diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-images-action.yml b/.github/workflows/build-images-action.yml
index 1bc6ed21eb..e1cf79dd44 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-images-action.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-images-action.yml
@@ -10,20 +10,42 @@ on:
     - 'release-*'
     tags:
     - 'v*'
+  workflow_run:
+    workflows:
+    - "Create Release"
+    types:
+    - completed
 
 jobs:
+  set_ref:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      github_ref: ${{ steps.set_ref.outputs.github_ref }}
+    steps:
+    - name: Set ref
+      id: set_ref
+      run: |
+        if [[ "${{ github.event_name }}" == "workflow_run" ]] && [[ -n "${{ needs.create-release.outputs.release_tag }}" ]]; then
+          echo "GITHUB_REF=refs/heads/${{ needs.create-release.outputs.release_tag }}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+        else
+          echo "GITHUB_REF=${{ github.ref }}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+        fi
+
   build_bmo:
+    needs: set_ref
     name: Build BMO container image
     if: github.repository == 'metal3-io/baremetal-operator'
     uses: metal3-io/project-infra/.github/workflows/container-image-build.yml@main
     with:
       image-name: 'baremetal-operator'
       pushImage: true
+      ref: ${{ needs.set_ref.outputs.github_ref }}
     secrets:
       QUAY_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.QUAY_USERNAME }}
       QUAY_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.QUAY_PASSWORD }}
       SLACK_WEBHOOK: ${{ secrets.SLACK_WEBHOOK }}
   build_keepalived:
+    needs: set_ref
     name: Build keepalived container image
     if: github.repository == 'metal3-io/baremetal-operator'
     uses: metal3-io/project-infra/.github/workflows/container-image-build.yml@main
@@ -31,6 +53,7 @@ jobs:
       image-name: 'keepalived'
       dockerfile-directory: resources/keepalived-docker
       pushImage: true
+      ref: ${{ needs.set_ref.outputs.github_ref }}
     secrets:
       QUAY_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.QUAY_USERNAME }}
       QUAY_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.QUAY_PASSWORD }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 68c64163eb..a337147214 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -1,39 +1,118 @@
-name: release
+# This code is borrowed from https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cluster-api/blob/main/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+name: Create Release
 
 on:
   push:
-    # Sequence of patterns matched against refs/tags
-    tags:
-    - "v*"
+    branches:
+    - main
+    paths:
+    - 'releasenotes/*.md'
 
