+        if isDirty:
+            # short for 'dirty', we want to keep our verstrings source for protobuf reasons
+            suffix = sha + "-d"
+        verObj['long'] = "{}.{}.{}.{}".format(
+            version["major"], version["minor"], version["build"], suffix)
+    except:
+        # print("Unexpected error:", sys.exc_info()[0])
+        # traceback.print_exc()
+        verObj['long'] = verObj['short']
+
+    # print("firmware version " + verStr)
+    return verObj
+# print("path is" + ','.join(sys.path))
diff --git a/version.properties b/version.properties
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..816f7c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/version.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+[VERSION]  
+major = 2
+minor = 0
+build = 12