diff --git a/.github/workflows/create-and-publish-release.yml b/.github/workflows/create-and-publish-release.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 204333d..0000000
--- a/.github/workflows/create-and-publish-release.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,58 +0,0 @@
-# This workflow creates a new release by running CI and then executing the release script.
-# It can be run manually with a choice of which semver segment to bump.
-name: Create And Publish Release
-on:
-  workflow_dispatch:
-    inputs:
-      semver_segment_to_bump:
-        description: 'Which semver segment to bump'
-        required: true
-        default: 'PATCH'
-        type: choice
-        options:
-          - PATCH
-          - MINOR
-          - MAJOR
-
-jobs:
-  ci:
-    name: Run CI
-    # we want to run ubuntu-latest but we'll pin to a specific version so CI is reproducable
-    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout code
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-      - name: Set up JDK 17
-        uses: actions/setup-java@v4
-        with:
-          java-version: '17'
-          distribution: 'temurin'
-
-      - name: Setup Gradle
-        uses: gradle/gradle-build-action@v2
-
-      - name: Run tests
-        run: ./gradlew check build
-
-  create-release:
-    name: Create Release
-    # we want to run ubuntu-latest but we'll pin to a specific version so CI is reproducable
-    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
-    needs: ci
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout code
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          token: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_TOKEN }}
-          fetch-depth: 0
-
-      - name: Configure Git
-        run: |
-          git config --global user.name "github-actions[bot]"
-          git config --global user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
-
-      - name: Run release script
-        run: |
-          chmod +x scripts/create-new-release.sh
-          scripts/create-new-release.sh --push=false --branch=${{ github.ref_name }} --semver-segment-to-bump=${{ inputs.semver_segment_to_bump }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-existing-release.yml b/.github/workflows/publish-release-from-tag.yml
similarity index 90%
rename from .github/workflows/publish-existing-release.yml
rename to .github/workflows/publish-release-from-tag.yml
index a5a22b9..00e9010 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish-existing-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish-release-from-tag.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # This workflow is triggered when a new tag is pushed to main.
 # It can also be run manually to re-publish a release in case it failed for some reason.
-name: Publish Existing Release
+name: Publish Release From Tag
 
 on:
   push:
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-          
+
       - name: Determine tag
         id: determine-tag
         run: |
@@ -33,34 +33,34 @@ jobs:
           fi
           echo "tag=$TAG_NAME" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           echo "Using tag: $TAG_NAME"
-          
+
       - name: Validate tag format
         run: |
           TAG="${{ steps.determine-tag.outputs.tag }}"
-          
+
           # Check if tag starts with 'v'
           if [[ ! "$TAG" =~ ^v ]]; then
             echo "Error: Tag '$TAG' must start with 'v'"
             exit 1
           fi
-          
+
           # Extract version without 'v' prefix
           VERSION="${TAG#v}"
-          
+
           # Check if version is valid semver (x.y.z)
           if [[ ! "$VERSION" =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$ ]]; then
             echo "Error: Tag '$TAG' is not valid semver format (vx.y.z)"
             exit 1
           fi
-          
+
           # Check that version does not end with -SNAPSHOT
           if [[ "$VERSION" =~ -SNAPSHOT$ ]]; then
             echo "Error: Tag '$TAG' cannot end with '-SNAPSHOT'"
             exit 1
           fi
-          
+
           echo "Tag '$TAG' is valid"
-          
+
       - name: Verify tag exists
         run: |
           TAG="${{ steps.determine-tag.outputs.tag }}"
@@ -69,64 +69,64 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
           echo "Tag '$TAG' exists"
-          
+
       - name: Checkout tag
         run: |
           git checkout ${{ steps.determine-tag.outputs.tag }}
-          
+
       - name: Set up JDK 17
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
           java-version: '17'
           distribution: 'temurin'
-          
+
       - name: Setup Gradle
         uses: gradle/gradle-build-action@v2
-        
+
       - name: Run CI
-        run: ./gradlew check build
