diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 6b2b7b05f..d498760be 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -123,10 +123,7 @@ jobs:
         make update
         make
 
-      # Right now 'make rel' works only with rebar2, not rebar3
     - run: make rel
-      if: matrix.rebar == 2
-
     - run: make install -s
     - run: make hooks
     - run: make options
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index ee2b36e3b..2f6490d8a 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ ifeq "$(IS_REBAR3)" "1"
   DEPSBASE=_build
   DEPSDIR=$(DEPSBASE)/default/lib
   EBINDIR=$(DEPSDIR)/ejabberd/ebin
+  REBARREL=as prod tar
 else
   SKIPDEPS=skip_deps=true
   LISTDEPS=-q list-deps
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ else
   DEPSBASE=deps
   DEPSDIR=$(DEPSBASE)
   EBINDIR=ebin
+  REBARREL=generate
 endif
 
 all: deps src
@@ -357,8 +359,8 @@ distclean: clean clean-rel
 	rm -f ejabberdctl.example ejabberd.init ejabberd.service
 	[ ! -f ../ChangeLog ] || rm -f ../ChangeLog
 
-rel: all
-	$(REBAR) generate
+rel:
+	$(REBAR) $(REBARREL)
 
 TAGS:
 	etags *.erl
diff --git a/rebar.config b/rebar.config
index 046d3d921..a5eb1477f 100644
--- a/rebar.config
+++ b/rebar.config
@@ -172,6 +172,27 @@
                        {"fast_yaml", []},
                        {"stringprep", []}]}.
 
+{relx, [{release, {ejabberd, {cmd, "grep {vsn, vars.config | sed 's|{vsn, \"||;s|\"}.||' | tr -d '\012'"}},
+         [ejabberd, odbc]},
+        {sys_config, "./rel/sys.config"},
+        {vm_args, "./rel/vm.args"},
+        {overlay_vars, "vars.config"},
+        {extended_start_script, true},
+        {overlay, [{mkdir, "var/log/ejabberd"},
+                   {mkdir, "var/lock"},
+                   {mkdir, "var/lib/ejabberd"},
+                   {mkdir, "etc/ejabberd"},
+                   {copy, "rel/files/erl", "\{\{erts_vsn\}\}/bin/erl"}, % in rebar2 this prepends erts-
+                   {template, "ejabberdctl.template", "bin/ejabberdctl"},
+                   {copy, "inetrc", "etc/ejabberd/inetrc"},
+                   {copy, "rel/files/install_upgrade.escript", "bin/install_upgrade.escript"}]}
+        ]}.
+
+{profiles, [{prod, [{relx, [{mode, prod},
+                            {overlay, [{copy, "sql/*", "lib/ejabberd-\{\{release_version\}\}/priv/sql/"},
+                                       {copy, "ejabberdctl.cfg.example", "etc/ejabberd/ejabberdctl.cfg"},
+                                       {copy, "ejabberd.yml.example", "etc/ejabberd/ejabberd.yml"}]}]}]},
+            {test, [{erl_opts, [nowarn_export_all]}]}]}.
 %% Local Variables:
 %% mode: erlang
 %% End:
diff --git a/rebar.config.script b/rebar.config.script
index a2e31ef4f..21f35b50c 100644
--- a/rebar.config.script
+++ b/rebar.config.script
@@ -339,6 +339,14 @@ fun(Deps, FDeps) ->
 		  end, Deps)
 end,
 
+ProcessRelx = fun(Relx, Deps) ->
+    {value, {release, NameVersion, DefaultApps}, RelxTail} = lists:keytake(release, 1, Relx),
+    DepApps = lists:map(fun({DepName, _, _}) -> DepName;
+                        ({DepName, _}) -> DepName
+                end, Deps),
+    [{release, NameVersion, DefaultApps ++ DepApps} | RelxTail]
+    end,
+
 GithubConfig = case {os:getenv("GITHUB_ACTIONS"), os:getenv("GITHUB_TOKEN")} of
   {"true", Token} when is_list(Token) ->
     CONFIG1 = [{coveralls_repo_token, Token},
@@ -374,6 +382,8 @@ Rules = [
 	  ProcessErlOpt, []},
 	 {[xref_queries], [xref_exclusions], true,
 	  AppendList2(ProcssXrefExclusions), [], []},
+	 {[relx], [deps], IsRebar3,
+	  ProcessRelx, [], []},
 	 {[deps], [floating_deps], true,
 	  ProcessFloatingDeps, [], []},
 	 {[deps], [gitonly_deps], IsRebar3,
diff --git a/rel/sys.config b/rel/sys.config
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ff6f0f368
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rel/sys.config
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[{ejabberd, [{config, "etc/ejabberd/ejabberd.yml"},
+             {log_path, "var/log/ejabberd/ejabberd.log"}]}].
diff --git a/rel/vm.args b/rel/vm.args
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..29858b0dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rel/vm.args
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+## Name of the node
+-sname ejabberd@localhost
+
+## Cookie for distributed erlang
+#-setcookie ejabberd
+
+-mnesia dir \"var/lib/ejabberd\"
+
+## Heartbeat management; auto-restarts VM if it dies or becomes unresponsive
+## (Disabled by default..use with caution!)
+##-heart
+
+## Enable kernel poll and a few async threads
+##+K true
+##+A 5
+
+## Increase number of concurrent ports/sockets
+##-env ERL_MAX_PORTS 4096
+
+## Tweak GC to run more often
+##-env ERL_FULLSWEEP_AFTER 10
+
+# +B [c | d | i]
+# Option c makes Ctrl-C interrupt the current shell instead of invoking the emulator break
+# handler. Option d (same as specifying +B without an extra option) disables the break handler. # Option i makes the emulator ignore any break signal.
+# If option c is used with oldshell on Unix, Ctrl-C will restart the shell process rather than
+# interrupt it.
+# Disable the emulator break handler
+# it easy to accidentally type ctrl-c when trying
+# to reach for ctrl-d. ctrl-c on a live node can
+# have very undesirable results
+##+Bi
diff --git a/src/ejabberd.app.src.script b/src/ejabberd.app.src.script
index 8248d9c16..67a7a470d 100644
--- a/src/ejabberd.app.src.script
+++ b/src/ejabberd.app.src.script
@@ -20,10 +20,14 @@ Vars = case file:consult(filename:join([filename:dirname(SCRIPT), "..", "vars.co
      cache_tab,
      eimp,
      fast_tls,
+     fast_xml,
      fast_yaml,
      lager,
+     p1_acme,
      p1_utils,
      pkix,
+     stringprep,
+     yconf,
      xmpp]},
   {mod, {ejabberd_app, []}}]}.