diff --git a/.github/workflows/buildcheck.yml b/.github/workflows/buildcheck.yml
index aa639255f..8a8fce92e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/buildcheck.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/buildcheck.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,15 @@ on:
   push:
   pull_request:
   workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      vss-version:
+        required: false
+        type: string
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      vss-version:
+        required: false
+        type: string
 
 jobs:
   buildtest:
@@ -20,20 +29,38 @@ jobs:
           python -V
           python -m pip --quiet --no-input install --upgrade pip
           python -m pip --quiet --no-input install --upgrade  wheel
-          pip install pytest
-          # idlc currently used both during python test and later in this script
-          pip install cyclonedds
-          pip install git+https://github.com/COVESA/vss-tools@master
-          sudo apt install -y protobuf-compiler
+          ./scripts/install_vss_tools.sh
           echo done!
 
       - name: Test mandatory targets
         run: |
+          if "${{ inputs.vss-version }}" != ""; then
+            export VSS_VERSION="${{ inputs.vss-version }}"
+          fi
           make mandatory_targets
 
+      - name: "Uploading  artifacts"
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: vss-artifacts
+          # Listing all artifacts that shall be managed as release artifacts
+          path: |
+            vss.csv
+            vss.fidl
+            vss.grapql.ts
+            vss.idl
+            vss.json
+            vss.jsonschema
+            vss.yaml
+            vss_noexpand.json
+            vss_samm.tar.gz
+            vss_apigear.tar.gz
+          if-no-files-found: error
+
       - name: Test that ddsidl is correct
         run: |
-          idlc vss_rel_*.idl
+          pip install cyclonedds
+          idlc vss*.idl
 
 
       - name: Prepare for CSV check
@@ -46,7 +73,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           # Install csvlint to check compliance with https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc4180
           go install github.com/Clever/csvlint/cmd/csvlint@latest
-          csvlint vss_rel_*.csv
+          csvlint vss*.csv
 
       - name: Test optional targets. NOTE - always succeeds
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/create_draft_release.yml b/.github/workflows/create_draft_release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f22df7914
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/create_draft_release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+name: Create Draft Release
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch: # input version manually. Overrides push tag
+    inputs:
+      vss-version:
+        description: "Release version (numerical version), e.g. 4.2, 4.2rc0"
+        required: true
+        default: "0.0.0"
+
+# Needed if GITHUB_TOKEN by default do not have right to create release
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  packages: write
+
+jobs:
+  call_kuksa_databroker_build:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/buildcheck.yml
+    with:
+      vss-version: ${{ inputs.vss-version }}
+
+  create_release:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs:
+      [
+        call_kuksa_databroker_build
+      ]
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Download all artifacts
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          path: build-artifacts
+          merge-multiple: true
+      - name: Display structure of downloaded files
+        run: |
+             ls -R build-artifacts
+
+      - name: Create release
+        id: create_release
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
+        with:
+          draft: true
+          tag_name: "v${{ inputs.vss-version }}"
+          fail_on_unmatched_files: true
+          files: |
+            build-artifacts/*
+            spec/units.yaml
+            spec/quantities.yaml
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c784accd4..9b1201b02 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -16,67 +16,65 @@ mandatory_targets: clean json json-noexpand franca yaml binary csv graphql ddsid
 # from time to time
 # Can be run from e.g. travis with "make -k optional_targets || true" to continue
 # even if errors occur and not do not halt travis build if errors occur
-optional_targets: clean protobuf ttl binary
+optional_targets: clean protobuf ttl
 
 TOOLSDIR?=./vss-tools
+VSS_VERSION ?= 0.0
 COMMON_ARGS=-u ./spec/units.yaml --strict
 COMMON_VSPEC_ARG=-s ./spec/VehicleSignalSpecification.vspec
 
 json:
-	vspec export json ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION).json
+	vspec export json ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss.json
 
 json-noexpand:
-	vspec export json ${COMMON_ARGS} --no-expand ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION)_noexpand.json
+	vspec export json ${COMMON_ARGS} --no-expand ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_noexpand.json
 
 jsonschema:
-	vspec export jsonschema ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION).jsonschema
+	vspec export jsonschema ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss.jsonschema
 
 franca:
-	vspec export franca --franca-vss-version $$(cat VERSION) ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION).fidl
+	vspec export franca --franca-vss-version $(VSS_VERSION) ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss.fidl
 
 yaml:
-	vspec export yaml ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION).yaml
+	vspec export yaml ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss.yaml
 
 csv:
-	vspec export csv ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION).csv
+	vspec export csv ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss.csv
 
 ddsidl:
-	vspec export ddsidl ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION).idl
+	vspec export ddsidl ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss.idl
 