-        
+        run: ./gradlew check
+
       - name: Build release artifacts
-        run: ./gradlew publishToMavenLocal -Pversion=${{ steps.determine-tag.outputs.tag }}
-        
+        run: ./gradlew build publishToMavenLocal -Pversion=${{ steps.determine-tag.outputs.tag }}
+
       - name: Find built artifacts
         id: find-artifacts
         run: |
           VERSION="${{ steps.determine-tag.outputs.tag }}"
           VERSION_NO_V="${VERSION#v}"
-          
+
           # Find the built JAR files
           MAIN_JAR=$(find build/libs -name "*-${VERSION_NO_V}.jar" ! -name "*-sources.jar" ! -name "*-javadoc.jar" | head -1)
           SOURCES_JAR=$(find build/libs -name "*-${VERSION_NO_V}-sources.jar" | head -1)
           JAVADOC_JAR=$(find build/libs -name "*-${VERSION_NO_V}-javadoc.jar" | head -1)
-          
+
           echo "main-jar=$MAIN_JAR" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo "sources-jar=$SOURCES_JAR" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT  
+          echo "sources-jar=$SOURCES_JAR" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           echo "javadoc-jar=$JAVADOC_JAR" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          
+
           echo "Found artifacts:"
           echo "  Main JAR: $MAIN_JAR"
           echo "  Sources JAR: $SOURCES_JAR"
           echo "  Javadoc JAR: $JAVADOC_JAR"
-        
+
       - name: Create GitHub Release
         run: |
           TAG="${{ steps.determine-tag.outputs.tag }}"
-          
+
           # Create the release
           gh release create "$TAG" \
             --generate-notes \
             --title "Release $TAG"
-          
+
           # Upload artifacts if they exist
           if [[ -n "${{ steps.find-artifacts.outputs.main-jar }}" && -f "${{ steps.find-artifacts.outputs.main-jar }}" ]]; then
             gh release upload "$TAG" "${{ steps.find-artifacts.outputs.main-jar }}"
           fi
-          
+
           if [[ -n "${{ steps.find-artifacts.outputs.sources-jar }}" && -f "${{ steps.find-artifacts.outputs.sources-jar }}" ]]; then
             gh release upload "$TAG" "${{ steps.find-artifacts.outputs.sources-jar }}"
           fi
-          
+
           if [[ -n "${{ steps.find-artifacts.outputs.javadoc-jar }}" && -f "${{ steps.find-artifacts.outputs.javadoc-jar }}" ]]; then
             gh release upload "$TAG" "${{ steps.find-artifacts.outputs.javadoc-jar }}"
           fi
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 13d87a3..0000000
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,117 +0,0 @@
-# Braintrust SDK Implementation Notes
-
-This file contains important implementation details and quirks specific to the Braintrust API that should be considered when working on this SDK.
-
-## API Quirks
-
-### 1. Authorization Header Error Messages
-**Symptom**: Getting error "Invalid key=value pair (missing equal-sign) in Authorization header"
-**Cause**: This error is misleading - it usually means you're hitting a URL path that doesn't exist (404)
-**Solution**: Verify the API endpoint path is correct
-
-**Important**: This is a Braintrust API quirk where 404 errors are returned as 403 errors with this specific message
-
-### 2. OTLP Endpoint Path
-- Correct path: `/otel/v1/traces` (NOT `/otlp/v1/traces`)
-- The Java OTLP exporter requires the full path in setEndpoint()
-- Example: `setEndpoint(config.apiUrl() + "/otel/v1/traces")`
-
-### 3. x-bt-parent Header (CRITICAL)
-- **Required**: The `x-bt-parent` HTTP header must be set for traces to appear in experiments
-- Format: `experiment_id:<id>` or `project_id:<id>` or `project_name:<name>`
-- This header tells Braintrust which experiment/project the traces belong to
-- Without this header, traces will be created but won't show up in the experiment view
-- Implemented via custom BraintrustSpanExporter that dynamically sets the header
-
-### 4. API Key Format
-- Standard Bearer token format works: `Authorization: Bearer <api-key>`
-- API keys work for both production (api.braintrust.dev) and staging (staging-api.braintrust.dev)
-
-### 5. Transport Protocol
-- Braintrust supports HTTP only (NOT gRPC)
-- Both protobuf and JSON formats work over HTTP
-- Use `OtlpHttpSpanExporter` not `OtlpGrpcSpanExporter`
-
-### 6. REST API Endpoints (IMPORTANT)
-The API uses **singular** resource names with `/v1/` prefix:
-- Projects: `/v1/project` (NOT `/v1/projects` or `/projects`)
-- Experiments: `/v1/experiment` (NOT `/v1/experiments` or `/experiments`)
-- Datasets: `/v1/dataset` (NOT `/v1/datasets` or `/datasets`)
-- Dataset operations: `/v1/dataset/{id}/insert`, `/v1/dataset/{id}/fetch`
-
-**Note**: Using the wrong endpoint (e.g., `/projects` instead of `/v1/project`) will return a 403 error with the misleading "Invalid key=value pair" message.
