diff --git a/tools/release.sh b/tools/release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000000..6d0af2a541f4c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# To promote and sign a release that has been prepared by the build slaves, use:
+#  release.sh
+
+# To _only_ sign an existing release, use:
+#  release.sh -s vx.y.z
+
+set -e
+
+webhost=direct.nodejs.org
+webuser=dist
+promotablecmd=dist-promotable
+promotecmd=dist-promote
+signcmd=dist-sign
+
+
+################################################################################
+## Select a GPG key to use
+
+echo "# Selecting GPG key ..."
+
+gpgkey=$(gpg --list-secret-keys | grep '^sec' | awk -F'( +|/)' '{print $3}')
+keycount=$(echo $gpgkey | wc -w)
+
+if [ $keycount -eq 0 ]; then
+  echo 'Need at least one GPG key, please make one with `gpg --gen-key`'
+  echo 'You will also need to submit your key to a public keyserver, e.g.'
+  echo '  https://sks-keyservers.net/i/#submit'
+  exit 1
+elif [ $keycount -ne 1 ]; then
+  echo -e 'You have multiple GPG keys:\n'
+
+  gpg --list-secret-keys
+
+  while true; do
+    echo $gpgkey | awk '{ for(i = 1; i <= NF; i++) { print i ") " $i; } }'
+    echo -n 'Select a key: '
+    read keynum
+
+    if $(test "$keynum" -eq "$keynum" > /dev/null 2>&1); then
+      _gpgkey=$(echo $gpgkey | awk '{ print $'${keynum}'}')
+      keycount=$(echo $_gpgkey | wc -w)
+      if [ $keycount -eq 1 ]; then
+        echo ""
+        gpgkey=$_gpgkey
+        break
+      fi
+    fi
+  done
+fi
+
+gpgfing=$(gpg --fingerprint $gpgkey | grep 'Key fingerprint =' | awk -F' = ' '{print $2}' | tr -d ' ')
+
+if ! test "$(grep $gpgfing README.md)"; then
+  echo 'Error: this GPG key fingerprint is not listed in ./README.md'
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "Using GPG key: $gpgkey"
+echo "  Fingerprint: $gpgfing"
+
+
+################################################################################
+## Create and sign checksums file for a given version
+
+function sign {
+  echo -e "\n# Creating SHASUMS256.txt ..."
+
+  local version=$1
+
+  gpgtagkey=$(git tag -v $version 2>&1 | grep 'key ID' | awk '{print $NF}')
+
+  if [ "X${gpgtagkey}" == "X" ]; then
+    echo "Could not find signed tag for \"${version}\""
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  if [ "${gpgtagkey}" != "${gpgkey}" ]; then
+    echo "GPG key for \"${version}\" tag is not yours, cannot sign"
+  fi
+
+  shapath=$(ssh ${webuser}@${webhost} $signcmd nodejs $version)
+
+  if ! [[ ${shapath} =~ ^/.+/SHASUMS256.txt$ ]]; then
+    echo 'Error: No SHASUMS file returned by sign!'
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  echo -e "\n# Signing SHASUMS for ${version}..."
+
+  shadir=$(dirname $shapath)
+  tmpdir="/tmp/_node_release.$$"
+
+  mkdir -p $tmpdir
+
+  scp ${webuser}@${webhost}:${shadir}/SHASUMS*.txt ${tmpdir}/
+
+  for i in $(ls ${tmpdir}/SHASUMS*.txt); do
+    echo "Signing $i..."
+    gpg --default-key $gpgkey --clearsign ${i}
+    if [[ $version =~ ^v[0] ]]; then
+      echo "Encrpting $i..."
+      gpg --default-key $gpgkey -s ${i}
+    fi
+  done
+
+  echo "Wrote to ${tmpdir}/"
+
+  echo -e "Your signed SHASUMS256.txt.asc:\n"
+
+  cat ${tmpdir}/SHASUMS256.txt.asc
+
+  echo ""
+
+  while true; do
+    echo -n "Upload files? [y/n] "
+    yorn=""
+    read yorn
+
+    if [ "X${yorn}" == "Xn" ]; then
+      break
+    fi
+
+    if [ "X${yorn}" == "Xy" ]; then
+      if [[ $version =~ ^v[0] ]]; then
+        scp ${tmpdir}/SHASUMS* ${webuser}@${webhost}:${shadir}/
+      else
+        scp ${tmpdir}/SHASUMS256.txt ${tmpdir}/SHASUMS256.txt.asc ${webuser}@${webhost}:${shadir}/
+      fi
+      break
+    fi
+  done
+
+  rm -rf $tmpdir
+}
+
+
+if [ "X${1}" == "X-s" ]; then
+  if [ "X${2}" == "X" ]; then
+    echo "Please supply a version string to sign"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  sign $2
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+
+# else: do a normal release & promote
+
+################################################################################
+## Look for releases to promote
+
+echo -e "\n# Checking for releases ..."
+
+promotable=$(ssh ${webuser}@${webhost} $promotablecmd nodejs)
+
+if [ "X${promotable}" == "X" ]; then
+  echo "No releases to promote!"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+echo -e "Found the following releases / builds ready to promote:\n"
+echo "$promotable" | sed 's/^/ * /'
+echo ""
+
+versions=$(echo "$promotable" | cut -d: -f1)
+
+################################################################################
+## Promote releases
+
+for version in $versions; do
+  while true; do
+    files=$(echo "$promotable" | grep "^${version}" | sed 's/^'${version}': //')
+    echo -n "Promote ${version} files (${files})? [y/n] "
+    yorn=""
+    read yorn
+
+    if [ "X${yorn}" == "Xn" ]; then
+      break
+    fi
+
+    if [ "X${yorn}" != "Xy" ]; then
+      continue
+    fi
+
+    echo -e "\n# Promoting ${version}..."
+
+    ssh ${webuser}@${webhost} $promotecmd nodejs $version
+
+    sign $version
+
+    break
+  done
+done