diff --git a/.ci/Dockerfile b/.ci/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c114c1dded
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.ci/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+FROM node:16
+
+WORKDIR /usr/src/app
+
+RUN pwd
+RUN npm install \
+    make setup
diff --git a/.ci/bump.sh b/.ci/bump.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..6c434a1932
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.ci/bump.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+if [[ -z $VERSION ]]; then
+  echo "Required environment variable VERSION not set"
+  exit 1;
+fi
+
+# If VERSION is x.y.z, set it to x.y
+if [[ ${VERSION} =~ [0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+ ]]; then
+  VERSION=${VERSION%.*}
+fi
+
+sed -i "s/\(STACK_VERSION:\s\)\([0-9.]\+\)\(-SNAPSHOT\)/\1$VERSION\3/" .github/workflows/validate-pr.yml
diff --git a/.ci/make.sh b/.ci/make.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..9818c454e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.ci/make.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# ------------------------------------------------------- #
+#
+# Build entry script for elasticsearch-specification
+#
+# Must be called: ./.ci/make.sh <target> <params>
+#
+# Version: 1.1.0
+#
+# Targets:
+# ---------------------------
+# bump     <VERSION> : bump client internals to version
+# ------------------------------------------------------- #
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------- #
+# Bootstrap
+# ------------------------------------------------------- #
+script_path=$(dirname "$(realpath -s "$0")")
+repo=$(realpath "$script_path/../")
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC1090
+CMD=$1
+VERSION=$2
+set -euo pipefail
+
+product="elastic/elasticsearch-specification"
+case $CMD in
+  bump)
+    if [ -v $VERSION ]; then
+      echo -e "\033[31;1mTARGET: bump -> missing version parameter\033[0m"
+      exit 1
+    fi
+    echo -e "\033[36;1mTARGET: bump to version $VERSION\033[0m"
+    TASK=bump
+    # VERSION is BRANCH here for now
+    TASK_ARGS=("$VERSION")
+    ;;
+esac
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------- #
+# Build Container
+# ------------------------------------------------------- #
+
+echo -e "\033[34;1mINFO: building $product container\033[0m"
+docker build -t ${product} ./.ci
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------- #
+# Run the Container
+# ------------------------------------------------------- #
+
+echo -e "\033[34;1mINFO: running $product container\033[0m"
+
+docker run \
+       --env "VERSION=${VERSION}" \
+       --volume "${repo}:/usr/src/app" \
+       --rm \
+       "${product}" \
+       make $TASK
diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/validate-pr.yml
index dc377def90..663303df60 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate-pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate-pr.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ jobs:
     name: build
     if: github.repository_owner == 'elastic' # this action will fail if executed from a fork
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    env:
+      STACK_VERSION: 8.4-SNAPSHOT
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
@@ -52,7 +54,7 @@ jobs:
         working-directory: ./clients-flight-recorder
         run: |
           node scripts/upload-recording/download.js --branch latest
-          node scripts/clone-elasticsearch/index.js --version 8.4-SNAPSHOT
+          node scripts/clone-elasticsearch/index.js --version ${{ env.STACK_VERSION }}
         env:
           GCS_CREDENTIALS: ${{ secrets.GCS_CREDENTIALS }}
 
@@ -67,4 +69,4 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run validation
         working-directory: ./elasticsearch-specification
-        run: node .github/validate-pr --token ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }} --version 8.4-SNAPSHOT
+        run: node .github/validate-pr --token ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }} --version ${{ env.STACK_VERSION }}
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 727920e325..4b57b7f71a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ transform-expand-generics: ## Create a new schema with all generics expanded
 
 contrib: | generate license-check spec-format-fix 	## Pre contribution target
 
+bump:
+	@echo ">> bumping..."
+	.ci/bump.sh
+
 help:  ## Display help
 	@awk 'BEGIN {FS = ":.*##"; printf "Usage:\n  make \033[36m<target>\033[0m\n"} /^[a-zA-Z_-]+:.*?##/ { printf "  \033[36m%-15s\033[0m %s\n", $$1, $$2 } /^##@/ { printf "\n\033[1m%s\033[0m\n", substr($$0, 5) } ' $(MAKEFILE_LIST)
 #------------- <https://suva.sh/posts/well-documented-makefiles> --------------