-
-## SDK Design Decisions
-
-### 1. Mimic Go SDK
-The goal is to match the Go SDK's developer experience:
-- `RegisterProject()` and `RegisterExperiment()` functions
-- Similar API patterns and naming conventions
-- Automatic project/experiment creation helpers
-
-### 2. Evaluation Trace Structure (IMPORTANT)
-Each evaluation case must be its own root trace with nested child spans:
-- **Root span**: Named "eval" with `type: "eval"` attribute
-- **Child spans**: 
-  - "task" span (with `type: "task"`) for executing the evaluation function
-  - "score" span (with `type: "score"`) for calculating scores
-- **Attributes on eval span**:
-  - `input`: The actual input value (e.g., the question for MathProblem)
-  - `output`: The actual output value (e.g., the result for Answer)
-  - `expected`: The expected value if available
-  - `score.<name>`: Score values (e.g., `score.accuracy`, `score.speed`)
-- This nested structure matches how the Go SDK and JavaScript SDK work
-
-### 3. OpenAI SDK
-- Must use the official OpenAI Java SDK: https://github.com/openai/openai-java
-- NOT the community versions (e.g., TheoKanning)
-
-### 4. Model Selection
-- Default to using GPT-4o in examples (not GPT-3.5-turbo)
-
-## Common Issues and Solutions
-
-### HTTP 403 Errors
-1. First check if the endpoint path exists (403 can mean 404 due to API quirk)
-2. Verify API key is set correctly
-3. Check if hitting staging vs production endpoints
-
-### HTTP 400 Errors
-- Usually means the request format is correct but data is invalid
-- Check OTLP data format matches expectations
-- Verify all required fields are present
-
-### Jackson Deserialization Errors
-- The API may return additional fields not in our model classes
-- Fixed by setting `FAIL_ON_UNKNOWN_PROPERTIES` to false in ObjectMapper
-- Project response includes: id, name, org_id, created_at, updated_at, user_id, settings, etc.
-- Experiment response includes: id, project_id, name, description, created_at, updated_at, etc.
-
-## Testing Commands
-
-```bash
-# Run with debugging
-export BRAINTRUST_API_KEY='your-key'
-export BRAINTRUST_API_URL='https://staging-api.braintrust.dev'  # for testing
-./gradlew :examples:runGoStyleExperiment
-
-# Debug authorization issues
-./gradlew :examples:runDebugAuth
-```
-
-## File Structure
-- Java SDK core: `/src/main/java/dev/braintrust/`
-- Examples: `/examples/src/main/java/dev/braintrust/examples/`
-- Scala module: `/braintrust-scala/`
-
-## Build and Format
-```bash
-# Format code
-./gradlew spotlessApply
-
-# Run tests
-./gradlew test
-
-# Build everything
-./gradlew build
-```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 4f2c907..a5d3047 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -6,10 +6,86 @@ plugins {
   id("io.freefair.lombok") version "9.0.0-rc2"
 }
 
-// use braintrust.properties as the single source of truth for sdk version
-def braintrustProps = new Properties()
-file('src/main/resources/braintrust.properties').withInputStream { braintrustProps.load(it) }
-version = braintrustProps.getProperty('sdk.version')
+// Generate braintrust.properties at build time with smart versioning
+task generateBraintrustProperties {
+  description = 'Generate braintrust.properties with smart git-based versioning'
+  group = 'build'
+
+  def outputDir = file("$buildDir/generated/resources")
+  def outputFile = file("$outputDir/braintrust.properties")
+
+  outputs.file outputFile
+  outputs.upToDateWhen { false } // Always regenerate to get latest version
+
+  doLast {
+    outputDir.mkdirs()
+
+    def version = generateVersion()
+
+    outputFile.text = "sdk.version=${version}\n"
+
+    logger.info("Generated braintrust.properties with sdk.version=${version}")
+  }
+}
+
+def generateVersion() {
+  // Check if workspace is clean
+  def gitStatusProcess = ['git', 'status', '--porcelain'].execute()
+  gitStatusProcess.waitFor()
+  def gitStatus = gitStatusProcess.text.trim()
