diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9dca1da..c20b6bd 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ tags
 AGENTS.md
 docs-src/pages/AGENTS.md
 plans/
+work/
 
 # Ignore executables (no extension) but not source files
 example/server
@@ -59,9 +60,7 @@ test/*.pem
 test/*.srl
 test/*.log
 test/_build_*
-work/
 benchmark/server*
-docs-gen/target/
 
 *.swp
 
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index 7ba7909..77115f7 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -51,3 +51,6 @@ docs-serve:
 
 docs-check:
     @docs-gen check docs-src
+
+release *args:
+    @./scripts/release.sh {{args}}
diff --git a/scripts/release.sh b/scripts/release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..365c72c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Release a new version of cpp-httplib.
+#
+# Usage: ./release.sh [--run]
+#
+# By default, runs in dry-run mode (no changes made).
+# Pass --run to actually update files, commit, tag, and push.
+#
+# This script:
+#   1. Reads the current version from httplib.h
+#   2. Checks that the working directory is clean
+#   3. Verifies CI status of the latest commit (all must pass except abidiff)
+#   4. Determines the next version automatically:
+#        - abidiff passed  → patch bump (e.g., 0.38.0 → 0.38.1)
+#        - abidiff failed  → minor bump (e.g., 0.38.1 → 0.39.0)
+#   5. Updates httplib.h and docs-src/config.toml
+#   6. Commits, tags (vX.Y.Z), and pushes
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+DRY_RUN=1
+if [ "${1:-}" = "--run" ]; then
+  DRY_RUN=0
+  shift
+fi
+
+if [ $# -ne 0 ]; then
+  echo "Usage: $0 [--run]"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# --- Step 1: Read current version from httplib.h ---
+CURRENT_VERSION=$(sed -n 's/^#define CPPHTTPLIB_VERSION "\([^"]*\)"/\1/p' httplib.h)
+IFS='.' read -r V_MAJOR V_MINOR V_PATCH <<< "$CURRENT_VERSION"
+
+echo "==> Current version: $CURRENT_VERSION"
+
+# --- Step 2: Check working directory is clean ---
+if [ -n "$(git status --porcelain)" ]; then
+  echo "Error: working directory is not clean"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# --- Step 3: Check CI status of the latest commit ---
+echo ""
+echo "==> Checking CI status of the latest commit..."
+
+HEAD_SHA=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
+HEAD_SHORT=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)
+echo "    Latest commit: $HEAD_SHORT"
+
+# Fetch all workflow runs for the HEAD commit
+RUNS=$(gh run list --json name,conclusion,headSha \
+  --jq "[.[] | select(.headSha == \"$HEAD_SHA\")]")
+
+NUM_RUNS=$(echo "$RUNS" | jq 'length')
+
+if [ "$NUM_RUNS" -eq 0 ]; then
+  echo "Error: No CI runs found for commit $HEAD_SHORT."
+  echo "       Wait for CI to complete before releasing."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "    Found $NUM_RUNS workflow run(s):"
+
+FAILED=0
+ABIDIFF_PASSED=0
+while IFS=$'\t' read -r name conclusion; do
+  if [[ "$name" == *abidiff* ]] || [[ "$name" == *abi* && "$name" != *stability* ]]; then
+    if [ "$conclusion" = "success" ]; then
+      echo "      [ OK ] $name"
+      ABIDIFF_PASSED=1
+    else
+      echo "      [FAIL] $name ($conclusion) → ABI break detected, minor bump"
+      ABIDIFF_PASSED=0
+    fi
+    continue
+  fi
+
+  if [ "$conclusion" = "success" ]; then
+    echo "      [ OK ] $name"
+  else
+    echo "      [FAIL] $name ($conclusion)"
+    FAILED=1
+  fi
+done < <(echo "$RUNS" | jq -r '.[] | [.name, .conclusion] | @tsv')
+
+if [ "$FAILED" -eq 1 ]; then
+  echo ""
+  echo "Error: Some CI checks failed. Fix them before releasing."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "    All non-abidiff CI checks passed."
+
+# --- Step 4: Determine new version ---
+if [ "$ABIDIFF_PASSED" -eq 1 ]; then
+  NEW_PATCH=$((V_PATCH + 1))
+  NEW_VERSION="$V_MAJOR.$V_MINOR.$NEW_PATCH"
+  echo ""
+  echo "==> abidiff passed → patch bump"
+else
+  NEW_MINOR=$((V_MINOR + 1))
+  NEW_VERSION="$V_MAJOR.$NEW_MINOR.0"
+  echo ""
+  echo "==> abidiff failed → minor bump"
+fi
+
+VERSION_HEX=$(printf "0x%02x%02x%02x" "${NEW_VERSION%%.*}" "$(echo "$NEW_VERSION" | cut -d. -f2)" "${NEW_VERSION##*.}")
+
+if [ "$DRY_RUN" -eq 1 ]; then
+  echo "==> [DRY RUN] New version: $NEW_VERSION ($VERSION_HEX)"
+else
+  echo "==> New version: $NEW_VERSION ($VERSION_HEX)"
+fi
+
+# --- Step 5: Update files ---
+echo ""
+if [ "$DRY_RUN" -eq 1 ]; then
+  echo "==> [DRY RUN] Would update httplib.h:"
+  echo "    CPPHTTPLIB_VERSION     = \"$NEW_VERSION\""
+  echo "    CPPHTTPLIB_VERSION_NUM = \"$VERSION_HEX\""
+  echo ""
+  echo "==> [DRY RUN] Would update docs-src/config.toml:"
+  echo "    version = \"$NEW_VERSION\""
+  echo ""
+  echo "==> [DRY RUN] Would commit, tag v$NEW_VERSION and latest, and push."
+  echo ""
+  echo "==> Dry run complete. No changes were made."
+else
+  echo "==> Updating httplib.h..."
+  sed -i '' "s/#define CPPHTTPLIB_VERSION \"[^\"]*\"/#define CPPHTTPLIB_VERSION \"$NEW_VERSION\"/" httplib.h
+  sed -i '' "s/#define CPPHTTPLIB_VERSION_NUM \"0x[0-9a-fA-F]*\"/#define CPPHTTPLIB_VERSION_NUM \"$VERSION_HEX\"/" httplib.h
+  echo "    CPPHTTPLIB_VERSION     = \"$NEW_VERSION\""
+  echo "    CPPHTTPLIB_VERSION_NUM = \"$VERSION_HEX\""
+
+  echo ""
+  echo "==> Updating docs-src/config.toml..."
+  sed -i '' "s/^version = \"[^\"]*\"/version = \"$NEW_VERSION\"/" docs-src/config.toml
+  echo "    version = \"$NEW_VERSION\""
+
+  # --- Step 6: Commit, tag, and push ---
+  echo ""
+  echo "==> Committing and tagging..."
+  git add httplib.h docs-src/config.toml
+  git commit -m "Release v$NEW_VERSION"
+  git tag "v$NEW_VERSION"
+  git tag -f "latest"
+
+  echo ""
+  echo "==> Pushing..."
+  git push && git push --tags --force
+
+  echo ""
+  echo "==> Released v$NEW_VERSION"
+fi