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+# Things to do when doing a patch release
+NOTE: This is a guide for GitLab developers. If you are trying to install GitLab see the latest stable [installation guide](install/installation.md) and if you are trying to upgrade, see the [upgrade guides](update).
+
+## When to do a patch release
+
+Do a patch release when there is a critical regression that needs to be adresses before the next monthly release.
+Otherwise include it in the monthly release and note there was a regression fix in the release announcement.
+
+## Release Procedure
+
+1. Verify that the issue can be repoduced
+1. Create an issue on private GitLab development server
+1. Name the issue "Release X.X.X CE and X.X.X EE", this will make searching easier
+1. Fix the issue on a feature branch, do this on the private GitLab development server
+1. After the branch is merged into master, cherry pick the commit(s) into the current stable branch
+1. In a separate commit in the stable branch, update the VERSION and CHANGELOG
+1. Create an annotated tag vX.X.X for CE and another patch release for EE
+1. Make sure that the build has passed and no tests are failing
+1. Push the code and the tags to all the CE and EE repositories
+1. Apply the patch to GitLab Cloud and the private GitLab development server
+1. Send tweets about the release from @gitlabhq, tweet should include the most important feature that the release is addressing as well as the link to the changelog
+1. Build new packages with the latest version
+