diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f99135
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+.gradle
+build
+out
+*.iml
+*.ipr
+*.iws
+.classpath
+.project
+.settings
+bin
+.idea
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 3a4e450..02f71f5 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
-apply plugin: 'maven'
 apply plugin: 'java'
+apply plugin: 'eclipse'
 apply plugin: 'idea'
+apply plugin: 'maven'
+apply plugin: 'signing'
+apply plugin: 'com.github.ben-manes.versions'
+
+group = 'de.otto'
+version = '0.0.3'
+ext.isReleaseVersion = !version.endsWith("SNAPSHOT")
 
-archivesBaseName = 'esiinclude-thymeleaf-dialect'
+archivesBaseName = 'esi-include-thymeleaf3-dialect'
 
-// Major Release: X.0.0: Breaking Changes
-// Minor Release: 0.X.0: Additional Features, updates from minor releases in edison
-// Micro Release: 0.0.X: Bugfixes, non-breaking changes, updates from micro releases in edison
-// DO NOT FORGET TO DOCUMENT CHANGES IN README.MD
-ext.pomVersion = '0.0.3'
+sourceCompatibility = 1.8
 
 repositories {
     mavenCentral()
@@ -16,28 +19,20 @@ repositories {
     maven { url "https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots/" }
 }
 
-configurations.all {
-    // check for updates every build
-    // resolutionStrategy.cacheChangingModulesFor 0, 'seconds'
-    exclude group: "org.slf4j", module: "slf4j-log4j12"
-    exclude group: "log4j", module: "log4j"
-    exclude module: "spring-boot-starter-tomcat"
-}
-
 ext.libraries = [
-    thymeleaf2: [
-	'org.thymeleaf:thymeleaf:2.1.5.RELEASE'
-    ],
-    thymeleaf3 : [
-        'org.thymeleaf:thymeleaf:3.0.2.RELEASE',
-        'org.thymeleaf:thymeleaf-spring4:3.0.2.RELEASE',
-        'nz.net.ultraq.thymeleaf:thymeleaf-layout-dialect:2.1.0'
-    ]
+        thymeleaf2: [
+                'org.thymeleaf:thymeleaf:2.1.5.RELEASE'
+        ],
+        thymeleaf3: [
+                'org.thymeleaf:thymeleaf:3.0.2.RELEASE',
+                'org.thymeleaf:thymeleaf-spring4:3.0.2.RELEASE',
+                'nz.net.ultraq.thymeleaf:thymeleaf-layout-dialect:2.1.0'
+        ]
 ]
 
 dependencies {
     compileOnly libraries.thymeleaf3
-    compileOnly group:'com.ning', name: 'async-http-client', version:'1.9.33'
+    compileOnly group: 'com.ning', name: 'async-http-client', version: '1.9.33'
 
     compile group: 'org.springframework', name: 'spring-context', version: '4.3.4.RELEASE'
     compile group: 'org.springframework', name: 'spring-beans', version: '4.3.4.RELEASE'
@@ -50,51 +45,97 @@ dependencies {
     testCompile "org.hamcrest:hamcrest-library:1.3"
 }
 
-jar {
-    manifest.attributes provider: 'gradle'
-}
-
-idea.project {
-    jdkName = "1.8"
-    languageLevel = "1.8"
-    ipr.withXml { provider ->
-        provider.node.component.find { it.@name == 'VcsDirectoryMappings' }.mapping.@vcs = 'Git'
+// for gradle plugins
+buildscript {
+    repositories {
+        mavenCentral()
+        jcenter()
+    }
+    dependencies {
+        classpath 'com.github.ben-manes:gradle-versions-plugin:0.5'
+        classpath 'org.codehaus.groovy:groovy-backports-compat23:2.3.5'
     }
 }
 
