diff --git a/HACKING.md b/HACKING.md
index e7e4cd7..4b0ff54 100644
--- a/HACKING.md
+++ b/HACKING.md
@@ -440,57 +440,58 @@
 RELEASE PROCEDURE
 =================
 
--   Tag the appropriate commit with a release tag (follow existing
-    conventions).
+To make a release:
 
-    [This enables recreating the release, and is just good CM practice.]
+-   Edit configure.ac, bump the version and commit the change with
+    a "release: <version" subject.
+
+The 'release.sh' script should then be used. It should be run with 2
+arguments, the release tag for the release to be carried, and the tag of the
+previous release, e.g.:
+
+	release.sh quagga-1.1.1 quagga-1.1.0
+
+The 'release.sh' will carry out these steps for you:
+
+-   Tag the appropriate commit with a release tag (follow existing
+    conventions), with:
+
+	git tag -u <release signing key id> <quagga-release-tag>
 
 -   Create a fresh tar archive of the quagga.net repository, and do a
-    test build:
+    test build.  Use git archive to ensure it consists of files in the
+    repository, and to carry out the keyword expansions.  Do NOT do this in
+    a subdirectory of the Quagga sources, autoconf will think it’s a
+    sub-package and fail to include neccessary files.
 
-            vim configure.ac
-            git commit -m "release: 0.99.99.99"
-            git tag -u 54CD2E60 quagga-0.99.99.99
-            git push savannah tag quagga-0.99.99.99
+            git archive ... <quagga-release-tag> | tar xC ..
 
-            git archive --prefix=quagga-release/ quagga-0.99.99.99 | tar xC /tmp
-            git log quagga-0.99.99.98..quagga-0.99.99.99 > \
-               /tmp/quagga-release/quagga-0.99.99.99.changelog.txt
-            cd /tmp/quagga-release
+            autoreconf -i && ./configure && make && make dist-gzip
 
-            autoreconf -i
-            ./configure
-            make
-            make dist-gzip
+-   Similarly test the dist tarball produced. This is the tarball to be
+    released. This is important.
 
-            gunzip < quagga-0.99.99.99.tar.gz > quagga-0.99.99.99.tar
-            xz -6e < quagga-0.99.99.99.tar > quagga-0.99.99.99.tar.xz
-            gpg -u 54CD2E60 -a --detach-sign quagga-0.99.99.99.tar
+-   Sign the dist tarball to be released
+            
+	    gpg -u 54CD2E60 -a --detach-sign quagga-0.99.99.99.tar
 
-            scp quagga-0.99.99.99.* username@dl.sv.nongnu.org:/releases/quagga
-          
+The 'release.sh' script, if finishes successfully,  will print out
+instructions on the files it has created and the details on remaining steps
+to be carried out to complete the release. Which roughly are:
 
-    Do NOT do this in a subdirectory of the Quagga sources, autoconf
-    will think it’s a sub-package and fail to include neccessary files.
+-   Upload the release tarball, its PGP signature, and the full changelog
+    to the public release area on Savannah
 
 -   Add the version number on https://bugzilla.quagga.net/, under
     Administration, Products, “Quagga”, Edit versions, Add a version.
 
--   Edit the wiki on
-    https://wiki.quagga.net/wiki/index.php/Release\_status
-
 -   Post a news entry on Savannah
 
 -   Send a mail to quagga-dev and quagga-users
 
-The tarball which ‘make dist’ creates is the tarball to be released! The
-git-archive step ensures you’re working with code corresponding to that in
-the official repository, and also carries out keyword expansion. If any
-errors occur, move tags as needed and start over from the fresh checkouts.
-Do not append to tarballs, as this has produced non-standards-conforming
-tarballs in the past.
-
-See also: <http://wiki.quagga.net/index.php/Main/Processes>
+If any errors occur, move tags as needed and start over again with the
+release.sh script.  Do not try to append stuff to tarballs, as this has
+produced non-standards-conforming tarballs in the past.
 
 [TODO: collation of a list of deprecated commands. Possibly can be
 scripted to extract from vtysh/vtysh\_cmd.c]
diff --git a/release.sh b/release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d57ea98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+if [ $# -ne 2 ]  ; then
+        echo "usage: $0 <quagga-release-tag> <quagga-previous-release-tag>"
+        exit
+fi
+
+errmsg () {
+	echo "Error occurred. To rerun you may first need to delete the tag".
+	exit 1
+}
+
+trap errmsg ERR
+
+REL=${1:?Release version must be given as first argument!}
+PREV=${2:?Previous release version must be given as second argument!}
+
+TMPDIR=`mktemp -d /tmp/quagga-rel-XXXXXXXXX`
+
+if [ ! -d $TMPDIR ] ; then 
+	echo "Problem making temp directory ${TMPDIR}!"
+	exit 1;
+fi
+
+echo "Tagging branch head as release ${REL}"
+
+git tag -u 0x6FE57CA8C1A4AEA6 -m "Quagga release $REL" ${REL}
+
+mkdir -p ${TMPDIR}/a || exit 1
+mkdir -p ${TMPDIR}/verify || exit 1
+
+echo "Making git archive"
+
+( git archive ${REL} | tar xC ${TMPDIR}/a ) || exit 1
+
+git log ${PREV}..${REL} > ${TMPDIR}/a/${REL}.changelog.txt || exit 1
+git log --pretty=%s ${PREV}..${REL} > ${TMPDIR}/a/${REL}.subjects.txt || exit 1
+
+cd ${TMPDIR}/a || exit 1
+
+echo "Doing test build of archive file and making dist tarball"
+
+(autoreconf -i && ./configure && make -j && make dist-gzip) || exit 1
+
+echo "Verifying dist tarball"
+
+cp ${REL}.tar.gz ${TMPDIR}/verify || exit 1
+
+cd ${TMPDIR}/verify || exit 1
+tar -zxf ${REL}.tar.gz || exit 1
+cd ${REL} || exit 1
+autoreconf -i && ./configure && make -j
+
+cd ${TMPDIR}/a || exit 1
+gpg -u 0x6FE57CA8C1A4AEA6 -a --detach-sign ${REL}.tar.gz
+
+cat <<- EOF
+
+Release tagged as: ${REL}
+
+Release files are in ${TMPDIR}/a:
+
+	${TMPDIR}/a/${REL}.tar.gz
+	${TMPDIR}/a/${REL}.tar.gz.asc
+	${TMPDIR}/a/${REL}.changelog.txt
+
+If you need to redo the release, you must delete the tag first:
+
+	git tag -d ${REL}
+
+To finish the release:
+
+* push the tag to savannah:
+
+	git push <savannah remote name> tag ${REL}
+
+* Upload the 3 files to the savannah releases area:
+
+	scp ${TMPDIR}/a/${REL}.tar.gz \
+		${TMPDIR}/a/${REL}.tar.gz.asc \
+		${TMPDIR}/a/${REL}.changelog.txt
+		<username>@dl.sv.nongnu.org:/releases/quagga
+
+* Update the version list in bugzilla:
+
+  https://bugzilla.quagga.net/editversions.cgi?action=add&product=Quagga
+  
+* Add a news entry to the Savannah front page. The short list of commit
+  subjects (${TMPDIR}/a/${REL}.subjects.txt) may be useful here.
+
+* Email the quagga-dev and quagga-users lists
+
+EOF