diff --git a/release.yml b/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..186b612316
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,305 @@
+- hosts: localhost
+  gather_facts: no
+  vars:
+    release_dir: "./ansible_release"
+    release_date: "{{lookup('pipe', 'date +\"%m-%d-%Y\"')}}"
+    rpm_spec_line: |
+
+      * {{lookup('pipe', 'date +"%a %b %d %Y"')}} Ansible, Inc. <support@ansible.com> - {{ansible_release_version}}-{{ansible_release_string}}
+      - Release {{ansible_release_version}}-{{ansible_release_string}}
+    deb_changelog_line: |
+
+      ansible ({{ansible_release_version}}) unstable; urgency=low
+      
+        * {{ansible_release_version}}
+      
+       -- Ansible, Inc. <support@ansible.com>  {{lookup('pipe', 'date -R')}}
+    versions:
+       - 2.2:
+         code_name: "TBD"
+         releases:
+           - 0: ""
+       - 2.1:
+         code_name: "The Song Remains the Same"
+         releases:
+           - 0: "05-25-2016"
+       - 2.0:
+         code_name: "Over the Hills and Far Away"
+         releases:
+           - 2: "04-19-2016"
+           - 1: "02-24-2016"
+           - 0: "01-12-2016"
+       - 1.9:
+         code_name: "Dancing In the Streets"
+         releases:
+           - 6: "04-15-2016"
+           - 5: "03-21-2016"
+           - 4: "10-09-2015"
+           - 3: "09-03-2015"
+           - 2: "06-24-2015"
+           - 1: "04-27-2015"
+           - 0: "03-25-2015"
+       - 1.8:
+         code_name: "You Really Got Me"
+         releases:
+           - 4: "02-19-2015"
+           - 3: "02-17-2015"
+           - 2: "12-04-2014"
+           - 1: "11-26-2014"
+           - 0: "?"
+       - 1.7:
+         code_name: "Summer Nights"
+         releases:
+           - 2: "09-24-2014"
+           - 1: "08-14-2014"
+           - 0: "08-06-2014"
+       - 1.6:
+         code_name: "The Cradle Will Rock"
+         releases:
+           - 10: "07-25-2014"
+           - 9: "07-24-2014"
+           - 8: "07-22-2014"
+           - 7: "07-21-2014"
+           - 6: "07-01-2014"
+           - 5: "06-25-2014"
+           - 4: "06-25-2014"
+           - 3: "06-09-2014"
+           - 2: "05-23-2014"
+           - 1: "05-07-2014"
+           - 0: "05-05-2014"
+       - 1.5:
+         code_name: "Love Walks In"
+         releases:
+           - 5: "04-18-2014"
+           - 4: "04-01-2014"
+           - 3: "03-13-2014"
+           - 2: "03-11-2014"
+           - 1: "03-10-2014"
+           - 0: "02-28-2014"
+       - 1.4:
+         code_name: "Could This Be Magic?"
+         releases:
+           - 5: "02-12-2014"
+           - 4: "01-06-2014"
+           - 3: "12-20-2013"
+           - 2: "12-18-2013"
+           - 1: "11-27-2013"
+           - 0: "11-21-2013"
+       - 1.3:
+         code_name: "Top of the World"
+         releases:
+           - 4: "10-29-2013"
+           - 3: "10-09-2013"
+           - 2: "09-19-2013"
+           - 1: "09-16-2013"
+           - 0: "09-13-2013"
+       - 1.2:
+         code_name: "Right Now"
+         releases:
+           - 3: "08-21-2013"
+           - 2: "07-05-2013"
+           - 1: "07-04-2013"
+           - 0: "06-10-2013"
+       - 1.1:
+         code_name: "Mean Street"
+         releases:
+           - 0: "04-02-2013"
+       - 1.0:
+         code_name: "Eruption"
+         releases:
+           - 0: "02-01-2013"
+       - 0.9:
+         code_name: "Dreams"
+         releases:
+           - 0: "11-30-2012"
+       - 0.8:
+         code_name: "Cathedral"
+         releases:
+           - 0: "10-19-2012"
+       - 0.7:
+         code_name: "Panama"
+         releases:
+           - 0: "09-06-2012"
+       - 0.6:
+         code_name: "Cabo"
+         releases:
+           - 0: "08-06-2012"
+       - 0.5:
+         code_name: "Amsterdam"
+         releases:
+           - 0: "07-04-2012"
+       - 0.4:
+         code_name: "Unchained"
+         releases:
+           - 0: "05-23-2012"
+       - 0.3:
+         code_name: "Baluchitherium"
+         releases:
+           - 0: "04-23-2012"
+       - 0.2:
+         code_name: "Untitled"
+         releases:
+           - 0: "?"
+       - 0.1:
+         code_name: "Untitled"
+         releases:
+           - 0: "?"
+       - 0.0:
+         code_name: "Untitled"
+         releases:
+           - 2: "?"
+           - 1: "?"
