diff --git a/.github/actions/job-prerequisites/action.yaml b/.github/actions/job-prerequisites/action.yaml
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..0b080d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/job-prerequisites/action.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+name: Job prerequisites
+
+runs:
+  using: "composite"
+  steps:
+    - name: Harden Runner
+      uses: step-security/harden-runner@v2
+      with:
+        egress-policy: audit
+    - name: Checkout repository
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        ssh-key: ${{ secrets.BOT_SSH_KEY }}
+    - name: Setup Python
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+      with:
+        python-version: '3.12'
+        cache: 'pip'
+    - name: Install Python dependencies
+      run: pip3 install -r ./scripts/requirements.txt
diff --git a/.github/workflows/create-release-branch.yaml b/.github/workflows/create-release-branch.yaml
index d2004cc..31b84bb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/create-release-branch.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/create-release-branch.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@ on:
         required: false
         default: ""  # defaults to all matching branches (main and release branches)
         description: Run on which k8s-snap branches (space separated). If empty, it will run on all matching branches (main and release branches).
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      branches:
+        type: string
+        required: false
+        default: ""  # defaults to all matching branches (main and release branches)
+        description: Run on which k8s-snap branches (space separated). If empty, it will run on all matching branches (main and release branches).
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
diff --git a/.github/workflows/update-pre-release-branches.yaml b/.github/workflows/update-pre-release-branches.yaml
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..9514e3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/update-pre-release-branches.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+name: Auto-update pre-release branches
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - .github/workflows/update-pre-release-branches.yaml
+  schedule:
+    # Run 20 minutes after midnight, giving the k8s-snap nightly job
+    # enough time to pick up new k8s releases and setup the git branches.
+    - cron: "20 0 * * *"
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  determine:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      preRelease: ${{ steps.determine.outputs.preRelease }}
+      gitBranch: ${{ steps.determine.outputs.gitBranch }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Prerequisites
+        uses: ./.github/actions/job-prerequisites
+      - name: Determine outstanding pre-release
+        id: determine
+        run: |
+          preRelease=`python3 ./scripts/k8s_releases.py get_outstanding_prerelease`
+          echo "preRelease=$preRelease" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+          if [[ -n "$preRelease" ]]; then
+            gitBranch="autoupdate/$preRelease"
+          fi
+          echo "gitBranch=$gitBranch" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+      - name: Create pre-release branch ${{ steps.determine.outputs.gitBranch }}
+        if: ${{ steps.determine.outputs.preRelease }} != ''
+        uses: ./.github/workflows/create-release-branch.yaml
+        with:
+          branches: ${{ steps.determine.outputs.gitBranch }}
+      - name: Clean obsolete branches
+        run: |
+          git fetch origin
+
+          # Log the latest release for reference.
+          latestRelease=`python3 ./scripts/k8s_releases.py get_latest_release`
+          echo "Latest k8s release: $latestRelease"
+
+          for outstandingPreRelease in `python3 ./scripts/k8s_releases.py get_obsolete_prereleases`; do
+            gitBranch="autoupdate/${outstandingPreRelease}"
+            echo "Cleaning up obsolete pre-release branch: $gitBranch"
+            # TODO
+          done
+  handle-pre-release:
+    name: Handle pre-release ${{ needs.determine.outputs.preRelease }}
+    needs: [determine]
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/create-release-branch.yaml
+    if: ${{ needs.determine.outputs.preRelease }} != ''
+    with:
+      branches: ${{ needs.determine.outputs.gitBranch }}
+  clean-obsolete:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Prerequisites
+        uses: ./.github/actions/job-prerequisites
+      - name: Clean obsolete branches
+        run: |
+          git fetch origin
+
+          # Log the latest release for reference.
