diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/new-release.md b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/new-release.md
index 8ea7d7ae4..53e649560 100644
--- a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/new-release.md
+++ b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/new-release.md
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ future releases.
   - [ ] Sync/tidy up dependencies.
     - [ ] Run `go mod tidy`.
     - [ ] Run `git commit -m 'go.mod,go.sum: update dependencies.' go.{mod,sum}`, if necessary.
+  - [ ] Update deployment files
+    - [ ] run `hack/release-helper.sh`
+    - [ ] commit changes, submit as a PR to GitHub
+    - [ ] wait for the PR to be merged
   - [ ] Run `git tag -a -m "NRI plugins $VERSION" $VERSION`.
 - Publishing
   - [ ] Push the tag with `git push $VERSION`.
diff --git a/hack/release-helper.sh b/hack/release-helper.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5c78f4513
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hack/release-helper.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#!/bin/bash -e
+set -o pipefail
+
+this=`basename $0`
+
+usage () {
+cat << EOF
+Usage: $this VERSION
+
+Example:
+
+  $this v0.2.0
+EOF
+}
+
+# Check args
+if [ $# -ne 1 ]; then
+    usage
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+version=$1
+shift 1
+
+if ! [[ $version =~ ^v([0-9]+\.[0-9]+\..+)$ ]]; then
+    echo -e "ERROR: invalid VERSION '$version'"
+    exit 1
+fi
+image_tag=${BASH_REMATCH[1]}
+
+# Patch Kustomize
+echo "Patching kustomize files"
+find deployment/base deployment/overlays -name '*.yaml' | xargs -I '{}' \
+    sed -E -e s",newTag:.+$,newTag: $image_tag," \
+           -e s",imagePullPolicy:.+$,imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent," \
+           -i '{}'
+
+# Patch Helm charts
+echo "Patching Helm charts"
+find deployment/helm -name Chart.yaml | xargs -I '{}' \
+    sed -e s"/appVersion:.*/appVersion: $image_tag/" -i '{}'
+find deployment/helm -name values.yaml | xargs -I '{}' \
+    sed -e s"/pullPolicy:.*/pullPolicy: IfNotPresent/" -i '{}'
+