diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 0877047dc..a558d00cc 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -28,15 +28,23 @@ jobs:
           fingerprints:
             - "cd:a8:80:f3:5e:9a:37:30:ef:55:20:b5:1f:b9:e5:18"
       - deploy:
-          command: | # Deploy if on main branch. If the $RELEASE and $NEXT variables are set then prepare a full maven release.
-            if [ "${CIRCLE_BRANCH}" == "main" ]; then
+          command: | # Deploy from the main branch or from a version branch/tag. If the $RELEASE and $NEXT variables are set then prepare a full maven release.
+            if [[ "${CIRCLE_BRANCH}" =~ v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+ ]]; then
+              RELEASE="${CIRCLE_BRANCH}"
+              NEXT="${CIRCLE_BRANCH}-SNAPSHOT"
+              DO_RELEASE=1
+            fi
+            if [[ "${CIRCLE_BRANCH}" == "main" || -n "${DO_RELEASE}" ]]; then
               echo $GPG_KEY | base64 --decode > signing-key
               gpg --passphrase $GPG_PASSPHRASE --import signing-key
               shred signing-key
               if [[ -n "${RELEASE}" && -n "${NEXT}" ]]; then
                 git config --global user.email "envoy-bot@users.noreply.github.com"
                 git config --global user.name "envoy-bot"
-                mvn -B -s ../.circleci/settings.xml release:prepare release:perform -Darguments="-s ../.circleci/settings.xml" -DreleaseVersion=$RELEASE -DdevelopmentVersion=$NEXT -DscmCommentPrefix="java release: "
+                mvn -B -s ../.circleci/settings.xml release:prepare release:perform \
+                    -Darguments="-s ../.circleci/settings.xml" \
+                    -DreleaseVersion=$RELEASE -DdevelopmentVersion=$NEXT \
+                    -DscmCommentPrefix="java release: "
               else
                 mvn -B -s ../.circleci/settings.xml deploy
               fi
diff --git a/java/RELEASING.md b/java/RELEASING.md
index d7cd238de..f06bafdec 100644
--- a/java/RELEASING.md
+++ b/java/RELEASING.md
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ These steps are for releasing the Java components of PGV:
 - pgv-java-grpc
 - pgv-artifacts
 
-## Releasing from master using CI
+## Releasing using CI
 
-Releasing from master is fully automated by CI, but can't release historic tags.
+Releasing from main is fully automated by CI:
 ```
 curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
 "build_parameters": {
@@ -16,9 +16,24 @@ curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
     "NEXT": "<next-version>-SNAPSHOT",
     "GIT_USER_EMAIL": "envoy-bot@users.noreply.github.com",
     "GIT_USER_NAME": "Via CircleCI"
-}}' "https://circleci.com/api/v1.1/project/github/envoyproxy/protoc-gen-validate/tree/master?circle-token=<my-token>"
+}}' "https://circleci.com/api/v1.1/project/github/envoyproxy/protoc-gen-validate/tree/main?circle-token=<my-token>"
 ```
 
+Releasing from versioned tags is similar. To release version `vX.Y.Z`, first
+create a Git tag called `vX.Y.Z` (preferably through the GitHub release flow),
+then run the following to kick off a release build:
+```
+curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
+"build_parameters": {
+    "CIRCLE_JOB": "javabuild",
+    "GIT_USER_EMAIL": "envoy-bot@users.noreply.github.com",
+    "GIT_USER_NAME": "Via CircleCI"
+}}' "https://circleci.com/api/v1.1/project/github/envoyproxy/protoc-gen-validate/tree/v.X.Y.Z?circle-token=<my-token>"
+```
+
+The `javabuild` CI flow will use the version number from the tag to deploy to
+the Maven repository.
+
 ## Manually releasing from git history
 
 Manually releasing from git history is a more involved process, but allows you
@@ -34,4 +49,4 @@ to release from any point in the history.
 
 ```
 mvn -B -s /path/to/settings.xml clean release:prepare release:perform -Darguments="-s /path/to/settings.xml" -DreleaseVersion=x.y.z -DdevelopmentVersion=x.y.z-SNAPSHOT -DscmCommentPrefix="java release: "
-```
\ No newline at end of file
+```