diff --git a/RELEASING.md b/RELEASING.md
index 4a1075eec..a8c4c51b9 100644
--- a/RELEASING.md
+++ b/RELEASING.md
@@ -1,13 +1,48 @@
 # Releasing Ziti
 
-Release happen by merging from the release-next branch to main.
+## Release-next Pre-requisites
 
-## Release pre-requisites
+Perform these steps in PR branches based on release-next (trunk).
 
-1. Make sure you have a clean build in GitHub Actions.
-2. Make sure you have a clean build in Jenkins smoketest (until smoketest is superceded by fablab smoke in GH)
-3. Make sure CHANGELOG.md is up to date
-    1. You can use `ziti-ci build-release-notes` to generate ziti library version updates and issues fixed,
-       as long as the git commit has `fixed #<issue number>` (or fixes, closes, closed, etc)
-4. Create a PR to merge release-next to main, once it's approved you can merge and the release will happen.
+1. Tidy dependencies.
+    1. Ensure you have downloaded the `@latest` artifact from the dependency(ies) you are updating in the main Ziti project, e.g.,
 
+        ```bash
+        go get -u github.com/openziti/edge@latest
+        ```
+
+    2. Run `go mod tidy` in the main Ziti project and in the `./zititest` sub-tree.
+
+        ```bash
+        go mod tidy
+        cd ./zititest
+        go mod tidy
+        cd ..
+        ```
+
+2. Ensure the `go build` command succeeds. It' not necessary to store the build artifact(s).
+
+    ```bash
+    go build ./...
+    ```
+
+3. Ensure the `go test` command succeeds.
+
+    ```bash
+    go test ./...
+    ```
+
+4. Ensure PR checks succeed.
+    1. Make sure you have a clean build in GitHub Actions.
+    2. Make sure you have a clean build in fablab smoketest.
+5. Ensure CHANGELOG.md is up to date.
+    1. Run `ziti-ci build-release-notes` in your PR branch to generate library version updates and summarize issues
+    fixed, as long as the git commit has `fixed #<issue number>` (or fixes, closes, closed, etc.).
+    1. Sanity-check and paste the output into CHANGELOG.md under a heading like `## Component Updates and Bug Fixes`.
+
+## Release Pre-requisites
+
+Perform these steps in the release-next (trunk) branch which is based on main to release Ziti.
+
+1. Create a PR to merge release-next to main. Release happens by merging from the release-next branch to main.
+2. Ensure PR checks succeed.