diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 70c6fa774d44a..c0a78bd3d998d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,19 @@
 ---
 name: CI
 
-'on':
-  - push
-  - pull_request
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - '*'
+    branches:
+      - master
+      - fork-master
+      - 'release-*'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - master
+      - fork-master
+      - 'release-*'
 
 env:
   GOPROXY: https://proxy.golang.org
@@ -18,7 +28,16 @@ jobs:
         with:
           go-version: 1.16.7
 
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: checkout full
+        uses: actions/checkout@v2
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+        with:
+          path: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: checkout shallow
+        uses: actions/checkout@v2
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') == false
         with:
           path: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops
 
@@ -27,39 +46,84 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           make all examples test
 
+      - name: upload linux binary
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: kops-linux-amd64
+          path: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops/.build/local/kops
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          retention-days: 1
+
   build-macos-amd64:
     runs-on: macos-10.15
     steps:
-    - name: Set up go
-      uses: actions/setup-go@v2
-      with:
-        go-version: 1.16.7
+      - name: Set up go
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v2
+        with:
+          go-version: 1.16.7
 
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
-      with:
-        path: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops
+      - name: checkout full
+        uses: actions/checkout@v2
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+        with:
+          path: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: checkout shallow
+        uses: actions/checkout@v2
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') == false
+        with:
+          path: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops
 
-    - name: make kops examples test
-      working-directory: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops
-      run: |
-        make kops examples test
+      - name: make kops examples test
+        working-directory: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops
+        run: |
+          make kops examples test
+
+      - name: upload macos binary
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: kops-darwin-amd64
+          path: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops/.build/local/kops
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          retention-days: 1
 
   build-windows-amd64:
     runs-on: windows-2019
     steps:
-    - name: Set up go
-      uses: actions/setup-go@v2
-      with:
-        go-version: 1.16.7
+      - name: Set up go
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v2
+        with:
+          go-version: 1.16.7
+
+      - name: checkout full
+        uses: actions/checkout@v2
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+        with:
+          path: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops
+          fetch-depth: 0
 
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
-      with:
-        path: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops
+      - name: checkout shallow
+        uses: actions/checkout@v2
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') == false
+        with:
+          path: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops
 
-    - name: make kops examples test
-      working-directory: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops
-      run: |
-        make kops examples test-windows
+      - name: make kops examples test
+        working-directory: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops
+        run: |
+          make kops examples test-windows
+
+      - name: upload windows binary
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: kops-windows-amd64
+          path: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops/.build/local/kops
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          retention-days: 1
 
   verify:
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
@@ -77,3 +141,30 @@ jobs:
         working-directory: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/k8s.io/kops
         run: |
           make quick-ci
+
+  release:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+    needs:
+      - build-linux-amd64
+      - build-macos-amd64
+      - build-windows-amd64
+      - verify
+    steps:
+      - name: Download all kops binary artifacts
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
+
+      - name: rename kops binary artifacts
+        run: |
+          mv kops-linux-amd64/kops kops-linux-amd64/kops-linux-amd64
+          mv kops-darwin-amd64/kops kops-darwin-amd64/kops-darwin-amd64
+          mv kops-windows-amd64/kops kops-windows-amd64/kops-windows-amd64
+
+      - name: Release
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
+        with:
+          fail_on_unmatched_files: true
+          files: |
+            kops-linux-amd64/kops-linux-amd64
+            kops-darwin-amd64/kops-darwin-amd64
+            kops-windows-amd64/kops-windows-amd64
diff --git a/tools/get_version.sh b/tools/get_version.sh
index 46fdfd44084d3..52144e698b051 100755
--- a/tools/get_version.sh
+++ b/tools/get_version.sh
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ if [[ -n "${CI}" ]]; then
     EXACT_TAG=$(git describe --tags --exact-match 2>/dev/null || true)
     if [[ -n "${EXACT_TAG}" ]]; then
         VERSION="${EXACT_TAG#v}" # Remove the v prefix from the git tag
+        VERSION="${VERSION//-bearingpoint*/}" # remove the bearingpoint version from the tag
         if [[ "${VERSION}" != "${KOPS_RELEASE_VERSION}" ]]; then
             echo "Build was tagged with ${VERSION}, but version.go had version ${KOPS_RELEASE_VERSION}"
             exit 1