 # Verifies that supported overlay combinations are syntactically correct.
 overlays:
-	vspec export json ${COMMON_ARGS} -l overlays/profiles/motorbike.vspec ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION)_motorbike.json
-	vspec export json ${COMMON_ARGS} -l overlays/extensions/dual_wiper_systems.vspec ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION)_dualwiper.json
-	vspec export json ${COMMON_ARGS} -l overlays/extensions/OBD.vspec ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION)_obd.json
-
-tests:
-	PYTHONPATH=${TOOLSDIR} pytest
+	vspec export json ${COMMON_ARGS} -l overlays/profiles/motorbike.vspec ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_motorbike.json
+	vspec export json ${COMMON_ARGS} -l overlays/extensions/dual_wiper_systems.vspec ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_dualwiper.json
+	vspec export json ${COMMON_ARGS} -l overlays/extensions/OBD.vspec ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_obd.json
 
 binary:
-	vspec export binary ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION).binary
+	vspec export binary ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss.binary
 
 protobuf:
-	vspec export protobuf ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION).proto
+	vspec export protobuf ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss.proto
 
 graphql:
-	vspec export graphql ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION).graphql.ts
+	vspec export graphql ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss.graphql.ts
 
 apigear:
 	vspec export apigear ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} --output-dir apigear
-	cd apigear && tar -czvf ../vss_rel_$$(cat ../VERSION)_apigear.tar.gz * && cd ..
+	cd apigear && tar -czvf ../vss_apigear.tar.gz * && cd ..
 
 samm:
 	vspec export samm ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} --target-folder samm
-	cd samm && tar -czvf ../vss_rel_$$(cat ../VERSION)_samm.tar.gz * && cd ..
+	cd samm && tar -czvf ../vss_samm.tar.gz * && cd ..
 
 # vspec2ttl does not use common generator framework
 ttl:
-	${TOOLSDIR}/contrib/vspec2ttl/vspec2ttl.py -u ./spec/units.yaml ./spec/VehicleSignalSpecification.vspec vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION).ttl
+	${TOOLSDIR}/contrib/vspec2ttl/vspec2ttl.py -u ./spec/units.yaml ./spec/VehicleSignalSpecification.vspec vss.ttl
 
 id:
-	vspec export id ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss_rel_$$(cat VERSION).vspec
+	vspec export id ${COMMON_ARGS} ${COMMON_VSPEC_ARG} -o vss.vspec
 
 clean:
-	rm -f vss_rel_*
+	rm -f vss.*
 	rm -rf apigear
 	rm -rf samm
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
deleted file mode 100644
index 51ad0a34c..000000000
--- a/VERSION
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-5.0-dev
diff --git a/scripts/install_vss_tools.sh b/scripts/install_vss_tools.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..4d62bcbb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/install_vss_tools.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Change this script to specify which version of vss-tools to install.
+# It must be a version compatible with the VSS version.
+# See https://github.com/COVESA/vss-tools for vss-tools information
+#
+# To be able to run the script you must have a python/pip environment
+#  where pip is allowed, for instance a virtual python environment
+# , see https://docs.python.org/3/library/venv.html
+#
+# ************ MASTER *************''
+# For master (ongoing development) we typically rely on latest master of vss-tools
+#
+pip install git+https://github.com/COVESA/vss-tools@master
+
+# Examples for other scenarios below
+#
+# ************ MAINTENANCE **********
+# For development in maintenance branches we could either refer to a fixed version of vss-tools
+# or refer to a maintenance branch of vss-tools
+# pip install git+https://github.com/COVESA/vss-tools@4.X
+#
+#
+# ************* RELEASE CANDIDATES AND OTHER PRE-RELEASES ***************
+# For VSS release candidates we want to link to specified released VSS-tools version.
+# Either a released version or a pre-release, referenced with "--pre"
+# See https://pypi.org/project/vss-tools/
+#
+# pip install --pre vss-tools==5.0.0.dev0
+#
+#
+# *********************** RELEASES ***************************
+# For releases we should link to specific released pypi version.
+#
+# pip install vss-tools==4.2