diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 773f16d5a90..a8dcafe063b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ typings/
 
 # End of https://www.gitignore.io/api/node,macos,visualstudiocode
 
-.github/notes
 .next
 package-lock.json
 out
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d11595db1ef..7640f0c0f99 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
     "type:test": "cd docs && yarn && yarn test",
     "lint": "node scripts/check_licenses.js && eslint . && yarn audit",
     "lint-fix": "node scripts/check_licenses.js && eslint . --fix && yarn audit",
+    "release:proposal": "node scripts/release/proposal",
     "services": "node ./scripts/install_plugin_modules && node packages/dd-trace/test/setup/services",
     "test": "SERVICES=* yarn services && mocha --expose-gc 'packages/dd-trace/test/setup/node.js' 'packages/*/test/**/*.spec.js'",
     "test:appsec": "mocha -r \"packages/dd-trace/test/setup/mocha.js\" --exclude \"packages/dd-trace/test/appsec/**/*.plugin.spec.js\" \"packages/dd-trace/test/appsec/**/*.spec.js\"",
diff --git a/scripts/release/helpers/requirements.js b/scripts/release/helpers/requirements.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2911b6982a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/release/helpers/requirements.js
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+'use strict'
+
+/* eslint-disable max-len */
+
+const { capture, fatal } = require('./terminal')
+
+const requiredScopes = ['public_repo', 'read:org']
+
+// Check that the `git` CLI is installed.
+function checkGit () {
+  try {
+    capture('git --version')
+  } catch (e) {
+    fatal(
+      'The "git" CLI could not be found.',
+      'Please visit https://git-scm.com/downloads for instructions to install.'
+    )
+  }
+}
+
+// Check that the `branch-diff` CLI is installed.
+function checkBranchDiff () {
+  try {
+    capture('branch-diff --version')
+  } catch (e) {
+    const link = [
+      'https://datadoghq.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DL/pages/3125511269/Node.js+Tracer+Release+Process',
+      '#Install-and-Configure-branch-diff-to-automate-some-operations'
+    ].join('')
+    fatal(
+      'The "branch-diff" CLI could not be found.',
+      `Please visit ${link} for instructions to install.`
+    )
+  }
+}
+
+// Check that the `gh` CLI is installed and authenticated.
+function checkGitHub () {
+  if (!process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN && !process.env.GH_TOKEN) {
+    const link = 'https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/managing-your-personal-access-tokens#creating-a-personal-access-token-classic'
+
+    fatal(
+      'The GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable is missing.',
+      `Please visit ${link} for instructions to generate a personal access token.`,
+      `The following scopes are required when generating the token: ${requiredScopes.join(', ')}`
+    )
+  }
+
+  try {
+    capture('gh --version')
+  } catch (e) {
+    fatal(
+      'The "gh" CLI could not be found.',
+      'Please visit https://github.com/cli/cli#installation for instructions to install.'
+    )
+  }
+
+  checkGitHubScopes()
+}
+
+// Check that the active GITHUB_TOKEN has the required scopes.
+function checkGitHubScopes () {
+  const url = 'https://api.github.com'
+  const headers = [
+    'Accept: application/vnd.github.v3+json',
+    `Authorization: Bearer ${process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN || process.env.GH_TOKEN}`,
+    'X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28'
+  ].map(h => `-H "${h}"`).join(' ')
+
+  const lines = capture(`curl -sS -I ${headers} ${url}`).trim().split(/\r?\n/g)
+  const scopeLine = lines.find(line => line.startsWith('x-oauth-scopes:')) || ''
+  const scopes = scopeLine.replace('x-oauth-scopes:', '').trim().split(', ')
+  const link = 'https://github.com/settings/tokens'
+
+  for (const req of requiredScopes) {
+    if (!scopes.includes(req)) {
+      fatal(
+        `Missing "${req}" scope for GITHUB_TOKEN.`,
+        `Please visit ${link} and make sure the following scopes are enabled: ${requiredScopes.join(' ,')}.`
+      )
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = { checkBranchDiff, checkGitHub, checkGit }
diff --git a/scripts/release/helpers/terminal.js b/scripts/release/helpers/terminal.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..302a9ba5e42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/release/helpers/terminal.js
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+'use strict'
+
+/* eslint-disable no-console */
+
+const { execSync, spawnSync } = require('child_process')
+
+// Helpers for colored output.
+const log = (...msgs) => msgs.forEach(msg => console.log(msg))
+const success = (...msgs) => msgs.forEach(msg => console.log(`\x1b[32m${msg}\x1b[0m`))
+const error = (...msgs) => msgs.forEach(msg => console.log(`\x1b[31m${msg}\x1b[0m`))
+const whisper = (...msgs) => msgs.forEach(msg => console.log(`\x1b[90m${msg}\x1b[0m`))
+
+// Helpers for exiting with a message.
+const exit = (...msgs) => log(...msgs) || process.exit(0)
+const fatal = (...msgs) => error(...msgs) || process.exit(1)
+
+// Output a command to the terminal and execute it.
+function run (cmd) {
+  whisper(`> ${cmd}`)
+
+  const output = execSync(cmd, {}).toString()
+
+  log(output)
+}
+
+// Ask a question in terminal and return the response.
+function prompt (question) {
+  process.stdout.write(`${question} `)
+
+  const child = spawnSync('bash', ['-c', 'read answer && echo $answer'], {
+    stdio: ['inherit']
+  })
+
+  return child.stdout.toString()
+}
+
+// Ask whether to continue and otherwise exit the process.
+function checkpoint (question) {
+  const answer = prompt(`${question} [Y/n]`).trim()
+
+  if (answer && answer.toLowerCase() !== 'y') {
+    process.exit(0)
+  }
+}
+
+// Run a command and capture its output to return it to the caller.
+function capture (cmd) {
+  return execSync(cmd, {}).toString()
+}
+
+module.exports = { capture, checkpoint, error, exit, fatal, log, success, run, whisper }
diff --git a/scripts/release/proposal.js b/scripts/release/proposal.js
index b5c16de4c0e..13dc95f4a2e 100644
--- a/scripts/release/proposal.js
+++ b/scripts/release/proposal.js
@@ -1,29 +1,23 @@
 'use strict'
 
