diff --git a/osc/commandline.py b/osc/commandline.py
index 68d4db5e..fe8f7e66 100644
--- a/osc/commandline.py
+++ b/osc/commandline.py
@@ -3107,18 +3107,30 @@ Please submit there instead, or use --nodevelproject to force direct submission.
 
 
     @cmdln.option('-m', '--message', metavar='TEXT',
-                        help='specify message TEXT')
+                  help='specify message TEXT')
+    @cmdln.option('-p', '--package', metavar='PKG', action='append',
+                  help='specify packages to release')
     def do_releaserequest(self, subcmd, opts, *args):
-        """${cmd_name}: Create a request for releasing a maintenance update.
+        """${cmd_name}: Create a release request
 
-        [See http://openbuildservice.org/help/manuals/obs-reference-guide/cha.obs.maintenance_setup.html
-         for information on this topic.]
+        For maintenance incident projects:
 
         This command is used by the maintenance team to start the release process of a maintenance update.
         This includes usually testing based on the defined reviewers of the update project.
 
+        [See https://openbuildservice.org/help/manuals/obs-user-guide/cha.obs.maintenance_setup.html
+         for information on this topic.]
+
+        For normal projects:
+
+        This command is used to transfer sources and binaries without rebuilding them.
+        It requires defined release targets set to trigger="manual".
+
+        [See https://openbuildservice.org/help/manuals/obs-user-guide/cha.obs.request_and_review_system.html
+         for information on this topic.]
+
         usage:
-            osc releaserequest [ SOURCEPROJECT ]
+            osc releaserequest [-p package] [ SOURCEPROJECT ]
 
         ${cmd_option_list}
         """
@@ -3140,12 +3152,25 @@ Please submit there instead, or use --nodevelproject to force direct submission.
         if len(args) > 0:
             source_project = args[0]
 
+        f = show_project_meta(apiurl, source_project)
+        root = ET.fromstring(b''.join(f))
+
         if not opts.message:
             opts.message = edit_message()
         else:
             opts.message = str(opts.message.encode().decode('unicode_escape'))
 
-        r = create_release_request(apiurl, source_project, opts.message)
+        if 'kind' in root.attrib and root.attrib['kind'] == 'maintenance_incident':
+            r = create_release_request(apiurl, source_project, opts.message)
+        else:
+            r = Request()
+            if opts.package:
+                for pac in opts.package:
+                    r.add_action('release', src_project=source_project, src_package=pac)
+            else:
+                r.add_action('release', src_project=source_project)
+            r.description = _html_escape(opts.message)
+            r.create(apiurl)
         print(r.reqid)
 
 
diff --git a/osc/core.py b/osc/core.py
index 6613eed0..e4738fd2 100644
--- a/osc/core.py
+++ b/osc/core.py
@@ -2676,6 +2676,9 @@ class Action:
         'maintenance_release': ('src_project', 'src_package', 'src_rev', 'tgt_project', 'tgt_package', 'person_name',
                             'acceptinfo_rev', 'acceptinfo_srcmd5', 'acceptinfo_xsrcmd5', 'acceptinfo_osrcmd5',
                             'acceptinfo_oxsrcmd5', 'acceptinfo_oproject', 'acceptinfo_opackage'),
+        'release': ('src_project', 'src_package', 'src_rev', 'tgt_project', 'tgt_package', 'person_name',
+                            'acceptinfo_rev', 'acceptinfo_srcmd5', 'acceptinfo_xsrcmd5', 'acceptinfo_osrcmd5',
+                            'acceptinfo_oxsrcmd5', 'acceptinfo_oproject', 'acceptinfo_opackage', 'tgt_repository'),
         'maintenance_incident': ('src_project', 'src_package', 'src_rev', 'tgt_project', 'tgt_package', 'tgt_releaseproject', 'person_name', 'opt_sourceupdate', 'opt_makeoriginolder',
                             'acceptinfo_rev', 'acceptinfo_srcmd5', 'acceptinfo_xsrcmd5', 'acceptinfo_osrcmd5',
                             'acceptinfo_oxsrcmd5'),
@@ -2935,7 +2938,7 @@ class Request:
             srcupdate = ' '
             if action.opt_sourceupdate and show_srcupdate:
                 srcupdate = '(%s)' % action.opt_sourceupdate
-        elif action.type == 'maintenance_release':
+        elif action.type in ('maintenance_release', 'release'):
             d['source'] = '%s' % prj_pkg_join(action.src_project, action.src_package)
             if action.src_rev:
                 d['source'] = d['source'] + '@%s' % action.src_rev