diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8626c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+4
diff --git a/publish.sh b/publish.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 1d3b722..9ffe979
--- a/publish.sh
+++ b/publish.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+set -e
 
 # Publishes bb64 (both arm64 and amd64) to the Gitea Releases page for the repository.
 
@@ -10,4 +11,73 @@
 
 # Prints a message to the user.
 
+# Increment version
+if [ ! -f VERSION ]; then
+    echo 1 > VERSION
+else
+    v=$(cat VERSION)
+    v=$((v+1))
+    echo $v > VERSION
+fi
+VERSION=$(cat VERSION)
+TAG="v$VERSION"
+
+# Build binaries
+./build.sh
+
+# Find repo info from .git/config
+REPO_URL=$(git config --get remote.origin.url)
+if [[ ! $REPO_URL =~ gitea ]]; then
+    echo "Remote origin is not a Gitea repository: $REPO_URL" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+# Extract base URL, owner, and repo
+# Example: https://gitea.example.com/username/reponame.git
+BASE_URL=$(echo "$REPO_URL" | sed -E 's#(https?://[^/]+)/.*#\1#')
+OWNER=$(echo "$REPO_URL" | sed -E 's#.*/([^/]+)/[^/]+(\.git)?$#\1#')
+REPO=$(echo "$REPO_URL" | sed -E 's#.*/([^/]+)(\.git)?$#\1#')
+
+API_URL="$BASE_URL/api/v1/repos/$OWNER/$REPO"
+
+# Check for GITEA_TOKEN
+if [ -z "$GITEA_TOKEN_DEPLOY" ]; then
+    echo "GITEA_TOKEN_DEPLOY environment variable not set!" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Create release
+RELEASE_DATA=$(cat <<EOF
+{
+  "tag_name": "$TAG",
+  "name": "$TAG",
+  "body": "bb64 release $TAG",
+  "draft": false,
+  "prerelease": false
+}
+EOF
+)
+
+RELEASE_ID=$(curl -s -X POST "$API_URL/releases" \
+    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+    -H "Authorization: token $GITEA_TOKEN_DEPLOY" \
+    -d "$RELEASE_DATA" | grep -o '"id":[0-9]*' | head -1 | cut -d: -f2)
+
+if [ -z "$RELEASE_ID" ]; then
+    echo "Failed to create release on Gitea." >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Upload binaries
+for BIN in bb64 bb64.arm64; do
+    if [ -f "$BIN" ]; then
+        curl -s -X POST "$API_URL/releases/$RELEASE_ID/assets?name=$BIN" \
+            -H "Content-Type: application/octet-stream" \
+            -H "Authorization: token $GITEA_TOKEN_DEPLOY" \
+            --data-binary @"$BIN"
+        echo "Uploaded $BIN to release $TAG."
+    fi
+done
+
+echo "Published bb64 version $VERSION to $REPO_URL (tag $TAG) with binaries."
+