diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yaml b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
index 21fa1ca7..2e23e277 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ on:
   push:
     branches:
       - main
-    tags:
-      - 'v[0-9]+.*'
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - main
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1f66989f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+name: Publish package maven
+on:
+  release:
+    types: [created]
+jobs:
+  publish:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/setup-java@v4
+        with:
+          java-version: '11'
+          distribution: 'temurin'
+          server-id: central
+          server-username: MAVEN_USERNAME # env variable for username in deploy
+          server-password: MAVEN_CENTRAL_TOKEN # env variable for token in deploy
+          gpg-private-key: ${{ secrets.GPG_SIGNING_KEY }}
+          gpg-passphrase: GPG_PASSPHRASE
+
+      - name: Publish package
+        run: mvn -B -P release deploy
+        env:
+          MAVEN_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_CENTRAL_USER }}
+          MAVEN_CENTRAL_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_CENTRAL_PASSWORD }}
+          GPG_PASSPHRASE: ${{ secrets.GPG_SIGNING_KEY_PASSPHRASE }}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8f85f7b7..5ef0a829 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -24,3 +24,7 @@ hs_err_pid*
 replay_pid*
 
 /target
+
+# release plugin state files
+/pom.xml.releaseBackup
+/release.properties
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.vscode/extensions.json b/.vscode/extensions.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a7bd62b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.vscode/extensions.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  // See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=827846
+  // for the documentation about the extensions.json format
+  "recommendations": [
+    "editorconfig.editorconfig" // make sure basic editor configs align between developers
+  ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 1d1df8fd..ffda2a4b 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -27,14 +27,18 @@
     OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 -->
-<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
-  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
+<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
   <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
 
   <groupId>engineering.swat</groupId>
   <artifactId>java-watch</artifactId>
-  <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+  <version>0.5.0-RC5-SNAPSHOT</version>
   <packaging>jar</packaging>
+
+  <name>${project.groupId}:${project.artifactId}</name>
+  <description>A java file watcher that works across platforms and supports recursion, single file watches, and tries to make sure no events are missed. Where possible it uses Java's NIO WatchService.</description>
+  <url>https://github.com/SWAT-engineering/java-watch</url>
+
   <licenses>
     <license>
       <name>BSD-2-Clause</name>
@@ -43,6 +47,28 @@
     </license>
   </licenses>
 
+  <developers>
+    <developer>
+      <name>Davy Landman</name>
+      <email>davy.landman@swat.engineering</email>
+      <organization>swat.engineering</organization>
+      <organizationUrl>https://www.swat.engineering</organizationUrl>
+    </developer>
+    <developer>
+      <name>Sung-Shik Jongmans</name>
+      <email>sung-shik.jongmans@swat.engineering</email>
+      <organization>swat.engineering</organization>
+      <organizationUrl>https://www.swat.engineering</organizationUrl>
+    </developer>
+  </developers>
+
+  <scm>
+    <connection>scm:git:git://github.com/SWAT-engineering/java-watch.git</connection>
+    <developerConnection>scm:git:ssh://git@github.com/SWAT-engineering/java-watch.git</developerConnection>
+    <url>https://github.com/SWAT-engineering/java-watch/tree/main/</url>
+    <tag>v0.5.0-RC3</tag>
+  </scm>
+
   <properties>
     <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
     <checkerframework.version>3.42.0</checkerframework.version>
@@ -54,52 +80,34 @@
 