+  def isDirty = !gitStatus.isEmpty()
+
+  // Get current commit SHA (short version)
+  def gitShaProcess = ['git', 'rev-parse', '--short', 'HEAD'].execute()
+  gitShaProcess.waitFor()
+  def gitSha = gitShaProcess.text.trim()
+
+  // Check if we're currently on a tag
+  def currentTag = null
+  try {
+    def currentTagProcess = ['git', 'describe', '--exact-match', '--tags', 'HEAD'].execute()
+    currentTagProcess.waitFor()
+    if (currentTagProcess.exitValue() == 0) {
+      currentTag = currentTagProcess.text.trim()
+    }
+  } catch (Exception e) {
+    // Not on a tag, that's fine
+  }
+
+  def version
+  if (currentTag != null) {
+    // We're on a tag, use the tag name
+    version = currentTag
+  } else {
+    // Not on a tag, find the most recent tag
+    def mostRecentTag = null
+    try {
+      def mostRecentTagProcess = ['git', 'describe', '--tags', '--abbrev=0'].execute()
+      mostRecentTagProcess.waitFor()
+      if (mostRecentTagProcess.exitValue() == 0) {
+        mostRecentTag = mostRecentTagProcess.text.trim()
+      }
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      // No tags found, use just the SHA
+      mostRecentTag = null
+    }
+
+    if (mostRecentTag != null) {
+      version = "${mostRecentTag}-${gitSha}"
+    } else {
+      version = gitSha
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Append -DIRTY if workspace is not clean
+  if (isDirty) {
+    version = "${version}-DIRTY"
+  }
+
+  return version
+}
+
+version = generateVersion() // we could cache but not worth the hassle
 group = 'dev.braintrust'
 
 java {
@@ -60,6 +136,7 @@ dependencies {
 }
 
 test {
+  dependsOn generateBraintrustProperties
   useJUnitPlatform()
   testLogging {
     events "passed", "skipped", "failed"
@@ -67,7 +144,11 @@ test {
   }
   environment 'TEST_VAR1', 'fromenv1'
   environment 'TEST_VAR2', 'fromenv2'
-  environment 'GRADLE_SDK_VERSION', version
+
+  doFirst {
+    // Set the version at execution time, after properties are generated
+    environment 'GRADLE_SDK_VERSION', version
+  }
 }
 
 // Enable preview features for pattern matching, etc.
@@ -124,6 +205,20 @@ publishing {
 }
 
 
+// Include generated resources in the JAR
+sourceSets {
+  main {
+    resources {
+      srcDir "$buildDir/generated/resources"
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+// Make sure properties are generated before compilation and packaging
+compileJava.dependsOn generateBraintrustProperties
+processResources.dependsOn generateBraintrustProperties
+jar.dependsOn generateBraintrustProperties
+
 // Configure Spotless for code formatting
 spotless {
   java {
diff --git a/scripts/create-new-release.sh b/scripts/create-new-release.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 8c81029..0000000
--- a/scripts/create-new-release.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,173 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-
-set -euo pipefail
-
-# Default values
-BRANCH="main"
-PUSH=""
-SEMVER_SEGMENT_TO_BUMP=""
-
-# Parse command line arguments
-while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
-    case $1 in
-        --push=*)
-            PUSH="${1#*=}"
-            shift
-            ;;
-        --branch=*)
-            BRANCH="${1#*=}"
-            shift
-            ;;
-        --semver-segment-to-bump=*)
-            SEMVER_SEGMENT_TO_BUMP="${1#*=}"
-            shift
-            ;;
-        *)
-            echo "Unknown option $1"
-            exit 1
-            ;;
-    esac
-done
-
-# Validate required arguments
-if [[ -z "$PUSH" ]]; then
-    echo "Error: --push=true|false is required"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-if [[ -z "$SEMVER_SEGMENT_TO_BUMP" ]]; then
-    echo "Error: --semver-segment=MAJOR|MINOR|PATCH is required"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-if [[ "$PUSH" != "true" && "$PUSH" != "false" ]]; then
