diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index dcde1c16b3da7f7162d08c8ad8eca355f09ff681..286b1ab461b075c39b52b8365534a89c39861a66 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+# [3.10.0](https://gitlab.com/to-be-continuous/semantic-release/compare/3.9.1...3.10.0) (2024-05-20)
+
+
+### Features
+
+* use slim image by default (shortens job execution time)  ([8dbd5da](https://gitlab.com/to-be-continuous/semantic-release/commit/8dbd5da4b489492523e9c678fa1c2b19dcd65283))
+
 ## [3.9.1](https://gitlab.com/to-be-continuous/semantic-release/compare/3.9.0...3.9.1) (2024-05-18)
 
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0ba4d21b8a830883099445aeb549b351166b3ba6..80b0617c344766652f66dbdbcced5c04d0dca9ec 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Add the following to your `gitlab-ci.yml`:
 ```yaml
 include:
   # 1: include the component
-  - component: gitlab.com/to-be-continuous/semantic-release/gitlab-ci-semrel@3.9.1
+  - component: gitlab.com/to-be-continuous/semantic-release/gitlab-ci-semrel@3.10.0
     # 2: set/override component inputs
     inputs:
       changelog-enabled: true # ⚠ this is only an example
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ Add the following to your `gitlab-ci.yml`:
 include:
   # 1: include the template
   - project: 'to-be-continuous/semantic-release'
-    ref: '3.9.1'
+    ref: '3.10.0'
     file: '/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel.yml'
 
 variables:
@@ -240,9 +240,9 @@ With:
 ```yaml
 include:
   # main template
-  - component: gitlab.com/to-be-continuous/semantic-release/gitlab-ci-semrel@3.9.1
+  - component: gitlab.com/to-be-continuous/semantic-release/gitlab-ci-semrel@3.10.0
   # Vault variant
-  - component: gitlab.com/to-be-continuous/semantic-release/gitlab-ci-semrel-vault@3.9.1
+  - component: gitlab.com/to-be-continuous/semantic-release/gitlab-ci-semrel-vault@3.10.0
     inputs:
       vault-base-url: "https://vault.acme.host/v1"
       # audience claim for JWT
diff --git a/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel-vault.yml b/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel-vault.yml
index a37452e9adacc13f0436e13ea891f887d6ae4821..6f331784bef882aef2496da5c71a500e53cf7c06 100644
--- a/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel-vault.yml
+++ b/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel-vault.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ variables:
 .semrel-base:
   services:
     - name: "$TBC_TRACKING_IMAGE"
-      command: ["--service", "semrel", "3.9.1"]
+      command: ["--service", "semrel", "3.10.0"]
     - name: "$TBC_VAULT_IMAGE"
       alias: "vault-secrets-provider"
   variables:
diff --git a/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel.yml b/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel.yml
index 477ecd39e9c3b5ada1a6bd0e509ec5044db34e71..607ac0638576bb58d82c01a231f40a4e57778b55 100644
--- a/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel.yml
+++ b/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel.yml
@@ -735,7 +735,7 @@ stages:
   image: $SEMREL_IMAGE
   services:
     - name: "$TBC_TRACKING_IMAGE"
-      command: ["--service", "semrel", "3.9.1"]
+      command: ["--service", "semrel", "3.10.0"]
   before_script:
     - !reference [.semrel-scripts]
     - install_ca_certs "${CUSTOM_CA_CERTS:-$DEFAULT_CA_CERTS}"