diff --git a/.github/workflows/maven-release-manual.yml b/.github/workflows/maven-release-manual.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0cc03f69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/maven-release-manual.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+name: Trigger release to Maven Central Repository
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        description: "The version to set for this release"
+        required: true
+        type: string
+
+jobs:
+  trigger:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      # We need write permission so we can push the next snapshot version
+      contents: write
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - run: |
+          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+          git config user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+      # Alternative command if we just inherit the jdk.version from the parent (grep is faster):
+      # $(mvn help:evaluate -Dexpression=jdk.version -q -DforceStdout)
+      - name: Determine Java version from POM
+        run: |
+          echo "JAVA_VERSION=$(grep '<jdk.version>' pom.xml | cut -f2 -d'>' | cut -f1 -d'<')" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
+
+      - name: Set up JDK ${{ env.JAVA_VERSION }}
+        uses: actions/setup-java@v4
+        with:
+          java-version: ${{ env.JAVA_VERSION }}
+          distribution: 'temurin'
+          cache: 'maven'
+
+      - name: Update version in pom.xml and tag
+        run: |
+          mvn -B versions:set -DnewVersion="${{ inputs.version }}" -DgenerateBackupPoms=false
+          git add pom.xml **/pom.xml
+          git commit -m "[github-action] Release version ${{ inputs.version }}"
+          git tag "xoai-${{ inputs.version }}"
+      - name: Increment to next version, commit and push
+        run: |
+          mvn -B versions:set -DnextSnapshot -DnextSnapshotIndexToIncrement=2 -DgenerateBackupPoms=false
+          git add pom.xml **/pom.xml
+          git commit -m "[github-action] Increment version after release of ${{ inputs.version }}"
+          git push --tags origin branch-5.0
+
+  release:
+    name: Run release workflow
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/maven-release.yml
+    needs: [trigger]
+    secrets: inherit
+    with:
+      version: "xoai-${{ inputs.version }}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/maven-release.yml b/.github/workflows/maven-release.yml
index 8f93a786..108a8082 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/maven-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/maven-release.yml
@@ -1,44 +1,51 @@
 name: Release to Maven Central Repository
 on:
-    push:
-        tags:
-            - '*'
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - '*'
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        type: string
+        required: true
+
 jobs:
-    publish:
-        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-        steps:
-            - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-            - name: Set up Java
-              uses: actions/setup-java@v4
-              with:
-                  java-version: '17'
-                  distribution: 'adopt'
-            - name: Cache Maven packages
-              uses: actions/cache@v4
-              with:
-                  path: ~/.m2
-                  key: ${{ runner.os }}-m2-${{ hashFiles('**/pom.xml') }}
-                  restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-m2
+  publish:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' }}
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - if: ${{ inputs.version }}
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          ref: "${{ inputs.version }}"
+      # Alternative command if we just inherit the jdk.version from the parent (grep is faster):
+      # $(mvn help:evaluate -Dexpression=jdk.version -q -DforceStdout)
+      - name: Determine Java version from POM
+        run: |
+          echo "JAVA_VERSION=$(grep '<jdk.version>' pom.xml | cut -f2 -d'>' | cut -f1 -d'<')" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
 
-            - name: Build, test, verify
-              run: mvn -B verify
-            - name: Check POM metadata for release
-              run: mvn pomchecker:check-maven-central
+      - name: Set up JDK ${{ env.JAVA_VERSION }}
+        uses: actions/setup-java@v4
+        with:
+          java-version: ${{ env.JAVA_VERSION }}
+          distribution: 'temurin'
+          cache: 'maven'
 
-            # Running setup-java again overwrites the settings.xml - IT'S MANDATORY TO DO THIS SECOND SETUP!!!
-            - name: Set up Maven Central Repository
-              uses: actions/setup-java@v4
-              with:
-                  java-version: '17'
-                  distribution: 'adopt'
-                  server-id: ossrh
-                  server-username: MAVEN_USERNAME
-                  server-password: MAVEN_PASSWORD
-                  gpg-private-key: ${{ secrets.DATAVERSEBOT_GPG_KEY }}
-                  gpg-passphrase: MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE
-            - name: Sign + Publish release
-              run: mvn -Prelease deploy -pl '!report,!xoai-data-provider-tck' -DskipAnalysis -DskipUT -DskipIT
-              env:
-                  MAVEN_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.DATAVERSEBOT_SONATYPE_USERNAME }}
-                  MAVEN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.DATAVERSEBOT_SONATYPE_TOKEN }}
-                  MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE: ${{ secrets.DATAVERSEBOT_GPG_PASSWORD }}
+      # Running setup-java again overwrites the settings.xml - IT'S MANDATORY TO DO THIS SECOND SETUP!!!
+      - name: Set up Maven Central Repository
+        uses: actions/setup-java@v4
+        with:
+          java-version: ${{ env.JAVA_VERSION }}
+          distribution: 'temurin'
+          server-id: ossrh
+          server-username: MAVEN_USERNAME
+          server-password: MAVEN_PASSWORD
+          gpg-private-key: ${{ secrets.DATAVERSEBOT_GPG_KEY }}
+          gpg-passphrase: MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE
+      - name: Sign + Publish release
+        run: mvn -Prelease deploy -pl '!report,!xoai-data-provider-tck' -DskipAnalysis -DskipUT -DskipIT
+        env:
+          MAVEN_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.DATAVERSEBOT_SONATYPE_USERNAME }}
+          MAVEN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.DATAVERSEBOT_SONATYPE_TOKEN }}
+          MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE: ${{ secrets.DATAVERSEBOT_GPG_PASSWORD }}