diff --git a/.github/workflows/changie-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/changie-pr.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..412ee8b5b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/changie-pr.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+name: "Changie Version PR"
+
+on:
+    push:
+        branches:
+            - main
+
+jobs:
+    version-pr:
+        name: Create/Update Version PR
+        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+        steps:
+            - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+              with:
+                  fetch-depth: 0 # Important for changelog history
+
+            - name: Setup Node.js
+              uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+              with:
+                  node-version: 20.15.1
+
+            - name: Install dependencies
+              run: npm ci
+
+            # Use Changie to batch changes and get the next version
+            - name: Batch changes
+              id: batch
+              uses: miniscruff/changie-action@v2
+              with:
+                  args: batch auto
+
+            # If no changes, stop here
+            - name: Check for changes
+              id: check
+              run: |
+                  if [ -z "$(git status --porcelain)" ]; then
+                    echo "No changes to process"
+                    echo "has_changes=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+                  else
+                    echo "has_changes=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+                  fi
+
+            # If we have changes, merge them and create/update PR
+            - name: Merge changes
+              if: steps.check.outputs.has_changes == 'true'
+              uses: miniscruff/changie-action@v2
+              with:
+                  args: merge
+
+            - name: Get latest version
+              if: steps.check.outputs.has_changes == 'true'
+              id: latest
+              uses: miniscruff/changie-action@v2
+              with:
+                  args: latest
+
+            - name: Create Pull Request
+              if: steps.check.outputs.has_changes == 'true'
+              uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v4
+              with:
+                  title: "Release ${{ steps.latest.outputs.output }}"
+                  branch: "release/${{ steps.latest.outputs.output }}"
+                  commit-message: "chore: update changelog for ${{ steps.latest.outputs.output }}"
+                  body: |
+                      This PR was automatically created by the Changie workflow.
+                      - Updates CHANGELOG.md
+                      - Bumps version to ${{ steps.latest.outputs.output }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/prerelease-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/prerelease-publish.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 62ab66371e..0000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/prerelease-publish.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,85 +0,0 @@
-name: Pre-release Publisher
-
-on:
-    release:
-        types: [prereleased]
-    workflow_dispatch:
-
-permissions:
-    contents: write
-    packages: write
-    actions: read
-    checks: read
-    deployments: read
-    discussions: read
-    issues: read
-    pages: read
-    pull-requests: read
-    repository-projects: read
-    security-events: read
-    statuses: read
-
-jobs:
-    test:
-        uses: ./.github/workflows/test.yml
-
-    publish-prerelease:
-        needs: test
-        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-        steps:
-            - name: Checkout code
-              uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-            - name: Setup Node.js
-              uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-              with:
-                  node-version: "20.15.1"
-                  cache: "npm"
-
-            # Cache root dependencies
-            - name: Cache root dependencies
-              uses: actions/cache@v4
-              id: root-cache
-              with:
-                  path: node_modules
-                  key: ${{ runner.os }}-npm-${{ hashFiles('package-lock.json') }}
-
-            # Cache webview-ui dependencies
-            - name: Cache webview-ui dependencies
-              uses: actions/cache@v4
-              id: webview-cache
-              with:
-                  path: webview-ui/node_modules
-                  key: ${{ runner.os }}-npm-webview-${{ hashFiles('webview-ui/package-lock.json') }}
-
-            - name: Install root dependencies
-              if: steps.root-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-              run: npm ci
-
-            - name: Install webview-ui dependencies
-              if: steps.webview-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-              run: cd webview-ui && npm ci
-
-            - name: Build Extension
-              run: npm run build
-
-            - name: Install Publishing Tools
-              run: npm install -g vsce ovsx
-
-            - name: Package and Publish Pre-release
-              env:
-                  VSCE_PAT: ${{ secrets.VSCE_PAT }}
-                  OVSX_PAT: ${{ secrets.OVSX_PAT }}
-              run: |
-                  current_package_version=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
-                  npm run publish:marketplace:prerelease
-                  echo "Successfully published pre-release version $current_package_version to VS Code Marketplace and Open VSX Registry"
-
-            - name: Create GitHub Pre-release
-              uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
-              with:
-                  files: "*.vsix"
-                  generate_release_notes: true
-                  prerelease: true
-              env:
-                  GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8098129eb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+name: "Publish Release"
+
+on:
+    workflow_dispatch:
+        inputs:
+            release-type:
+                description: "Choose release type (release or pre-release)"
+                required: true
+                default: "release"
+                type: choice
+                options:
+                    - pre-release
+                    - release
+
+permissions:
+    contents: write
+    packages: write
+
+jobs:
+    test:
+        uses: ./.github/workflows/test.yml
+
+    publish:
+        needs: test
+        name: Publish Extension
+        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+        environment: publish