-    echo "Error: --push must be 'true' or 'false'"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-if [[ "$SEMVER_SEGMENT_TO_BUMP" != "MAJOR" && "$SEMVER_SEGMENT_TO_BUMP" != "MINOR" && "$SEMVER_SEGMENT_TO_BUMP" != "PATCH" ]]; then
-    echo "Error: --semver-segment must be 'MAJOR', 'MINOR', or 'PATCH'"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-# Find repository root
-REPO_ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
-cd "$REPO_ROOT"
-
-# Checkout and update the specified branch
-echo "Checking out branch: $BRANCH"
-git checkout "$BRANCH"
-git pull origin "$BRANCH"
-
-# Assert git state is clean
-if [[ -n $(git status --porcelain) ]]; then
-    echo "Error: Git working directory is not clean"
-    git status
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-# Read current version from braintrust.properties
-PROPERTIES_FILE="./src/main/resources/braintrust.properties"
-if [[ ! -f "$PROPERTIES_FILE" ]]; then
-    echo "Error: $PROPERTIES_FILE not found"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-CURRENT_SNAPSHOT=$(grep "^sdk.version=" "$PROPERTIES_FILE" | cut -d'=' -f2)
-if [[ -z "$CURRENT_SNAPSHOT" ]]; then
-    echo "Error: sdk.version not found in $PROPERTIES_FILE"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-echo "Current snapshot version: $CURRENT_SNAPSHOT"
-
-# Validate current version ends with -SNAPSHOT
-if [[ ! "$CURRENT_SNAPSHOT" =~ -SNAPSHOT$ ]]; then
-    echo "Error: Current version '$CURRENT_SNAPSHOT' does not end with '-SNAPSHOT'"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-# Remove -SNAPSHOT to get current release version
-CURRENT_RELEASE_VERSION="${CURRENT_SNAPSHOT%-SNAPSHOT}"
-echo "Current release version: $CURRENT_RELEASE_VERSION"
-
-# Parse version components
-if [[ ! "$CURRENT_RELEASE_VERSION" =~ ^([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)$ ]]; then
-    echo "Error: Version '$CURRENT_RELEASE_VERSION' is not in semver format (x.y.z)"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-MAJOR="${BASH_REMATCH[1]}"
-MINOR="${BASH_REMATCH[2]}"
-PATCH="${BASH_REMATCH[3]}"
-
-# Calculate new version based on semver segment to bump
-case "$SEMVER_SEGMENT_TO_BUMP" in
-    "MAJOR")
-        NEW_MAJOR=$((MAJOR + 1))
-        NEW_MINOR=0
-        NEW_PATCH=0
-        ;;
-    "MINOR")
-        NEW_MAJOR=$MAJOR
-        NEW_MINOR=$((MINOR + 1))
-        NEW_PATCH=0
-        ;;
-    "PATCH")
-        NEW_MAJOR=$MAJOR
-        NEW_MINOR=$MINOR
-        NEW_PATCH=$((PATCH + 1))
-        ;;
-esac
-
-case "$SEMVER_SEGMENT_TO_BUMP" in
-    # For MAJOR/MINOR bumps, release the .0 version and prepare the next patch snapshot
-    "MAJOR"|"MINOR")
-        # Release version is the bumped version with patch 0
-        CURRENT_RELEASE_VERSION="${NEW_MAJOR}.${NEW_MINOR}.0"
-        # Next snapshot is patch 1
-        NEW_SNAPSHOT="${NEW_MAJOR}.${NEW_MINOR}.1-SNAPSHOT"
-        ;;
-    "PATCH")
-        # For patch bumps, use the original logic
-        NEW_SNAPSHOT="${NEW_MAJOR}.${NEW_MINOR}.${NEW_PATCH}-SNAPSHOT"
-        ;;
-esac
-
-echo "New snapshot version: $NEW_SNAPSHOT"
-
-# Update properties file with current release version
-echo "Creating release commit for version: $CURRENT_RELEASE_VERSION"
-sed -i "s/^sdk.version=.*/sdk.version=$CURRENT_RELEASE_VERSION/" "$PROPERTIES_FILE"
-
-# Commit release version
-git add "$PROPERTIES_FILE"
-git commit -m "release $CURRENT_RELEASE_VERSION"
-
-# Create tag
-git tag "v$CURRENT_RELEASE_VERSION"
-echo "Created tag: v$CURRENT_RELEASE_VERSION"
-
-# Update properties file with new snapshot version
-echo "Creating snapshot commit for version: $NEW_SNAPSHOT"
-sed -i "s/^sdk.version=.*/sdk.version=$NEW_SNAPSHOT/" "$PROPERTIES_FILE"
-
-# Commit new snapshot version
-git add "$PROPERTIES_FILE"
-git commit -m "begin $NEW_SNAPSHOT"
-
-git log --oneline -n 3 # print out what we just did
-# Push if requested
-if [[ "$PUSH" == "true" ]]; then
-    echo "Pushing commits and tags to origin..."
