diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bb65e4d..dda6dca 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -17,9 +17,11 @@ Set of [semantic-release](https://github.com/semantic-release/semantic-release)
 {
   "release": {
     "verifyConditions": "semantic-release-docker",
+    "prepare": "semantic-release-docker",
     "publish": {
       "path": "semantic-release-docker",
-      "name": "username/imagename"
+      "name": "username/imagename",
+      "buildCmd": "docker build -t username/imagename .
     }
   }
 }
@@ -29,7 +31,12 @@ Set of [semantic-release](https://github.com/semantic-release/semantic-release)
 
 Your credentials have to be configured with the environment variables `DOCKER_USERNAME` and `DOCKER_PASSWORD`.
 
-In addition, you need to specify the name of the image as the `name` setting.
+In addition, you need to specify
+* the name of the image as the `name` setting
+* your Docker build command as `buildCmd`
+
+Optionally
+* your package root as `pkgRoot` - make sure you have the correct path in your build command, too.
 
 ## Plugins
 
@@ -37,6 +44,10 @@ In addition, you need to specify the name of the image as the `name` setting.
 
 Verify that all needed configuration is present and login to the Docker registry.
 
+### `prepare`
+
+Update `package.json` version, and build Docker image.
+
 ### `publish`
 
 Tag the image specified by `name` with the new version, push it to Docker Hub and update the `latest` tag.
@@ -52,7 +63,6 @@ jobs:
       services:
         - docker
       script:
-        - docker build -t username/imagename .
         - npm run semantic-release
 
 stages:
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 2ba859f..0f8a566 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 const verifyConditions = require('./lib/verify')
 const publish = require('./lib/publish')
+const prepare = require('./lib/prepare')
 
 module.exports = {
   verifyConditions,
+  prepare,
   publish,
 }
diff --git a/lib/prepare.js b/lib/prepare.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2fa5e75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/prepare.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+/*
+Blatantly copied from semantic-release/npm by Pierre Vanduynslager (https://twitter.com/@pvdlg_)
+https://github.com/semantic-release/npm
+*/
+
+const execa = require('execa')
+const updatePackageVersion = require('./update-package-version')
+
+module.exports = async ({ name, buildCmd, pkgRoot }, version, logger) => {
+  const basePath = pkgRoot || '.'
+  await updatePackageVersion(version, basePath, logger)
+
+  logger.log(`Building ${name} Docker image using command: ${buildCmd}`)
+
+  execa(`${buildCmd}`, { stdio: 'inherit' })
+}
diff --git a/lib/update-package-version.js b/lib/update-package-version.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..56e8a5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/update-package-version.js
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/*
+Blatantly copied from semantic-release/npm by Pierre Vanduynslager (https://twitter.com/@pvdlg_)
+https://github.com/semantic-release/npm
+*/
+
+const path = require('path')
+const parseJson = require('parse-json')
+const detectIndent = require('detect-indent')
+const detectNewline = require('detect-newline')
+const { readFile, writeJson, pathExists } = require('fs-extra')
+
+const DEFAULT_INDENT = 2
+const DEFAULT_NEWLINE = '\n'
+
+module.exports = async (version, basePath, logger) => {
+  const packagePath = path.join(basePath, 'package.json')
+  const shrinkwrapPath = path.join(basePath, 'npm-shrinkwrap.json')
+  const packageLockPath = path.join(basePath, 'package-lock.json')
+  const pkg = await readFile(packagePath, 'utf8')
+
+  await writeJson(packagePath, { ...parseJson(pkg), ...{ version } }, getWriteOptions(pkg))
+  logger.log('Wrote version %s to %s', version, packagePath)
+
+  if (await pathExists(shrinkwrapPath)) {
+    const shrinkwrap = await readFile(shrinkwrapPath, 'utf8')
+    await writeJson(shrinkwrapPath, { ...parseJson(shrinkwrap), ...{ version } }, getWriteOptions(shrinkwrap))
+    logger.log('Wrote version %s to %s', version, shrinkwrapPath)
+  }
+
+  if (await pathExists(packageLockPath)) {
+    const packageLock = await readFile(packageLockPath, 'utf8')
+    await writeJson(packageLockPath, { ...parseJson(packageLock), ...{ version } }, getWriteOptions(packageLock))
+    logger.log('Wrote version %s to %s', version, packageLockPath)
+  }
+}
+
+function getWriteOptions(content) {
+  return { spaces: detectIndent(content).indent || DEFAULT_INDENT, EOL: detectNewline(content) || DEFAULT_NEWLINE }
+}
diff --git a/lib/verify.js b/lib/verify.js
index 34e2150..2725c99 100644
--- a/lib/verify.js
+++ b/lib/verify.js
@@ -1,11 +1,17 @@
 const execa = require('execa')
 
-module.exports = async (pluginConfig, { logger }) => {
+module.exports = async ({ buildCmd, name }, { logger }) => {
   for (const envVar of ['DOCKER_USERNAME', 'DOCKER_PASSWORD']) {
     if (!process.env[envVar]) {
       throw new Error(`Environment variable ${envVar} is not set`)
     }
   }
+  if (!buildCmd) {
+    throw new Error(`Docker build command (buildCmd) is not set`)
+  }
+  if (!name) {
+    throw new Error(`Docker image name (name) is not set`)
+  }
   try {
     await execa('docker', ['login', '-u=' + process.env.DOCKER_USERNAME, '-p=' + process.env.DOCKER_PASSWORD], {
       stdio: 'inherit',
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index cfd73fd..86a8de3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -34,7 +34,11 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@semantic-release/error": "^2.1.0",
-    "execa": "^0.10.0"
+    "detect-indent": "^5.0.0",
+    "detect-newline": "^2.1.0",
+    "execa": "^0.10.0",
+    "fs-extra": "^6.0.1",
+    "parse-json": "^4.0.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "cz-conventional-changelog": "^2.0.0",