+
+        steps:
+            - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+            - name: Setup Node.js
+              uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+              with:
+                  node-version: 20.15.1
+
+            # Cache root dependencies - only reuse if package-lock.json exactly matches
+            - name: Cache root dependencies
+              uses: actions/cache@v4
+              id: root-cache
+              with:
+                  path: node_modules
+                  key: ${{ runner.os }}-npm-${{ hashFiles('package-lock.json') }}
+
+            # Cache webview-ui dependencies - only reuse if package-lock.json exactly matches
+            - name: Cache webview-ui dependencies
+              uses: actions/cache@v4
+              id: webview-cache
+              with:
+                  path: webview-ui/node_modules
+                  key: ${{ runner.os }}-npm-webview-${{ hashFiles('webview-ui/package-lock.json') }}
+
+            - name: Install root dependencies
+              if: steps.root-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+              run: npm ci
+
+            - name: Install webview-ui dependencies
+              if: steps.webview-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+              run: cd webview-ui && npm ci
+
+            - name: Install Publishing Tools
+              run: npm install -g vsce ovsx
+
+            - name: Get Version
+              id: get_version
+              run: echo "version=$(node -p \"require('./package.json').version\")" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+            - name: Create Git Tag
+              run: |
+                  VERSION=v${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}
+                  echo "Tagging with $VERSION"
+                  git tag "$VERSION"
+                  git push origin "$VERSION"
+
+            - name: Package and Publish Extension
+              env:
+                  VSCE_PAT: ${{ secrets.VSCE_PAT }}
+                  OVSX_PAT: ${{ secrets.OVSX_PAT }}
+              run: |
+                  # Required to generate the .vsix
+                  vsce package --out "cline-${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}.vsix"
+
+                  if [ "${{ github.event.inputs.release-type }}" = "pre-release" ]; then
+                    npm run publish:marketplace:prerelease
+                    echo "Successfully published pre-release version ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }} to VS Code Marketplace and Open VSX Registry"
+                  else
+                    npm run publish:marketplace
+                    echo "Successfully published release version ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }} to VS Code Marketplace and Open VSX Registry"
+                  fi
+
+            - name: Get Changelog Entry
+              id: changelog
+              uses: mindsers/changelog-reader-action@v2
+              with:
+                  # This expects a standard Keep a Changelog format
+                  # "latest" means it will read whichever is the most recent version
+                  # set in "## [1.2.3] - 2025-01-28" style
+                  version: latest
+
+            - name: Create GitHub Release
+              uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
+              with:
+                  files: "*.vsix"
+                  body: ${{ steps.changelog.outputs.content }}
+                  generate_release_notes: false
+                  prerelease: ${{ github.event.inputs.release-type == 'pre-release' }}
+              env:
+                  GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 09c0c4eedf..0000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,83 +0,0 @@
-name: Release & Publish
-
-on:
-    release:
-        types: [published]
-    workflow_dispatch:
-
-permissions:
-    contents: write
-    packages: write
-    actions: read
-    checks: read
-    deployments: read
-    discussions: read
-    issues: read
-    pages: read
-    pull-requests: read
-    repository-projects: read
-    security-events: read
-    statuses: read
-
-jobs:
-    test:
-        uses: ./.github/workflows/test.yml
-
-    release:
-        needs: test
-        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-        steps:
-            - name: Checkout code
-              uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-            - name: Setup Node.js environment
-              uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-              with:
-                  node-version: 20.15.1
-
-            # Cache root dependencies - only reuse if package-lock.json exactly matches
-            - name: Cache root dependencies
-              uses: actions/cache@v4
-              id: root-cache
-              with:
-                  path: node_modules
-                  key: ${{ runner.os }}-npm-${{ hashFiles('package-lock.json') }}
-
-            # Cache webview-ui dependencies - only reuse if package-lock.json exactly matches
-            - name: Cache webview-ui dependencies
-              uses: actions/cache@v4
-              id: webview-cache
-              with:
-                  path: webview-ui/node_modules
-                  key: ${{ runner.os }}-npm-webview-${{ hashFiles('webview-ui/package-lock.json') }}
-
-            - name: Install root dependencies
-              if: steps.root-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-              run: npm ci
-
-            - name: Install webview-ui dependencies
-              if: steps.webview-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-              run: cd webview-ui && npm ci
-
-            - name: Build Extension
-              run: npm run build
-
-            - name: Install Publishing Tools
-              run: npm install -g vsce ovsx
-
-            - name: Package and Publish Extension
-              env:
-                  VSCE_PAT: ${{ secrets.VSCE_PAT }}
-                  OVSX_PAT: ${{ secrets.OVSX_PAT }}
-              run: |
-                  current_package_version=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
-                  npm run publish:marketplace
-                  echo "Successfully published version $current_package_version to VS Code Marketplace and Open VSX Registry"
-
-            - name: Create GitHub Release
-              uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
-              with:
-                  files: "*.vsix"
-                  generate_release_notes: true
-              env:
-                  GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}