+
+  vars_prompt:
+  - name: ansible_release_branch
+    prompt: "Enter the release branch"
+    private: no
+  - name: ansible_release_version
+    prompt: "Enter the release version"
+    private: no
+  - name: ansible_release_string
+    prompt: "Enter the release string (ie. 0.1.beta1, or just 1 for final releases)"
+    private: no
+  #- name: ansible_release_codename
+  #  prompt: "Enter the release code name (only used if doing a final release)"
+  #  default: ""
+  #  private: no
+  - name: is_final
+    prompt: "Is this a final release (not a beta/rc)?"
+    default: "no"
+    private: no
+  - name: do_push
+    prompt: "Push repositories upstream when done?"
+    default: "no"
+    private: no
+  tasks:
+  - name: create a combined version string from the specified values
+    set_fact: 
+      new_version: "v{{ansible_release_version}}-{{ansible_release_string}}"
+
+  - name: assert certain variables are defined
+    assert:
+      that:
+      - ansible_release_branch is defined
+      - ansible_release_version is defined
+      - ansible_release_string is defined
+
+  - name: Remove ansible_release (if it exists)
+    file:
+      path: "{{release_dir}}/"
+      state: absent
+
+  - name: Clone the official repo
+    git:
+      repo: "git@github.com:ansible/ansible.git"
+      dest: "{{release_dir}}"
+      version: "{{ansible_release_branch}}"
+      recursive: yes
+
+  - name: get the latest version
+    shell:
+      _raw_params: git tag | tail -1
+      chdir: "{{release_dir}}"
+    register: latest_version
+
+  - name: "assert the specified version ({{new_version}}) is greater than the latest version ({{latest_version.stdout}})"
+    assert:
+      that:
+      - new_version|version_compare(latest_version.stdout, "gt")
+    ignore_errors: yes
+
+  - name: Update the VERSION file for the main repo
+    copy:
+      dest: "{{release_dir}}/VERSION"
+      content: "{{ansible_release_version}} {{ansible_release_string}}\n"
+
+  - name: Update the library version
+    lineinfile:
+      dest: "{{release_dir}}/lib/ansible/release.py"
+      regexp: "^__version__ ="
+      line: "__version__ = '{{ansible_release_version}}'"
+
+  - block:
+    - name: Update the spec file release list
+      lineinfile:
+        dest: "{{release_dir}}/packaging/rpm/ansible.spec"
+        regexp: "^- Release {{ansible_release_version}}-{{ansible_release_string}}"
+        line: "{{rpm_spec_line.rstrip()}}"
+        insertafter:  "^%changelog"
+    - name: Update the deb changelog file
+      lineinfile:
+        dest: "{{release_dir}}/packaging/debian/changelog"
+        regexp: "^ansible ({{ansible_release_version}})"
+        line: "{{deb_changelog_line}}"
+        insertafter: "-- Ansible, Inc. <support@ansible.com>  %DATE%"
+    #- name: Update RELEASES.txt
+    #  lineinfile:
+    #    dest: "{{release_dir}}/RELEASES.txt"
+    #    regexp: "^{{ansible_release_version}}"
+    #    line: '{{ansible_release_version}} "{{ansible_release_codename}}" {{release_date}}'
+    #    insertafter: ""
+    when: is_final|bool
+
+  - name: "Make sure modules are checked out to {{ansible_release_branch}}"
+    shell:
+      _raw_params: "git checkout {{ansible_release_branch}}"
+      chdir: "{{release_dir}}/lib/ansible/modules/{{item}}/"
+    with_items:
+    - core
+    - extras
+
+  - name: Update the VERSION file for the modules
+    copy:
+      dest: "{{release_dir}}/lib/ansible/modules/{{item}}/VERSION"
+      content: "{{ansible_release_version}} {{ansible_release_string}}\n"
+    with_items:
+    - core
+    - extras
+
+  - name: Add and commit the updated files for the core modules
+    shell:
+      _raw_params: "git add ./ && git commit -m 'New release {{new_version}}'"
+      chdir: "{{release_dir}}/lib/ansible/modules/{{item}}/"
+    with_items:
+    - core
+    - extras
+
+  - name: Add and commit the updated files for the main repo
+    shell:
+      _raw_params: "git add ./ && git commit -m 'New release {{new_version}}'"
+      chdir: "{{release_dir}}/"
+
+  - name: Tag the release
+    shell:
+      _raw_params: "git tag -fa {{new_version}} -m 'New release {{new_version}}'"
+      chdir: "{{release_dir}}/"
+
+  - name: update git config for submodules
+    lineinfile:
+      dest: "{{release_dir}}/.git/modules/lib/ansible/modules/{{item}}/config"
+      regexp: "submodule_upstream"
+      line: |
+        [remote "submodule_upstream"]
+                url = git@github.com:ansible/ansible-modules-{{item}}.git
+                fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*
+    with_items:
+    - core
+    - extras
+
+  - block:
+    - pause:
+        prompt: "Ready to push, this is the last chance to abort..."
+
+    - name: Push the submodule repos
+      shell:
+        _raw_params: "git push submodule_upstream {{ansible_release_branch}}"
+        chdir: "{{release_dir}}/lib/ansible/modules/{{item}}/"
+      with_items:
+      - core
+      - extras
+
+    - name: Push the updates and/or tag
+      shell:
+        _raw_params: "git push --tags origin {{ansible_release_branch}}"
+        chdir: "{{release_dir}}/lib/ansible/modules/{{item}}/"
+    when: do_push|bool