-/* eslint-disable no-console */
-
 // TODO: Support major versions.
 
-const { execSync } = require('child_process')
 const fs = require('fs')
+const os = require('os')
 const path = require('path')
+const { capture, checkpoint, exit, fatal, success, run } = require('./helpers/terminal')
+const { checkBranchDiff, checkGitHub, checkGit } = require('./helpers/requirements')
 
-// Helpers for colored output.
-const log = msg => console.log(msg)
-const success = msg => console.log(`\x1b[32m${msg}\x1b[0m`)
-const error = msg => console.log(`\x1b[31m${msg}\x1b[0m`)
-const whisper = msg => console.log(`\x1b[90m${msg}\x1b[0m`)
+checkGit()
+checkBranchDiff()
 
-const currentBranch = capture('git branch --show-current')
 const releaseLine = process.argv[2]
 
 // Validate release line argument.
 if (!releaseLine || releaseLine === 'help' || releaseLine === '--help') {
-  log('Usage: node scripts/release/proposal <release-line> [release-type]')
-  process.exit(0)
+  exit('Usage: node scripts/release/proposal <release-line> [release-type]')
 } else if (!releaseLine?.match(/^\d+$/)) {
-  error('Invalid release line. Must be a whole number.')
-  process.exit(1)
+  fatal('Invalid release line. Must be a whole number.')
 }
 
 // Make sure the release branch is up to date to prepare for new proposal.
@@ -36,20 +30,21 @@ const diffCmd = [
   'branch-diff',
   '--user DataDog',
   '--repo dd-trace-js',
-  isActivePatch()
-    ? `--exclude-label=semver-major,semver-minor,dont-land-on-v${releaseLine}.x`
-    : `--exclude-label=semver-major,dont-land-on-v${releaseLine}.x`
+  `--exclude-label=semver-major,dont-land-on-v${releaseLine}.x`
 ].join(' ')
 
