diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
similarity index 52%
rename from .github/workflows/ci.yml
rename to .github/workflows/pr.yml
index 0713b60..32877ac 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
-name: thebus_ci
+name: PR Checks
 
 on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - main
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - main
@@ -12,12 +9,21 @@ jobs:
   test:
     name: thebus_test
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
-
     steps:
       - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
         uses: actions/checkout@v5
-      - name: Set up Go 1.24
+      - name: Setup Go 1.24
         uses: actions/setup-go@v6
         with:
           go-version: "1.24"
-      - run: go version
\ No newline at end of file
+      - run: go version
+      - name: go fmt (check diff)
+        run: |
+            make fmt
+            git diff --exit-code
+
+      - name: go vet
+        run: make vet
+
+      - name: Test (race)
+        run: make test-race
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fda949d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+name: Release on merge
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types: [closed]
+    branches: [main]
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+
+jobs:
+  release:
+    if: github.event.pull_request.merged == true
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    env:
+      MODULE_PATH: ${{ github.repository }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
+        uses: actions/checkout@v5
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Setup Go 1.24
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v6
+        with:
+          go-version: "1.24"
+      - name: Decide bump from PR labels (default=patch)
+        id: decide
+        run: |
+            echo '${{ toJson(github.event.pull_request.labels) }}' > /tmp/labels.json
+            BUMP=patch
+            grep -qi 'release:major' /tmp/labels.json && BUMP=major
+            grep -qi 'release:minor' /tmp/labels.json && BUMP=minor
+            grep -qi 'release:patch' /tmp/labels.json && BUMP=patch
+            echo "bump=$BUMP" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+            echo "BUMP=$BUMP"
+
+
+      - name: Run tests (race + coverage)
+        run: |
+            make fmt
+            make vet
+            make test-race-cover
+            go tool cover -func=coverage.out | tail -n1 || true
+
+      - name: Compute next semver tag
+        id: bump
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+            set -euo pipefail
+            LAST_TAG="$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 2>/dev/null || echo 'v0.1.0')"
+            echo "LAST_TAG=$LAST_TAG"
+            VER="${LAST_TAG#v}"
+            IFS='.' read -r MA MI PA <<< "$VER"
+            case "${{ steps.decide.outputs.bump }}" in
+              major) MA=$((MA+1)); MI=0; PA=0;;
+              minor) MI=$((MI+1)); PA=0;;
+              patch) PA=$((PA+1));;
+            esac
+            NEXT_TAG="v${MA}.${MI}.${PA}"
+            echo "next_tag=$NEXT_TAG" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+            echo "NEXT_TAG=$NEXT_TAG"
+
+      - name: Create GitHub Release
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
+        with:
+          tag_name: ${{ steps.bump.outputs.next_tag }}
+          generate_release_notes: true
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Prime Go proxy (make the tag discoverable)
+        run: |
+                MOD="github.com/${{ github.repository }}"
+                TAG="${{ steps.bump.outputs.next_tag }}"
+                GOPROXY=proxy.golang.org go list -m -versions "$MOD" || true
+                GOPROXY=proxy.golang.org go list -m "$MOD@$TAG" || true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 23f1557..94b58dd 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,58 +1,22 @@
-# Based on amazing example from https://gist.github.com/serinth/16391e360692f6a000e5a10382d1148c
-SERVICE		?= $(shell basename `go list`)
-VERSION		?= $(shell git describe --tags --always --dirty --match=v* 2> /dev/null || cat $(PWD)/.version 2> /dev/null || echo v0)
-PACKAGE		?= $(shell go list)
-PACKAGES	?= $(shell go list ./...)
-FILES		?= $(shell find . -type f -name '*.go' -not -path "./vendor/*")
+.PHONY: fmt vet clean test test-it test-race test-race-cover
 
-# Binaries
-PROTOC		?= protoc
+fmt:    ## run go fmt
+	go fmt ./...
 
-.PHONY: help clean fmt lint vet test test-cover all
-
-default: help
-
-help:   ## show this help
-	@echo 'usage: make [target] ...'
-	@echo ''
-	@echo 'targets:'
-	@egrep '^(.+)\:\ .*##\ (.+)' ${MAKEFILE_LIST} | sed 's/:.*##/#/' | column -t -c 2 -s '#'
-
-all:    ## clean, format, build and unit test
-	make clean-all
-	make gofmt
-	make build
-	make test
-
-env:    ## Print useful environment variables to stdout
-	echo $(CURDIR)
-	echo $(SERVICE)
-	echo $(PACKAGE)
-	echo $(VERSION)
+vet:    ## run go vet
+	go vet ./...
 
 clean:  ## go clean
 	go clean
 
-build:
-	go build main.go
-
-test:
+test:   ## run unit tests (short)
 	go test -v ./... -short
 
-test-it:
+test-it: ## run integration tests
 	go test -v ./...
 
-test-bench: ## run benchmark tests
-	go test -bench ./...
-
-# Generate test coverage
-test-cover:     ## Run test coverage and generate html report
-	rm -fr coverage
-	mkdir coverage
-	go list -f '{{if gt (len .TestGoFiles) 0}}"go test -covermode count -coverprofile {{.Name}}.coverprofile -coverpkg ./... {{.ImportPath}}"{{end}}' ./... | xargs -I {} bash -c {}
-	echo "mode: count" > coverage/cover.out
-	grep -h -v "^mode:" *.coverprofile >> "coverage/cover.out"
-	rm *.coverprofile
-	go tool cover -html=coverage/cover.out -o=coverage/cover.html
+test-race: ## run tests with race detector
+	go test -race -count=1 ./...
 
-test-all: test test-bench test-cover
\ No newline at end of file
+test-race-cover: ## run tests with race detector and coverage
+	go test -race -count=1 -coverprofile=coverage.out ./...
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bus_test.go b/bus_test.go
index 8a2af37..b33b836 100644
--- a/bus_test.go
+++ b/bus_test.go
@@ -305,20 +305,29 @@ func TestRunFanOutDeliveredCounter(t *testing.T) {
 			topic:   "t",
 			ts:      time.Now(),
 			seq:     0,
-			payload: nil}:
+			payload: []byte("test")}:
 
 		default:
 			t.Fatal("should not receive any messages")
 		}
 		return nil
 	})
-	time.Sleep(20 * time.Millisecond)
-	bb.mutex.RLock()
-	ts := bb.subscriptions["t"]
-	del := ts.counters.Delivered.Load()
-	bb.mutex.RUnlock()
-	if del < 1 {
-		t.Fatalf("expected Delivered>=1, got %d", del)
+	// ugly, but no use of fancy libs for testing
+	timeout := time.After(1 * time.Second)
+	tick := time.NewTicker(10 * time.Millisecond)
+	defer tick.Stop()
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-timeout:
+			t.Fatal("timeout waiting for Delivered counter")
+		case <-tick.C:
+			bb.mutex.RLock()
+			delivered := bb.subscriptions["t"].counters.Delivered.Load()
+			bb.mutex.RUnlock()
+			if delivered >= 1 {
+				return // Test is ok if we catch this line
+			}
+		}
 	}
 }