+          latestRelease=`python3 ./scripts/k8s_releases.py get_latest_release`
+          echo "Latest k8s release: $latestRelease"
+
+          for outstandingPreRelease in `python3 ./scripts/k8s_releases.py get_obsolete_prereleases`; do
+            gitBranch="autoupdate/${outstandingPreRelease}"
+            echo "Cleaning up obsolete pre-release branch: $gitBranch"
+            # TODO
+          done
diff --git a/scripts/k8s_releases.py b/scripts/k8s_releases.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..ddec88b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/k8s_releases.py
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import json
+import sys
+from typing import List, Optional
+
+import requests
+from packaging.version import Version
+
+K8S_TAGS_URL = "https://api.github.com/repos/kubernetes/kubernetes/tags"
+
+
+def _url_get(url: str) -> str:
+    r = requests.get(url, timeout=5)
+    r.raise_for_status()
+    return r.text
+
+
+def get_k8s_tags() -> List[str]:
+    """Retrieve semantically ordered k8s releases, newest to oldest."""
+    response = _url_get(K8S_TAGS_URL)
+    tags_json = json.loads(response)
+    if len(tags_json) == 0:
+        raise Exception("No k8s tags retrieved.")
+    tag_names = [tag['name'] for tag in tags_json]
+    # Github already sorts the tags semantically but let's not rely on that.
+    tag_names.sort(key=lambda x: Version(x), reverse=True)
+    return tag_names
+
+
+# k8s release naming:
+# * alpha:  v{major}.{minor}.{patch}-alpha.{version}
+# * beta:   v{major}.{minor}.{patch}-beta.{version}
+# * rc:     v{major}.{minor}.{patch}-rc.{version}
+# * stable: v{major}.{minor}.{patch}
+def is_stable_release(release: str):
+    return "-" not in release
+
+
+def get_latest_stable() -> str:
+    k8s_tags = get_k8s_tags()
+    for tag in k8s_tags:
+        if is_stable_release(tag):
+            return tag
+    raise Exception(
+        "Couldn't find stable release, received tags: %s" % k8s_tags)
+
+
+def get_latest_release() -> str:
+    k8s_tags = get_k8s_tags()
+    return k8s_tags[0]
+
+
+def get_outstanding_prerelease() -> Optional[str]:
+    latest_release = get_latest_release()
+    if not is_stable_release(latest_release):
+        return latest_release
+    # The latest release is a stable release, no outstanding pre-release.
+    return None
+
+
+def get_obsolete_prereleases() -> List[str]:
+    """Return obsolete K8s pre-releases.
+
+    We only keep the latest pre-release if there is no corresponding stable
+    release. All previous pre-releases are discarded.
+    """
+    k8s_tags = get_k8s_tags()
+    if not is_stable_release(k8s_tags[0]):
+        # Valid pre-release
+        k8s_tags = k8s_tags[1:]
+    # Discard all other pre-releases.
+    return [tag for tag in k8s_tags if not is_stable_release(tag)]
+
+
+# Rudimentary CLI that exposes these functions to shell scripts or GH actions.
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    if len(sys.argv) != 2:
+        sys.stderr.write(f"Usage: {sys.argv[0]} <function>\n")
+        sys.exit(1)
+    f = locals()[sys.argv[1]]
+    out = f()
+    if isinstance(out, (list, tuple)):
+        for item in out:
+            print(item)
+    else:
+        print(out or "")
diff --git a/scripts/requirements.txt b/scripts/requirements.txt
index 9261e98..db6c9e9 100644
--- a/scripts/requirements.txt
+++ b/scripts/requirements.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ httplib2==0.22.0
 launchpadlib==1.11.0
 lazr-restfulclient==0.14.6
 lazr-uri==1.0.6
+packaging==24.2
+requests==2.32.3
 semver==3.0.2
 six==1.16.0
 tox==4.20.0
diff --git a/test_requirements.txt b/test_requirements.txt
index 031ed92..920b206 100644
--- a/test_requirements.txt
+++ b/test_requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 freezegun
 pytest
+types-requests