diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 9baf555..5757c22 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 	<groupId>org.janelia.saalfeldlab</groupId>
 	<artifactId>n5-universe</artifactId>
-	<version>1.3.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+	<version>1.3.1</version>
 
 	<name>N5-Universe</name>
 	<description>Utilities spanning all of the N5 repositories</description>
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
 	<scm>
 		<connection>scm:git:git://github.com/saalfeldlab/n5-universe</connection>
 		<developerConnection>scm:git:git@github.com:saalfeldlab/n5-universe</developerConnection>
-		<tag>HEAD</tag>
+		<tag>n5-universe-1.3.1</tag>
 		<url>https://github.com/saalfeldlab/n5-universe</url>
 	</scm>
 	<issueManagement>
diff --git a/release.properties b/release.properties
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bf0e0fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#release configuration
+#Wed Jan 31 10:33:38 EST 2024
+scm.commentPrefix=[maven-release-plugin] 
+exec.pomFileName=pom.xml
+pushChanges=false
+releaseStrategyId=default
+projectVersionPolicyConfig=<projectVersionPolicyConfig>${projectVersionPolicyConfig}</projectVersionPolicyConfig>\n
+scm.tag=n5-universe-1.3.1
+remoteTagging=true
+project.scm.org.janelia.saalfeldlab\:n5-universe.connection=scm\:git\:git\://github.com/saalfeldlab/n5-universe
+exec.additionalArguments=-Dgpg.skip\=true 
+scm.branchCommitComment=@{prefix} prepare branch @{releaseLabel}
+project.rel.org.janelia.saalfeldlab\:n5-universe=1.3.1
+projectVersionPolicyId=default
+project.scm.org.janelia.saalfeldlab\:n5-universe.tag=HEAD
+scm.url=scm\:git\:https\://github.com/saalfeldlab/n5-universe
+scm.tagNameFormat=@{project.artifactId}-@{project.version}
+pinExternals=false
+preparationGoals=clean verify
+project.scm.org.janelia.saalfeldlab\:n5-universe.developerConnection=scm\:git\:git@github.com\:saalfeldlab/n5-universe
+project.scm.org.janelia.saalfeldlab\:n5-universe.url=https\://github.com/saalfeldlab/n5-universe
+scm.releaseCommitComment=@{prefix} prepare release @{releaseLabel}
+project.dev.org.janelia.saalfeldlab\:n5-universe=1.3.2-SNAPSHOT
+exec.snapshotReleasePluginAllowed=false
+exec.activateProfiles=deploy-to-scijava
+scm.developmentCommitComment=@{prefix} prepare for next development iteration
+scm.rollbackCommitComment=@{prefix} rollback the release of @{releaseLabel}
+completedPhase=end-release