diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94df5b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# The mechanical CRAN release checks from blockr.ci, reported in one
+# comment on the pull request. Runs only while the pull request carries
+# the `release` label. A job skipped here never creates the called
+# workflow's check contexts, so drop the `if:` before requiring any of
+# them in a ruleset.
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types: [opened, reopened, synchronize, labeled]
+
+name: release
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  pull-requests: write
+
+jobs:
+  release:
+    if: contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'release')
+    uses: BristolMyersSquibb/blockr.ci/.github/workflows/release-gate.yaml@main