-// Determine the new version.
-const [lastMajor, lastMinor, lastPatch] = require('../../package.json').version.split('.').map(Number)
-const lineDiff = capture(`${diffCmd} v${releaseLine}.x master`)
+// Determine the new version and release notes location.
+const [, lastMinor, lastPatch] = require('../../package.json').version.split('.').map(Number)
+const lineDiff = capture(`${diffCmd} --markdown=true v${releaseLine}.x master`)
 const newVersion = lineDiff.includes('SEMVER-MINOR')
   ? `${releaseLine}.${lastMinor + 1}.0`
   : `${releaseLine}.${lastMinor}.${lastPatch + 1}`
+const notesDir = path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'release_notes')
+const notesFile = path.join(notesDir, `${newVersion}.md`)
 
-// Checkout new branch and output new changes.
+// Checkout new or existing branch.
 run(`git checkout v${newVersion}-proposal || git checkout -b v${newVersion}-proposal`)
+run(`git remote show origin | grep v${newVersion} && git pull || exit 0`)
 
 // Get the hashes of the last version and the commits to add.
 const lastCommit = capture('git log -1 --pretty=%B').trim()
@@ -69,60 +64,38 @@ if (proposalDiff) {
   try {
     run(`echo "${proposalDiff}" | xargs git cherry-pick`)
   } catch (err) {
-    error('Cherry-pick failed. Resolve the conflicts and run `git cherry-pick --continue` to continue.')
-    error('When all conflicts have been resolved, run this script again.')
-    process.exit(1)
+    fatal(
+      'Cherry-pick failed. Resolve the conflicts and run `git cherry-pick --continue` to continue.',
+      'When all conflicts have been resolved, run this script again.'
+    )
   }
 }
 
 // Update package.json with new version.
-run(`npm version --git-tag-version=false ${newVersion}`)
+run(`npm version --allow-same-version --git-tag-version=false ${newVersion}`)
 run(`git commit -uno -m v${newVersion} package.json || exit 0`)
 
-ready()
+// Write release notes to a file that can be copied to the GitHub release.
+fs.mkdirSync(notesDir, { recursive: true })
+fs.writeFileSync(notesFile, lineDiff)
 
-// Check if current branch is already an active patch proposal branch to avoid
-// creating a new minor proposal branch if new minor commits are added to the
-// main branch during a existing patch release.
-function isActivePatch () {
-  const currentMatch = currentBranch.match(/^(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)-proposal$/)
+success('Release proposal is ready.')
+success(`Changelog at ${os.tmpdir()}/release_notes/${newVersion}.md`)
 
-  if (currentMatch) {
-    const [major, minor, patch] = currentMatch.slice(1).map(Number)
+// Stop and ask the user if they want to proceed with pushing everything upstream.
+checkpoint('Push the release upstream and create/update PR?')
 
-    if (major === lastMajor && minor === lastMinor && patch > lastPatch) {
-      return true
-    }
-  }
+checkGitHub()
 
-  return false
-}
+run('git push -f -u origin HEAD')
 
-// Output a command to the terminal and execute it.
-function run (cmd) {
-  whisper(`> ${cmd}`)
-
-  const output = execSync(cmd, {}).toString()
-
-  log(output)
+// Create or edit the PR. This will also automatically output a link to the PR.
+try {
+  run(`gh pr create -d -B v${releaseLine}.x -t "v${newVersion} proposal" -F ${notesFile}`)
+} catch (e) {
+  // PR already exists so update instead.
+  // TODO: Keep existing non-release-notes PR description if there is one.
+  run(`gh pr edit -F "${notesFile}"`)
 }
 
-// Run a command and capture its output to return it to the caller.
-function capture (cmd) {
-  return execSync(cmd, {}).toString()
-}
-
-// Write release notes to a file that can be copied to the GitHub release.
-function ready () {
-  const notesDir = path.join(__dirname, '..', '..', '.github', 'release_notes')
-  const notesFile = path.join(notesDir, `${newVersion}.md`)
-  const lineDiff = capture(`${diffCmd} --markdown=true v${releaseLine}.x master`)
-
-  fs.mkdirSync(notesDir, { recursive: true })
-  fs.writeFileSync(notesFile, lineDiff)
-
-  success('Release proposal is ready.')
-  success(`Changelog at .github/release_notes/${newVersion}.md`)
-
-  process.exit(0)
-}
+success('Release PR is ready.')