diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 1102bce..3cd9832 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
         "clean": "node -e \"require('fs').rmSync('out', { recursive: true, force: true })\"",
         "test": "npm run clean && tsc && node --test out/test/**/*.test.js",
         "package": "vsce package",
-        "prepare": "husky install",
-        "postversion": "git push --follow-tags && gh release create \"v$npm_package_version\" --generate-notes"
+        "release": "bash scripts/publish.sh",
+        "prepare": "husky install"
     },
     "repository": {
         "type": "git",
diff --git a/scripts/publish.sh b/scripts/publish.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..05fad10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/publish.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# publish.sh: cut a new RelativePath release in one shot.
+#   1. pick major / minor / patch
+#   2. bump version, commit, tag
+#   3. push tag to GitHub and create the release
+#   4. build the VSIX and attach it to the release
+#   5. walk you through the manual Marketplace upload
+#
+# Run it from anywhere inside the repo:  ./scripts/publish.sh
+#
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# ---- config -----------------------------------------------------------------
+REMOTE="dawsbot"                     # git remote that hosts releases
+REPO="dawsbot/RelativePath"          # owner/name for the gh CLI
+RELEASE_BRANCH="master"              # releases are cut from here
+PUBLISHER="jakob101"
+MARKETPLACE_URL="https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/manage/publishers/${PUBLISHER}"
+
+# ---- helpers ----------------------------------------------------------------
+bold() { printf "\033[1m%s\033[0m\n" "$1"; }
+die()  { printf "\033[31mError:\033[0m %s\n" "$1" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+# ---- move to repo root ------------------------------------------------------
+cd "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)" || die "not inside a git repository"
+
+# ---- preflight checks -------------------------------------------------------
+command -v gh  >/dev/null || die "gh (GitHub CLI) is not installed"
+command -v npm >/dev/null || die "npm is not installed"
+gh auth status >/dev/null 2>&1 || die "not logged in to gh. Run: gh auth login"
+
+branch="$(git branch --show-current)"
+[ "$branch" = "$RELEASE_BRANCH" ] || \
+    die "on '$branch', but releases must come from '$RELEASE_BRANCH'. Run: git checkout $RELEASE_BRANCH"
+
+[ -z "$(git status --porcelain)" ] || die "working tree is not clean. Commit or stash first."
+
+bold "Fetching $REMOTE..."
+git fetch --quiet "$REMOTE"
+[ -z "$(git log --oneline "${REMOTE}/${RELEASE_BRANCH}..${RELEASE_BRANCH}")" ] || \
+    die "local $RELEASE_BRANCH has commits not on ${REMOTE}/${RELEASE_BRANCH}. Push or merge them first."
+[ -z "$(git log --oneline "${RELEASE_BRANCH}..${REMOTE}/${RELEASE_BRANCH}")" ] || \
+    die "local $RELEASE_BRANCH is behind ${REMOTE}/${RELEASE_BRANCH}. Run: git pull --ff-only"
+
+[ -d node_modules ] || { bold "Installing dependencies..."; npm install; }
+
+# ---- choose the bump --------------------------------------------------------
+current="$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")"
+IFS=. read -r MA MI PA <<< "$current"
+echo
+bold "Current version: $current"
+printf "  1) patch -> %s.%s.%s   (bug fixes)\n"       "$MA" "$MI" "$((PA + 1))"
+printf "  2) minor -> %s.%s.0   (new features)\n"     "$MA" "$((MI + 1))"
+printf "  3) major -> %s.0.0   (breaking changes)\n"  "$((MA + 1))"
+printf "Pick 1/2/3 (or q to quit): "
+read -r choice
+case "$choice" in
+    1) BUMP="patch" ;;
+    2) BUMP="minor" ;;
+    3) BUMP="major" ;;
+    q | Q) echo "Aborted."; exit 0 ;;
+    *) die "invalid choice: $choice" ;;
+esac
+
+printf "Release a %s bump from %s? [y/N]: " "$BUMP" "$current"
+read -r confirm
+[ "$confirm" = "y" ] || [ "$confirm" = "Y" ] || { echo "Aborted."; exit 0; }
+
+# ---- bump + tag -------------------------------------------------------------
+# --ignore-scripts skips this repo's `postversion` hook so THIS script owns the
+# push/release flow (the hook would push to the branch's upstream and create the
+# release against gh's default repo, which are not guaranteed to be $REMOTE/$REPO).
+BUMPED=0
+recover() {
+    [ "$BUMPED" = "1" ] || return
+    echo
+    printf "\033[31mFailed after the version bump.\033[0m To undo the local commit + tag:\n"
+    echo "  git tag -d $TAG && git reset --hard HEAD~1"
+}
+trap recover ERR
+
+TAG="$(npm version "$BUMP" --ignore-scripts -m "release: v%s")"
+BUMPED=1
+VERSION="${TAG#v}"
+bold "Bumped to $TAG"
+
+# ---- push, release, build, attach ------------------------------------------
+bold "Pushing $RELEASE_BRANCH + $TAG to $REMOTE..."
+git push --follow-tags "$REMOTE" "$RELEASE_BRANCH"
+
+bold "Creating GitHub release $TAG..."
+gh release create "$TAG" --repo "$REPO" --title "$TAG" --generate-notes
+
+bold "Building the VSIX..."
+npm run package
+VSIX="RelativePath-${VERSION}.vsix"
+[ -f "$VSIX" ] || die "expected $VSIX but the build did not produce it"
+
+bold "Attaching $VSIX to release $TAG..."
+gh release upload "$TAG" "$VSIX" --repo "$REPO" --clobber
+
+trap - ERR   # past the risky part
+
+# ---- manual Marketplace step ------------------------------------------------
+echo
+bold "GitHub release is live with the VSIX attached:"
+echo "    https://github.com/${REPO}/releases/tag/${TAG}"
+echo
+bold ">>> NOW upload to the VS Code Marketplace (manual step) <<<"
+echo "    1. Opening: $MARKETPLACE_URL"
+echo "    2. Find 'Relative Path' -> ... menu -> Update"
+echo "    3. Upload this file:"
+printf "         \033[1m%s/%s\033[0m\n" "$(pwd)" "$VSIX"
+command -v open >/dev/null && open "$MARKETPLACE_URL" || true
+echo
+bold "Done. v$VERSION is tagged, released on GitHub, and ready to publish."