-    git push origin "$BRANCH"
-    git push origin "v$CURRENT_RELEASE_VERSION"
-    echo "Successfully pushed release $CURRENT_RELEASE_VERSION and new snapshot $NEW_SNAPSHOT"
-else
-    echo "Skipping push (--push=false)"
-    echo "To push manually, run:"
-    echo "  git push origin $BRANCH"
-    echo "  git push origin v$CURRENT_RELEASE_VERSION"
-fi
-
-echo "Release process completed successfully!"
diff --git a/scripts/release.sh b/scripts/release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..f541389
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+
+# Usage function
+usage() {
+    echo "Usage: ./scripts/release.sh <version> [--dry-run] [--skip-push]"
+}
+
+# Parse arguments
+VERSION=""
+DRY_RUN=false
+SKIP_PUSH=false
+
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+    case $1 in
+        --dry-run)
+            DRY_RUN=true
+            shift
+            ;;
+        --skip-push)
+            SKIP_PUSH=true
+            shift
+            ;;
+        -h|--help)
+            usage
+            exit 0
+            ;;
+        *)
+            if [[ -z "$VERSION" ]]; then
+                VERSION="$1"
+            else
+                echo "Error: Unknown argument: $1" >&2
+                usage
+                exit 1
+            fi
+            shift
+            ;;
+    esac
+done
+
+if [[ -z "$VERSION" ]]; then
+    echo "Error: Version is required" >&2
+    usage
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Validate version format (basic semver check)
+if [[ ! "$VERSION" =~ ^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(-[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+)?$ ]]; then
+    echo "Error: Version must follow semantic versioning format (e.g., v1.2.3 or v1.2.3-beta.1)" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if ! git diff-index --quiet HEAD --; then
+    echo "Error: Working directory is not clean." >&2
+    git status --porcelain
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Check if local branch is in sync with remote
+CURRENT_BRANCH=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
+git fetch origin "$CURRENT_BRANCH" > /dev/null 2>&1 || {
+    echo "Error: Failed to fetch remote branch '$CURRENT_BRANCH'" >&2
+    exit 1
+}
+
+LOCAL_COMMIT=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
+REMOTE_COMMIT=$(git rev-parse "origin/$CURRENT_BRANCH" 2>/dev/null || echo "")
+
+if [[ -z "$REMOTE_COMMIT" ]]; then
+    echo "Error: Remote branch 'origin/$CURRENT_BRANCH' does not exist" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if [[ "$LOCAL_COMMIT" != "$REMOTE_COMMIT" ]]; then
+    echo "Error: Local branch '$CURRENT_BRANCH' is not in sync with remote 'origin/$CURRENT_BRANCH'" >&2
+    echo "Local:  $LOCAL_COMMIT"
+    echo "Remote: $REMOTE_COMMIT"
+    echo "Please pull or push to sync before releasing."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if git tag --list | grep -q "^$VERSION$"; then
+    echo "Error: Version '$VERSION' already exists locally" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Check remote tags
+git fetch --tags > /dev/null 2>&1 || true
+if git ls-remote --tags origin | grep -q "refs/tags/$VERSION$"; then
+    echo "Error: Version '$VERSION' already exists on remote" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Show release information
+COMMIT=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
+SHORT_COMMIT=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)
+REPO_URL=$(git config --get remote.origin.url | sed 's/git@github.com:/https:\/\/github.com\//' | sed 's/\.git$//')
+LAST_TAG=$(git tag --sort=-version:refname | grep -v -- '-rc' | head -n 1 2>/dev/null || echo "")
+
+echo "================================================"
+echo " Java SDK Release"
+echo "================================================"
+printf "%-13s %s\n" "version:" "$VERSION"
+printf "%-13s %s\n" "commit:" "$SHORT_COMMIT"
+printf "%-13s %s\n" "code:" "$REPO_URL/commit/$COMMIT"
+if [[ -n "$LAST_TAG" ]]; then