   <build>
     <plugins>
-      <plugin>
+      <plugin> <!-- configure java compiler -->
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
-        <version>3.10.1</version>
+        <version>3.14.0</version>
         <configuration>
           <release>11</release>
           <compilerArgument>-parameters</compilerArgument>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
-      <plugin>
-        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-        <artifactId>maven-source-plugin</artifactId>
-        <version>3.2.1</version>
-        <executions>
-          <execution>
-            <id>attach-sources</id>
-            <goals>
-              <goal>jar</goal>
-            </goals>
-          </execution>
-        </executions>
-      </plugin>
-      <plugin>
+      <plugin> <!-- automate release commits -->
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-release-plugin</artifactId>
+        <version>3.1.1</version>
         <configuration>
           <tagNameFormat>v@{project.version}</tagNameFormat>
+          <!-- do not use the build in release profile, we invoke it later -->
+          <releaseProfiles />
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
-      <plugin>
-        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-        <artifactId>maven-javadoc-plugin</artifactId>
-        <version>3.4.0</version>
-        <configuration>
-          <additionalparam>-Xdoclint:none</additionalparam>
-        </configuration>
-      </plugin>
-      <plugin>
+      <plugin> <!-- unit test integration -->
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
-        <version>2.22.2</version>
+        <version>3.5.3</version>
       </plugin>
-      <plugin>
+      <plugin> <!-- code coverage -->
         <groupId>org.jacoco</groupId>
         <artifactId>jacoco-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-        <version>0.8.8</version>
+        <version>0.8.13</version>
         <executions>
           <execution>
             <goals>
@@ -115,11 +123,11 @@
           </execution>
         </executions>
       </plugin>
-      <plugin>
+      <plugin> <!-- enforce license headers -->
         <groupId>com.mycila</groupId>
         <artifactId>license-maven-plugin</artifactId>
         <!-- mvn license:format adds/updates all license headers -->
-        <version>4.6</version>
+        <version>5.0.0</version>
         <configuration>
           <licenseSets>
             <licenseSet>
@@ -142,7 +150,7 @@
           </execution>
         </executions>
       </plugin>
-      <plugin>
+      <plugin> <!-- enforce editor config on the files -->
         <groupId>org.ec4j.maven</groupId>
         <artifactId>editorconfig-maven-plugin</artifactId>
         <version>0.1.3</version>
@@ -157,6 +165,26 @@
           </execution>
         </executions>
       </plugin>
+      <plugin> <!-- use a new version of maven  -->
+        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+        <artifactId>maven-enforcer-plugin</artifactId>
+        <version>3.5.0</version>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <id>enforce-maven</id>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>enforce</goal>
+            </goals>
+            <configuration>
+              <rules>
+                <requireMavenVersion>
+                  <version>(3.9,)</version>
+                </requireMavenVersion>
+              </rules>
+            </configuration>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+      </plugin>
     </plugins>
   </build>
 
@@ -197,6 +225,64 @@
   </dependencies>
 
   <profiles>
+    <profile> <!-- releasing to maven central -->
+      <id>release</id>
+      <build>
+        <plugins>
+          <plugin><!-- uploading to maven central-->
+            <groupId>org.sonatype.central</groupId>
+            <artifactId>central-publishing-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+            <version>0.7.0</version>
+            <extensions>true</extensions>
+            <configuration>
+              <publishingServerId>central</publishingServerId>
+            </configuration>
+          </plugin>
+          <plugin> <!-- sign jar for maven central-->
+            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+            <artifactId>maven-gpg-plugin</artifactId>
+            <version>3.2.7</version>
+            <executions>
+              <execution>
+                <id>sign-artifacts</id>
+                <phase>verify</phase>
+                <goals>
+                  <goal>sign</goal>
+                </goals>
+              </execution>
+            </executions>
+          </plugin>
+          <plugin> <!-- generate java-doc -->
+            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+            <artifactId>maven-javadoc-plugin</artifactId>
+            <version>3.11.2</version>
+            <executions>
+              <execution>
+                <id>attach-javadocs</id>
+                <goals>
+                  <goal>jar</goal>
+                </goals>
+              </execution>
+            </executions>
+          </plugin>
+          <plugin> <!-- generate sources jar -->
+            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+            <artifactId>maven-source-plugin</artifactId>
+            <version>3.3.1</version>
+            <executions>
+              <execution>
+                <id>attach-sources</id>
+                <goals>
+                  <goal>jar-no-fork</goal>
+                </goals>
+              </execution>
+            </executions>
+          </plugin>
+        </plugins>
+      </build>
+    </profile>
+
+
     <profile>  <!-- run with: mvn clean compile -P checker-framework -->
       <id>checker-framework</id>
       <build>
@@ -205,6 +291,7 @@
             <!-- This plugin will set properties values using dependency information -->
             <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
             <artifactId>maven-dependency-plugin</artifactId>
+            <version>3.8.1</version>
             <executions>
               <execution>
                 <goals>
@@ -216,7 +303,7 @@
           <plugin>
             <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
             <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
-            <version>3.10.1</version>
+            <version>3.14.0</version>
             <configuration>
               <fork>true</fork>
               <release>11</release>