-tasks.processResources << {
-    def resourcesDir = project.sourceSets.main.output.resourcesDir
-    resourcesDir.mkdirs()
-
-    def versionProperties = new File(resourcesDir, "version.properties")
-    if (versionProperties) {
-        def gitVersion = runCommand("git log -n 1 --format=format:%H")
-        def fullVersion = fullyQualifiedVersion()
-        versionProperties.text = "\nbuild.commit = ${gitVersion}" + "\nbuild.version = ${fullVersion}"
-    }
+jar {
+    manifest.attributes provider: 'gradle'
 }
 
 task javadocJar(type: Jar, dependsOn: javadoc) {
     classifier = 'javadoc'
-    from javadoc.destinationDir
+    from 'build/docs/javadoc'
 }
 
-task sourcesJar(type: Jar, dependsOn: classes) {
-    classifier = 'sources'
+task sourcesJar(type: Jar) {
     from sourceSets.main.allSource
+    classifier = 'sources'
 }
 
 artifacts {
-    archives sourcesJar
+    archives jar
     archives javadocJar
+    archives sourcesJar
 }
 
-install {
-    repositories.mavenInstaller {
-        pom.artifactId = archivesBaseName
-        pom.groupId = 'de.otto'
-        pom.version = pomVersion
+uploadArchives {
+    repositories {
+        mavenDeployer {
+            repository(url: "https://oss.sonatype.org/service/local/staging/deploy/maven2/") {
+                authentication(userName: sonatypeUsername, password: sonatypePassword)
+            }
+            snapshotRepository(url: "https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots/") {
+                authentication(userName: sonatypeUsername, password: sonatypePassword)
+            }
+
+            beforeDeployment { MavenDeployment deployment -> signing.signPom(deployment) }
+
+            pom.project {
+                name 'esi-include-thymeleaf3-dialect'
+                packaging 'jar'
+                description 'This library provides a thymeleaf3 dialect that resolves esi:include tags.'
+                url 'http://github.com/otto-de/esi-include-thymeleaf3-dialect'
+
+                scm {
+                    url 'scm:git@github.com:otto-de/esi-include-thymeleaf3-dialect.git'
+                    connection 'scm:git@github.com:otto-de/esi-include-thymeleaf3-dialect.git'
+                    developerConnection 'scm:git@github.com:otto-de/esi-include-thymeleaf3-dialect.git'
+                }
+
+                licenses {
+                    license {
+                        name 'The Apache Software License, Version 2.0'
+                        url 'http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.txt'
+                        distribution 'repo'
+                    }
+                }
+
+                developers {
+                    developer {
+                        id 'ffriedrich'
+                        name 'Frank Bregulla'
+                    }
+                    developer {
+                        id 'gsteinacker'
+                        name 'Guido Steinacker'
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
 
+task uploadLocal(type: Upload) {
+    configuration = configurations.archives
+    uploadDescriptor = true
+    repositories {
+        mavenLocal()
+    }
+}
+
+signing {
+    required { isReleaseVersion && gradle.taskGraph.hasTask(":uploadArchives") }
+    sign configurations.archives
+}
+
+
 
diff --git a/release.sh b/release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..ada721f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -e
+SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname $0)
+
+USER_GRADLE_PROPERTIES=~/.gradle/gradle.properties
+
+check_configured() {
+    grep -q $1 ${USER_GRADLE_PROPERTIES} || echo "$1 not configured in ${USER_GRADLE_PROPERTIES}. $2"
+}
+
+check_configuration() {
+    if [ ! -f ${USER_GRADLE_PROPERTIES} ]; then
+        echo "${USER_GRADLE_PROPERTIES} does not exist"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    check_configured "sonatypeUsername" "This is the username you use to authenticate with sonatype nexus (e.g. otto-de)"
+    check_configured "sonatypePassword" "This is the password you use to authenticate with sonatype nexus (ask Guido or one of the developers)"
+    check_configured "signing.secretKeyRingFile" "This is the gpg secret key file, e.g. ~/.gnupg/secring.gpg. If this doesn't exist, generate a key: gpg --gen-key"
+    check_configured "signing.keyId" "This is the id of your key (e.g. 72FE5380). Use gpg --list-keys to find yours"
+    check_configured "signing.password" "This is the password you defined for your gpg key"
+    # gpg --send-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com yourKeyId
+}
+
+check_configuration
+
+${SCRIPT_DIR}/gradlew uploadArchives