diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 8147a34c..9f595120 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         os: [ ubuntu-latest, macos-latest, windows-latest ]
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
-    env:
-      CI: true
+    if: startsWith(github.event.head_commit.message, 'Releasing version') != true
+
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/early-access.yml b/.github/workflows/early-access.yml
index e7358f52..14b360fc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/early-access.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/early-access.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ on:
 jobs:
   earlyaccess:
     name: "Early Access"
-    if: github.repository == 'jreleaser/jreleaser'
+    if: github.repository == 'jreleaser/jreleaser' && startsWith(github.event.head_commit.message, 'Releasing version') != true
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index bc44987e..907afa46 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -34,10 +34,19 @@ jobs:
           restore-keys: |
             ${{ runner.os }}-gradlew-
 
+      - name: Set release version
+        run: |
+          VERSION=${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
+          echo $VERSION > VERSION
+          git add VERSION
+          git config --global user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          git config --global user.name "GitHub Action"
+          git commit -a -m "Releasing version $VERSION"
+          git push origin main
+
       - name: Build
         run: |
-          ./gradlew -Pversion=${{ github.event.inputs.version }} \
-          -Prelease=true build -S
+          ./gradlew -Prelease=true build -S
 
       - name: Deploy
         env:
@@ -47,8 +56,7 @@ jobs:
           GRADLE_PUBLISH_KEY: ${{ secrets.GRADLE_PUBLISH_KEY }}
           GRADLE_PUBLISH_SECRET: ${{ secrets.GRADLE_PUBLISH_SECRET }}
         run: |
-          ./gradlew -Pversion=${{ github.event.inputs.version }} \
-          -Prelease=true -Pfull-release=true \
+          ./gradlew -Prelease=true -Pfull-release=true \
           -PsonatypeUsername=${{ secrets.SONATYPE_USERNAME }} \
           -PsonatypePassword=${{ secrets.SONATYPE_PASSWORD }} \
           build publishToSonatype publishPlugins -S
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 22a45149..88048b5e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -11,4 +11,3 @@ target/
 tmp/
 .DS_Store
 .tmp
-VERSION
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..daf2bb73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+0.3.0-SNAPSHOT
diff --git a/apps/jreleaser/jreleaser.gradle b/apps/jreleaser/jreleaser.gradle
index 38aa3fa3..c59d0cc8 100644
--- a/apps/jreleaser/jreleaser.gradle
+++ b/apps/jreleaser/jreleaser.gradle
@@ -62,18 +62,10 @@ tasks.withType(Tar){
     compression = Compression.GZIP
 }
 
-task versionFile {
-    doLast {
-        project.layout.buildDirectory.file('VERSION').get().asFile.text = project.version
-    }
-}
-
-classes.dependsOn(versionFile)
-
 distributions {
     main {
         contents {
-            from('build') {
+            from('../..') {
                 include 'VERSION'
             }
         }
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 5e580e74..ac14b889 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@
  * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
  * limitations under the License.
  */
+
+project.rootProject.ext.theVersion = file('VERSION').text.trim()
+
+allprojects { p ->
+    p.version = p.rootProject.ext.theVersion
+}
+
 config {
     info {
         description = 'jreleaser'
@@ -85,6 +92,4 @@ subprojects {
     test {
         useJUnitPlatform()
     }
-}
-
-new File('VERSION').text = project.version
\ No newline at end of file
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 22bd7ed1..56545dd0 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 #
 
 group                 = org.jreleaser
-version               = 0.3.0-SNAPSHOT
 sourceCompatibility   = 1.8
 targetCompatibility   = 1.8