diff --git a/src/cmd/release.rs b/src/cmd/release.rs
index 95b8d3f..9141252 100644
--- a/src/cmd/release.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/release.rs
@@ -5,9 +5,18 @@ use std::path::PathBuf;
 pub(crate) async fn run(
     common: Common,
     fname: PathBuf,
-    tag: String,
+    tag: Option<String>,
     rm: ReleaseMeta,
 ) -> Result<()> {
+    let repo = git2::Repository::open(".")?;
+    let tag = tag.unwrap_or(version::read_version("VERSION".into())?);
+    let desc = changelog::read(fname.clone(), tag.clone())?;
+
+    if !git::has_tag(&repo, tag.clone())? {
+        git::tag_version(&repo, tag.clone(), desc.clone())?;
+        let _ = git::push_tags(&repo);
+    }
+
     let desc = changelog::read(fname, tag.clone())?;
     let cli = client(&common)?;
     let cr = CreateRelease {
diff --git a/src/git.rs b/src/git.rs
index ac8f7f2..de7447b 100644
--- a/src/git.rs
+++ b/src/git.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,22 @@
 use anyhow::Result;
-use git2::Repository;
-use std::path::PathBuf;
+use git2::{Repository, Signature};
 
-pub(crate) fn has_tag(repo_path: PathBuf, tag: String) -> Result<bool> {
-    let repo = Repository::init(repo_path)?;
+pub(crate) fn push_tags(repo: &Repository) -> Result<()> {
+    let mut remote = repo.find_remote("origin")?;
+    remote.connect(git2::Direction::Push)?;
+    remote.push(&["refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*"], None)?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn tag_version(repo: &Repository, tag: String, desc: String) -> Result<()> {
+    let sig = &Signature::now("Gitea Release Tool", "gitea-release@tulpa.dev")?;
+    let obj = repo.revparse_single("HEAD")?;
+    repo.tag(&tag, &obj, &sig, &desc, false)?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn has_tag(repo: &Repository, tag: String) -> Result<bool> {
     let tags = repo.tag_names(Some(&tag))?;
 
     for tag_obj in tags.iter() {
@@ -40,7 +53,7 @@ mod tests {
         let oid = index.write_tree()?;
         let tree = repo.find_tree(oid)?;
 
-        let sig = Signature::now("Testificate", "test@ifica.te")?;
+        let sig = &Signature::now("Gitea Release Tool", "gitea-release@tulpa.dev")?;
         repo.commit(
             Some("HEAD"),
             &sig,
@@ -50,9 +63,8 @@ mod tests {
             &[],
         )?;
 
-        let obj = repo.revparse_single("HEAD")?;
-        repo.tag(TAG, &obj, &sig, &format!("version {}", TAG), false)?;
-        assert!(super::has_tag(dir.path().into(), TAG.into())?);
+        super::tag_version(&repo, TAG.into(), format!("version {}", TAG))?;
+        assert!(super::has_tag(&repo, TAG.into())?);
 
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 7d141ec..bf66167 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ pub(crate) enum Cmd {
         #[structopt(short, long, default_value = "./CHANGELOG.md")]
         changelog: PathBuf,
         /// The version tag to operate on
-        tag: String,
+        tag: Option<String>,
         #[structopt(flatten)]
         release_meta: ReleaseMeta,
     },
diff --git a/src/version.rs b/src/version.rs
index 2a8e6d2..eb1ff10 100644
--- a/src/version.rs
+++ b/src/version.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use anyhow::Result;
 use std::{fs, path::PathBuf};
 
-fn read_version(fname: PathBuf) -> Result<String> {
+pub(crate) fn read_version(fname: PathBuf) -> Result<String> {
     let version = fs::read_to_string(fname)?;
     Ok(version.trim().into())
 }