 permissions: {}
 
 jobs:
-  build:
-    name: tag release
+  push_release_tags:
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-
+    outputs:
+      release_tag: ${{ steps.release-version.outputs.release_version }}
+    if: github.repository == 'metal3-io/ip-address-manager'
+    steps:
+    - name: Checkout code
+      uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683 # v4.2.2
+      with:
+        fetch-depth: 0
+    - name: Get changed files
+      id: changed-files
+      uses: tj-actions/changed-files@4edd678ac3f81e2dc578756871e4d00c19191daf # tag=v45.0.4
+    - name: Get release version
+      id: release-version
+      run: |
+        if [[ ${{ steps.changed-files.outputs.all_changed_files_count }} != 1 ]]; then
+          echo "1 release notes file should be changed to create a release tag, found ${{ steps.changed-files.outputs.all_changed_files_count }}"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        for changed_file in ${{ steps.changed-files.outputs.all_changed_files }}; do
+          export RELEASE_VERSION=$(echo "${changed_file}" | grep -oP '(?<=/)[^/]+(?=\.md)')
+          echo "RELEASE_VERSION=${RELEASE_VERSION}" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
+          echo "RELEASE_VERSION=${RELEASE_VERSION}" >> ${GITHUB_OUTPUT}
+          if [[ "${RELEASE_VERSION}" =~ ^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(-[0-9A-Za-z-]+(\.[0-9A-Za-z-]+)*)?(\+[0-9A-Za-z-]+(\.[0-9A-Za-z-]+)*)?$ ]]; then
+            echo "Valid semver: ${RELEASE_VERSION}"
+          else
+            echo "Invalid semver: ${RELEASE_VERSION}"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+        done
+    - name: Determine the release branch to use
+      run: |
+        if [[ ${RELEASE_VERSION} =~ beta ]] || [[ ${RELEASE_VERSION} =~ alpha ]]; then
+          export RELEASE_BRANCH=main
+          echo "RELEASE_BRANCH=${RELEASE_BRANCH}" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
+          echo "This is a beta or alpha release, will use release branch ${RELEASE_BRANCH}"
+        else
+          export RELEASE_BRANCH=release-$(echo ${RELEASE_VERSION} | sed -E 's/^v([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)\..*$/\1.\2/')
+          echo "RELEASE_BRANCH=${RELEASE_BRANCH}" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
+          echo "This is not a beta or alpha release, will use release branch ${RELEASE_BRANCH}"
+        fi
+    - name: Create or checkout release branch
+      run: |
+        if git show-ref --verify --quiet "refs/remotes/origin/${RELEASE_BRANCH}"; then
+          echo "Branch ${RELEASE_BRANCH} already exists"
+          git checkout "${RELEASE_BRANCH}"
+        else
+          git checkout -b "${RELEASE_BRANCH}"
+          git push origin "${RELEASE_BRANCH}"
+          echo "Created branch ${RELEASE_BRANCH}"
+        fi
+    - name: Validate tag does not already exist
+      run: |
+        if [[ -n "$(git tag -l "${RELEASE_VERSION}")" ]]; then
+          echo "Tag ${RELEASE_VERSION} already exists, exiting"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+    - name: Create Release Tag
+      run: |
+        git config user.name "${GITHUB_ACTOR}"
+        git config user.email "${GITHUB_ACTOR}@users.noreply.github.com"
+        git tag -a ${RELEASE_VERSION} -m ${RELEASE_VERSION}
+        git tag api/${RELEASE_VERSION}
+        git push origin ${RELEASE_VERSION}
+        git push origin api/${RELEASE_VERSION}
+        echo "Created tags ${RELEASE_VERSION} and api/${RELEASE_VERSION}"
+  release:
+    name: create draft release
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: push_release_tags
     permissions:
       contents: write
-
-    if: github.repository == 'metal3-io/baremetal-operator'
     steps:
-    - name: Export RELEASE_TAG var
-      run: echo "RELEASE_TAG=${GITHUB_REF:10}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+    - name: Set env
+      run: echo "RELEASE_TAG=${RELEASE_TAG}" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
+      env:
+        RELEASE_TAG: ${{needs.push_release_tags.outputs.release_tag}}
     - name: checkout code
       uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683 # v4.2.2
       with:
         fetch-depth: 0
-    - name: Install go
+        ref: ${{ env.RELEASE_TAG }}
+    - name: Calculate go version
+      run: echo "go_version=$(make go-version)" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
+    - name: Set up Go
       uses: actions/setup-go@41dfa10bad2bb2ae585af6ee5bb4d7d973ad74ed # v5.1.0
       with:
-        go-version: '1.22'
-    - name: Generate release notes
+        go-version: ${{ env.go_version }}
+    - name: generate release artifacts
+      run: |
+        make release
+    - name: get release notes
       run: |
-        make release-notes
+        curl -L "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/${{ github.repository }}/main/releasenotes/${{ env.RELEASE_TAG }}.md" \
+        -o "${{ env.RELEASE_TAG }}.md"
     - name: Release
       uses: softprops/action-gh-release@01570a1f39cb168c169c802c3bceb9e93fb10974 # v2.1.0
       with:
         draft: true
         files: out/*
-        body_path: releasenotes/${{ env.RELEASE_TAG }}.md
+        body_path: ${{ env.RELEASE_TAG }}.md
+        tag_name: ${{ env.RELEASE_TAG }}