diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 232244a..d3b80a2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+SHELL := /bin/bash
+
+# 1. Bump VERSION below
+# 2. `make release`
+VERSION = 1.3.5
+
 ifeq ($(findstring .yelpcorp.com, $(shell hostname -f)), .yelpcorp.com)
 	BUILD_ENV?=YELP
 	export PIP_INDEX_URL?=https://pypi.yelpcorp.com/simple
@@ -23,6 +29,23 @@ docs:
 pypi:
 	tox -e pypi
 
+# To cut a release:
+#   1. Merge all changes to master
+#   2. Bump VERSION at the top of this file
+#   3. Run `make release`
+release:
+	@if [[ "$$(git status --porcelain --untracked-files=no :^./Makefile)" != '' ]]; then echo "Error: working directory is not clean; only changes to Makefile are allowed when cutting a release."; exit 1; fi
+	@if [[ "$$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)" != "master" ]]; then echo "Error: must be on master branch."; exit 1; fi
+	@read upstream_master junk <<<"$$(git ls-remote -h origin master)" && if ! git merge-base --is-ancestor $$upstream_master HEAD; then echo "Error: HEAD is missing commits from origin/master ($$upstream_master)."; exit 1; fi
+	@if existing_sha=$$(git rev-parse --verify --quiet v$(VERSION)); then echo "Error: tag v$(VERSION) already exists and points at $$existing_sha"; exit 1; fi
+	@if curl -sf "https://pypi.yelpcorp.com/simple/task-processing/index.html" | grep -q "task.processing-$(VERSION)"; then echo "Error: $(VERSION) already exists on PyPI"; exit 1; fi
+	sed -i -e 's/__version__ = .*/__version__ = "$(VERSION)"/' ./task_processing/__init__.py
+	git add ./Makefile ./task_processing/__init__.py
+	git commit -m "Release v$(VERSION)"
+	git tag v$(VERSION)
+	git push --atomic origin master v$(VERSION)
+	@echo "Tagged and pushed v$(VERSION) — watch Jenkins at y/jenkins for task-processing build"
+
 clean:
 	rm -rf docs/build
 	find . -name '*.pyc' -delete