diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 8395e63..0e991fa 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -39,13 +39,21 @@ handle_mr:
     GIT_STRATEGY: clone # clone entire repo instead of reusing workspace
     GIT_DEPTH: 0 # avoid shallow clone to give cliff all the info it needs
   before_script:
-  - 'apk add --no-cache git jq curl'
-  - 'git config --global user.email "${GIT_USER_EMAIL:-$GITLAB_USER_EMAIL}"'
-  - 'git config --global user.name "${GIT_USER_NAME:-$GITLAB_USER_NAME}"'
-  script:
-  - 'git checkout -b next-release'
-  - 'git add CHANGELOG.md'
-  - 'git commit -m "ci: prepare release $(git-cliff --bumped-version 2>/dev/null)"'
-  - 'git push origin next-release --force'
+  - 'apk add --no-cache jq curl'
+  script: |
+    echo "Project: ${CI_PROJECT_ID}"
+    echo "Token: ${CI_JOB_TOKEN}"
+    MRS=$(curl -s -H "JOB-TOKEN: $CI_JOB_TOKEN" "https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/${CI_PROJECT_ID}/merge_requests?state=opened&source_branch=next-release")
+    echo "${MRS}"
+    MR=$(echo "${MRS} | jq ".[].id")
+    if [ -n "${MR}" ]; then
+      curl -s -X POST -H "JOB-TOKEN: $CI_JOB_TOKEN" "https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/${CI_PROJECT_ID}/repository/branches?branch=next-release&ref=${CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH}"
+    fi
+    BODY="$(jq --null-input -c --arg title "ci: prepare release $(cat VERSION)" --arg content "$(cat CHANGES.md | base64 -w0)" '{"branch": "next-release", "author_email": "releaser@unbound.se", "author_name": "Releaser", "content": $content, "commit_message": $title, "encoding": "base64"}')"
+    curl -X PUT \
+      -H "JOB-TOKEN: $CI_JOB_TOKEN" \
+      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+      --data "${BODY}" \
+        "https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/${CI_PROJECT_ID}/repository/files/CHANGELOG%2Emd"
   rules:
   - if: $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH == $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ce54b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# Changelog
+
+All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
+
+<!-- generated by git-cliff -->