diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_containers.yaml b/.github/workflows/build_containers.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4130390
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_containers.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+name: build and publish containers
+
+permissions:
+  packages: write
+  contents: write
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - v*
+
+jobs:
+  build-coresmd:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: check out the repo
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Docker meta
+        id: meta
+        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
+        with:
+          # list of Docker images to use as base name for tags
+          images: |
+            ghcr.io/synackd/coresmd
+
+          # generate Docker tags based on the following events/attributes
+          tags: |
+            type=schedule
+            type=ref,event=branch
+            type=ref,event=pr
+            type=semver,pattern={{raw}}
+            type=semver,pattern=v{{version}}
+            type=semver,pattern=v{{major}}.{{minor}}
+            type=semver,pattern=v{{major}}
+      - name: setup Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+      - name: Login to github container repo
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ghcr.io
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+      - name: Build and push coresmd container
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+        with:
+          platforms: linux/amd64
+          context: .
+          push: true
+          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
+          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
+      - name: Create a release
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2