diff --git a/contrib/release.sh b/contrib/release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..b257af289
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
+#
+# Note: update locale before:
+# 1. cd /opt/electrum-locale && ./update && push
+# 2. cd to the submodule dir, and git pull
+# 3. cd .. && git push
+#!/bin/bash
+
+ELECTRUM_DIR=/opt/electrum
+WWW_DIR=/opt/electrum-web
+
+# Note:
+# uploadserver and website are set in /etc/hosts
+
+cd $ELECTRUM_DIR
+# rm -rf dist/*
+# rm -f .buildozer
+
+
+VERSION=`python3 -c "import electrum; print(electrum.version.ELECTRUM_VERSION)"`
+echo "VERSION: $VERSION"
+REV=`git describe --tags`
+echo "REV: $REV"
+
+
+git_status=$(git status --porcelain)
+if [ ! -z "$git_status" ]; then
+    echo "$git_status"
+    echo "git repo not clean, aborting"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+set -ex
+
+# create tarball
+target=Electrum-$VERSION.tar.gz
+if test -f dist/$target; then
+    echo "file exists: $target"
+else
+   pushd .
+   sudo docker build -t electrum-sdist-builder-img contrib/build-linux/sdist
+   FRESH_CLONE=contrib/build-linux/sdist/fresh_clone && \
+       sudo rm -rf $FRESH_CLONE && \
+       umask 0022 && \
+       mkdir -p $FRESH_CLONE && \
+       cd $FRESH_CLONE  && \
+       git clone https://github.com/spesmilo/electrum.git &&\
+       cd electrum
+   #git checkout $REV
+   sudo docker run -it \
+	--name electrum-sdist-builder-cont \
+	-v $PWD:/opt/electrum \
+	--rm \
+	--workdir /opt/electrum/contrib/build-linux/sdist \
+	electrum-sdist-builder-img \
+	./build.sh
+   popd
+   cp /opt/electrum/contrib/build-linux/sdist/fresh_clone/electrum/dist/$target dist/
+fi
+
+# appimage
+if [ $REV != $VERSION ]; then
+    target=electrum-${REV:0:-2}-x86_64.AppImage
+else
+    target=electrum-$REV-x86_64.AppImage
+fi
+
+if test -f dist/$target; then
+    echo "file exists: $target"
+else
+    sudo docker build -t electrum-appimage-builder-img contrib/build-linux/appimage
+    sudo docker run -it \
+         --name electrum-appimage-builder-cont \
+	 -v $PWD:/opt/electrum \
+         --rm \
+	 --workdir /opt/electrum/contrib/build-linux/appimage \
+         electrum-appimage-builder-img \
+	 ./build.sh
+fi
+
+
+# windows
+target=electrum-$REV.exe
+if test -f dist/$target; then
+    echo "file exists: $target"
+else
+    pushd .
+    FRESH_CLONE=contrib/build-wine/fresh_clone && \
+        sudo rm -rf $FRESH_CLONE && \
+        mkdir -p $FRESH_CLONE && \
+        cd $FRESH_CLONE  && \
+        git clone https://github.com/spesmilo/electrum.git && \
+        cd electrum
+    #git checkout $REV
+    sudo docker run -it \
+        --name electrum-wine-builder-cont \
+        -v $PWD:/opt/wine64/drive_c/electrum \
+        --rm \
+        --workdir /opt/wine64/drive_c/electrum/contrib/build-wine \
+        electrum-wine-builder-img \
+        ./build.sh
+    # do this in the fresh clone directorry!
+    cd contrib/build-wine/
+    ./sign.sh
+    cp ./signed/*.exe /opt/electrum/dist/
+    popd
+fi
+
+# android
+target1=Electrum-$VERSION.0-armeabi-v7a-release.apk
+target2=Electrum-$VERSION.0-arm64-v8a-release.apk
+
+if test -f dist/$target1; then
+    echo "file exists: $target"
+else
+    ./contrib/make_packages
+    sudo docker build -t electrum-android-builder-img contrib/android
+
+    mkdir --parents $PWD/.buildozer/.gradle
+    sudo docker run -it --rm \
+         --name electrum-android-builder-cont \
+         -v $PWD:/home/user/wspace/electrum \
+         -v $PWD/.buildozer/.gradle:/home/user/.gradle \
+         -v ~/.keystore:/home/user/.keystore \
+         --workdir /home/user/wspace/electrum \
+         electrum-android-builder-img \
+         ./contrib/android/make_apk release
+
+    cp bin/$target1 dist/
+    cp bin/$target2 dist/
+
+fi
+
+# wait for dmg before signing
+if test -f dist/electrum-$VERSION.dmg; then
+    if test -f dist/electrum-$VERSION.dmg.asc; then
+	echo "packages are already signed"
+    else
+	echo "signing packages"
+	./contrib/sign_packages
+    fi
+else
+    echo "dmg is missing, aborting"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+
+
+echo "updating www repo"
+./contrib/make_download $WWW_DIR
+echo "signing the version file"
+sig=`./run_electrum -o signmessage $ELECTRUM_SIGNING_ADDRESS $VERSION -w $ELECTRUM_SIGNING_WALLET`
+echo "{ \"version\":\"$VERSION\", \"signatures\":{ \"$ELECTRUM_SIGNING_ADDRESS\":\"$sig\"}}" > $WWW_DIR/version
+
+
+if [ $REV != $VERSION ]; then
+    echo "versions differ, not uploading"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# upload the files
+if test -f dist/uploaded; then
+    echo "files already uploaded"
+else
+    ./contrib/upload uploadserver
+    touch dist/uploaded
+fi
+
+#exit 0
+
+# push changes to website
+pushd $WWW_DIR
+git diff
+git commit -a -m "version $VERSION"
+git push
+popd
+
+# update webserver:
+echo "to deploy, type:"
+echo "ssh root@website \"cd /var/www/new; git pull github master\""
+
+# clear cloudflare cache
diff --git a/contrib/sign_version b/contrib/sign_version
deleted file mode 100755
index 4a503ff5f..000000000
--- a/contrib/sign_version
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-version=`python3 -c "import electrum; print(electrum.version.ELECTRUM_VERSION)"`
-sig=`./run_electrum -o signmessage $SIGNING_ADDRESS $version -w $SIGNING_WALLET`
-echo "{ \"version\":\"$version\", \"signatures\":{ \"$SIGNING_ADDRESS\":\"$sig\"}}"