diff --git a/.claude/commands/release.md b/.claude/commands/release.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bd0b7db7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.claude/commands/release.md
@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+---
+description: "Create a release from a release branch (e.g., 0.6.0-rc2 -> 0.6.0 final, or new RC)"
+---
+
+Create a release of mcp-gateway. Argument is the target version (e.g., `0.6.0`, `0.7.0-rc1`).
+
+Version: $ARGUMENTS
+
+If no version argument was provided, ask the user for it.
+
+## Determine release type
+
+Parse the version to determine:
+- **RC release**: version contains `-rc` suffix (e.g., `0.6.0-rc1`)
+- **Final release**: no suffix (e.g., `0.6.0`)
+- **Patch release**: patch > 0 and no suffix (e.g., `0.6.1`)
+
+Extract the major.minor.patch for the release branch name (`release-X.Y.Z`).
+
+## Remote layout
+
+This repo uses a fork workflow. Confirm with `git remote -v`:
+- `origin` = user's fork (e.g., `<your-fork>/mcp-gateway`)
+- `upstream` = Kuadrant/mcp-gateway
+
+Both `main` and `release-*` branches have branch protection -- all changes require PRs.
+
+## Important notes
+
+- All changes go through PRs -- never push directly to protected branches
+- The `set-release-version.sh` script handles all version string updates across docs, scripts, and manifests
+- Creating the GitHub release triggers CI workflows that build images and push the Helm chart
+- Workflow URLs to watch:
+  - https://github.com/Kuadrant/mcp-gateway/actions/workflows/images.yaml
+  - https://github.com/Kuadrant/mcp-gateway/actions/workflows/helm-release.yaml
+
+## Safety rules
+
+Follow these throughout the entire process:
+- **Never push to any remote.** Always tell the user what to push and let them do it.
+- **Never create PRs or issues.** Provide the exact `gh pr create` command for the user to run.
+- **Never create GitHub releases.** Walk the user through it.
+- **Check for uncommitted changes** before any `git checkout`. If the working tree is dirty, stop and ask the user how to proceed.
+- **Show diffs and ask for confirmation** before committing. Never commit without the user confirming the changes look correct.
+- **Never use `git add .` or `git add -A`.** Only stage specific paths relevant to the version bump.
+
+## Steps
+
+### 1. Pre-flight checks
+
+Before doing anything:
+1. Run `git status` to check for uncommitted changes. If dirty, stop and ask the user.
+2. Run `git remote -v` to confirm the remote layout matches expectations.
+3. Confirm the target version with the user before proceeding.
+
+### 2. Sync and create a working branch
+
+```bash
+git fetch upstream
+```
+
+Check if the release branch exists on upstream:
+```bash
+git ls-remote --heads upstream release-X.Y.Z
+```
+
+**If it exists**, check it out and create the working branch:
+```bash
+git checkout release-X.Y.Z
+git pull upstream release-X.Y.Z
+git checkout -b release-{VERSION}
+```
+
+**If it does not exist** (new minor release), tell the user:
+
+> The release branch `release-X.Y.Z` doesn't exist on upstream yet. Create it via the GitHub UI:
+> 1. Go to https://github.com/Kuadrant/mcp-gateway
+> 2. Click the branch dropdown, type `release-X.Y.Z`, and select **Create branch: release-X.Y.Z from main**
+>
+> Let me know when that's done and I'll continue.
+
+Do NOT create the release branch yourself. Wait for the user to confirm before continuing.
+
+### 3. Update version references
+
+```bash
+./scripts/set-release-version.sh {VERSION}
+```
+
+Show the diff with `git diff` and ask the user to confirm the version references look correct before proceeding.
+
+### 4. Regenerate OLM bundle
+
+If CRD or API type changes are included, run `make generate-all` first.
+
+Then regenerate the bundle:
+```bash
+make bundle VERSION={VERSION}
+```
+
+### 5. Review and commit
+
+Show the full diff of all changes with `git diff`. Present a summary of what changed and ask the user to confirm before committing.
+
+Only after confirmation, stage and commit:
+```bash
+git add -u config/ charts/ docs/ bundle/ scripts/
+git commit -s -m "Update version to {VERSION}"
+```
+
+### 6. Hand off to user for push and PR
+
+STOP here. Do not push. Do not create a PR. Tell the user:
+
+> Ready for you to push and open the PR. Run:
+> ```
+> git push -u origin release-{VERSION}
+> ```
+>
+> Then create a PR targeting the `release-X.Y.Z` branch on Kuadrant/mcp-gateway:
+> ```
+> gh pr create --repo Kuadrant/mcp-gateway --base release-X.Y.Z \
+>   --title "Update version to {VERSION}" \
+>   --body "Version bump for {VERSION} release."
+> ```
+
+Wait for the user to confirm the PR is merged before proceeding to the next step.
+
+### 7. Create GitHub release (after PR merges)
+
+Tell the user to create the release:
+1. Go to https://github.com/Kuadrant/mcp-gateway/releases
+2. Click **Draft a new release**
+3. Click **Choose a tag**, create tag `v{VERSION}`, target the `release-X.Y.Z` branch
+4. Set title to `v{VERSION}`
+5. Click **Generate release notes**
+6. For RCs: check **Set as a pre-release**
+7. For final releases: check **Set as the latest release**
+8. Click **Publish release**
+
+### 8. Provide verification command
+
+Give the user this to run after workflows complete:
+
+```bash
+VERSION={VERSION}
+for image in \
+  ghcr.io/kuadrant/mcp-gateway:v${VERSION} \
+  ghcr.io/kuadrant/mcp-controller:v${VERSION} \
+  ghcr.io/kuadrant/mcp-controller-bundle:v${VERSION} \
+  ghcr.io/kuadrant/mcp-controller-catalog:v${VERSION}; do
+  docker manifest inspect "$image" > /dev/null 2>&1 \
+    && echo "OK $image" || echo "MISSING $image"
+done
+helm show chart oci://ghcr.io/kuadrant/charts/mcp-gateway --version ${VERSION} > /dev/null 2>&1 \
+  && echo "OK helm chart ${VERSION}" || echo "MISSING helm chart ${VERSION}"
+```
+
+### 9. Post-release: bump version on main (final releases only)
+
+Skip this step for RC releases.
+
+For final releases, main needs a version bump so docs and scripts reference the latest release.
+
+```bash
+git checkout main && git pull upstream main
+git checkout -b bump-version-{VERSION}
+./scripts/set-release-version.sh {VERSION}
+make bundle VERSION={VERSION}
+```
+
+Show the diff and ask the user to confirm, then commit:
+```bash
+git add -u config/ charts/ docs/ bundle/ scripts/
+git commit -s -m "Update version to {VERSION}"
+```
+
+Then tell the user to push and open a PR:
+
+> Ready for you to push and open the main-branch version bump PR. Run:
+> ```
+> git push -u origin bump-version-{VERSION}
+> ```
+>
+> Then:
+> ```
+> gh pr create --repo Kuadrant/mcp-gateway --base main \
+>   --title "Bump version to {VERSION}" \
+>   --body "Post-release version bump for {VERSION}."
+> ```
+