+    printf "%-13s %s\n" "changeset:" "$REPO_URL/compare/$LAST_TAG...$COMMIT"
+else
+    printf "%-13s %s\n" "changeset:" "$REPO_URL/commits/$COMMIT"
+fi
+echo ""
+
+# Confirmation prompt (skip in dry-run)
+if [[ "$DRY_RUN" == true ]]; then
+    echo "dry-run was requested. Bailing"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+read -p "Are you ready to release version $VERSION? Type 'YOLO' to continue: " -r
+echo ""
+if [[ "$REPLY" != "YOLO" ]]; then
+    echo "Release aborted"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+if ! ./gradlew check; then
+    echo "Error: ./gradlew check" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+git tag -a "$VERSION" -m "Release $VERSION"
+if [[ "$SKIP_PUSH" == true ]]; then
+    echo "skip-push was requested. tag is created locally but not pushed. Do what you will."
+    exit 0
+fi
+git push origin "$VERSION"
+
+echo "================================================"
+echo " Release Complete!"
+echo "================================================"
+echo "Version $VERSION has been created and pushed to origin."
+echo ""
+echo "View changelog: $REPO_URL/releases/tag/$VERSION"
diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/braintrust/trace/BraintrustTracing.java b/src/main/java/dev/braintrust/trace/BraintrustTracing.java
index 5e46c69..9f636a6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/braintrust/trace/BraintrustTracing.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/braintrust/trace/BraintrustTracing.java
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@
 import io.opentelemetry.sdk.trace.export.BatchSpanProcessor;
 import io.opentelemetry.semconv.resource.attributes.ResourceAttributes;
 import java.time.Duration;
-import java.util.HashMap;
-import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
@@ -31,6 +29,7 @@
  */
 @Slf4j
 public final class BraintrustTracing {
+    static final String OTEL_SERVICE_NAME = "braintrust-app";
     static final String INSTRUMENTATION_NAME = "braintrust-java";
     static final String INSTRUMENTATION_VERSION = loadVersionFromProperties();
 
@@ -85,21 +84,21 @@ public static void enable(
             @Nonnull SdkTracerProviderBuilder tracerProviderBuilder,
             @Nonnull SdkLoggerProviderBuilder loggerProviderBuilder,
             @Nonnull SdkMeterProviderBuilder meterProviderBuilder) {
-        // NOTE: these options are hardcoded for now. We'll move them into braintrust config
-        // as-needed
-        final Map<String, String> resourceAttributes = new HashMap<>();
-        final String serviceName = "braintrust-app";
         final Duration exportInterval = Duration.ofSeconds(5);
         final int maxQueueSize = 2048;
         final int maxExportBatchSize = 512;
-        log.info("Initializing Braintrust OpenTelemetry with service={}", serviceName);
+        log.info(
+                "Initializing Braintrust OpenTelemetry with service={}, instrumentation-name={},"
+                        + " instrumentation-version={}",
+                OTEL_SERVICE_NAME,
+                INSTRUMENTATION_NAME,
+                INSTRUMENTATION_VERSION);
 
         // Create resource first so BraintrustSpanProcessor can access service.name
         var resourceBuilder =
                 Resource.getDefault().toBuilder()
-                        .put(ResourceAttributes.SERVICE_NAME, serviceName)
+                        .put(ResourceAttributes.SERVICE_NAME, OTEL_SERVICE_NAME)
                         .put(ResourceAttributes.SERVICE_VERSION, INSTRUMENTATION_VERSION);
-        resourceAttributes.forEach(resourceBuilder::put);
         var resource = resourceBuilder.build();
 
         // spans
diff --git a/src/main/resources/braintrust.properties b/src/main/resources/braintrust.properties
deleted file mode 100644
index 703f6d7..0000000
--- a/src/main/resources/braintrust.properties
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-sdk.version=0.0.1-SNAPSHOT
\ No newline at end of file