diff --git a/packages/maker/zip/package.json b/packages/maker/zip/package.json
index 214da07f17..d43e20e644 100644
--- a/packages/maker/zip/package.json
+++ b/packages/maker/zip/package.json
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
   "typings": "dist/MakerZIP.d.ts",
   "devDependencies": {
     "chai": "^4.3.3",
-    "mocha": "^9.0.1"
+    "mocha": "^9.0.1",
+    "sinon": "^13.0.1"
   },
   "engines": {
     "node": ">= 14.17.5"
@@ -18,7 +19,8 @@
     "@electron-forge/maker-base": "^6.0.4",
     "@electron-forge/shared-types": "^6.0.4",
     "cross-zip": "^4.0.0",
-    "fs-extra": "^10.0.0"
+    "fs-extra": "^10.0.0",
+    "got": "^11.8.5"
   },
   "publishConfig": {
     "access": "public"
diff --git a/packages/maker/zip/src/Config.ts b/packages/maker/zip/src/Config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a97d6634c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/maker/zip/src/Config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+export interface MakerZIPConfig {
+  /**
+   * A URL to the directory containing your existing macOS auto-update
+   * RELEASES.json file.  If given this maker will download the existing
+   * file and add this release to it, also setting the "currentRelease" to
+   * this release.
+   *
+   * For instance if your URL is "https://update.example.com/my-app/darwin/x64/RELEASES.json"
+   * you should provide "https://update.example.com/my-app/darwin/x64".  This logic assumes
+   * that you published your files using a forge publisher compatible with the auto updater (e.g. S3).
+   *
+   * Publishing this RELEASES.json will result in clients downloading this version
+   * as an update.
+   *
+   * If this option is not set no RELEASES.json file will be generated.
+   */
+  macUpdateManifestBaseUrl?: string;
+  /**
+   * Only used if `squirrelMacManifestBaseUrl` is provided. Used to populate
+   * the "notes" field of the releases manifest for macOS updates.
+   */
+  macUpdateReleaseNotes?: string;
+}
diff --git a/packages/maker/zip/src/MakerZIP.ts b/packages/maker/zip/src/MakerZIP.ts
index 83d25fcd5f..34e06b59a2 100644
--- a/packages/maker/zip/src/MakerZIP.ts
+++ b/packages/maker/zip/src/MakerZIP.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,28 @@
 import path from 'path';
 import { promisify } from 'util';
 
-import { EmptyConfig, MakerBase, MakerOptions } from '@electron-forge/maker-base';
+import { MakerBase, MakerOptions } from '@electron-forge/maker-base';
 import { ForgePlatform } from '@electron-forge/shared-types';
+import fs from 'fs-extra';
+import got from 'got';
 
-export type MakerZIPConfig = EmptyConfig;
+import { MakerZIPConfig } from './Config';
+
+type SquirrelMacRelease = {
+  version: string;
+  updateTo: {
+    version: string;
+    pub_date: string;
+    notes: string;
+    name: string;
+    url: string;
+  };
+};
+
+type SquirrelMacReleases = {
+  currentRelease: string;
+  releases: SquirrelMacRelease[];
+};
 
 export default class MakerZIP extends MakerBase<MakerZIPConfig> {
   name = 'zip';
@@ -20,13 +38,51 @@ export default class MakerZIP extends MakerBase<MakerZIPConfig> {
 
     const zipDir = ['darwin', 'mas'].includes(targetPlatform) ? path.resolve(dir, `${appName}.app`) : dir;
 
-    const zipPath = path.resolve(makeDir, 'zip', targetPlatform, targetArch, `${path.basename(dir)}-${packageJSON.version}.zip`);
+    const zipName = `${path.basename(dir)}-${packageJSON.version}.zip`;
+    const zipPath = path.resolve(makeDir, 'zip', targetPlatform, targetArch, zipName);
 
     await this.ensureFile(zipPath);
     await promisify(zip)(zipDir, zipPath);
 
+    // Only generate RELEASES.json for darwin builds (not MAS)
+    if (targetPlatform === 'darwin' && this.config.macUpdateManifestBaseUrl) {
+      const parsed = new URL(this.config.macUpdateManifestBaseUrl);
+      parsed.pathname += '/RELEASES.json';
+      const response = await got.get(parsed.toString());
+      let currentValue: SquirrelMacReleases = {
+        currentRelease: '',
+        releases: [],
+      };
+      if (response.statusCode === 200) {
+        currentValue = JSON.parse(response.body);
+      }
+      const updateUrl = new URL(this.config.macUpdateManifestBaseUrl);
+      updateUrl.pathname += `/${zipName}`;
+      // Remove existing release if it is already in the manifest
+      currentValue.releases = currentValue.releases || [];
+      currentValue.releases = currentValue.releases.filter((release) => release.version !== packageJSON.version);
+      // Add the current version as the current release
+      currentValue.currentRelease = packageJSON.version;
+      currentValue.releases.push({
+        version: packageJSON.version,
+        updateTo: {
+          name: `${appName} v${packageJSON.version}`,
+          version: packageJSON.version,
+          pub_date: new Date().toISOString(),
+          url: updateUrl.toString(),
+          notes: this.config.macUpdateReleaseNotes || '',
+        },
+      });
+
+      const releasesPath = path.resolve(makeDir, 'zip', targetPlatform, targetArch, 'RELEASES.json');
+      await this.ensureFile(releasesPath);
+      await fs.writeJson(releasesPath, currentValue);
+
+      return [zipPath, releasesPath];
+    }
+
     return [zipPath];
   }
 }
 
-export { MakerZIP };
+export { MakerZIP, MakerZIPConfig };
diff --git a/packages/maker/zip/test/MakerZip_spec.ts b/packages/maker/zip/test/MakerZip_spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..54d4aafe96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/maker/zip/test/MakerZip_spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,198 @@
+import os from 'os';
+import path from 'path';
+
+import { ForgeArch } from '@electron-forge/shared-types';
+import { expect } from 'chai';
+import fs from 'fs-extra';
+import got from 'got';
+import { SinonStub, stub } from 'sinon';
+
+import { MakerZIPConfig } from '../src/Config';
+import { MakerZIP } from '../src/MakerZIP';
+
+describe('MakerZip', () => {
+  let ensureDirectoryStub: SinonStub;
+  let config: MakerZIPConfig;
+  let maker: MakerZIP;
+  let createMaker: () => void;
+
+  const dir = path.resolve(__dirname, 'fixture', 'fake-app');
+  const darwinDir = path.resolve(__dirname, 'fixture', 'fake-darwin-app');
+  const makeDir = path.resolve(os.tmpdir(), 'forge-zip-test');
+  const appName = 'My Test App';
+  const targetArch = process.arch;
+  const packageJSON = { version: '1.2.3' };
+  let getStub: SinonStub;
+  let isoString: SinonStub;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    ensureDirectoryStub = stub().returns(Promise.resolve());
+    config = {};
+
+    createMaker = () => {
+      maker = new MakerZIP(config);
+      maker.ensureDirectory = ensureDirectoryStub;
+      maker.prepareConfig(targetArch as ForgeArch);
+    };
+    createMaker();
+    getStub = stub(got, 'get');
+    isoString = stub(Date.prototype, 'toISOString');
+  });
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    if (await fs.pathExists(makeDir)) {
+      await fs.remove(makeDir);
+    }
+    got.get = getStub.wrappedMethod;
+    Date.prototype.toISOString = isoString.wrappedMethod;
+  });
+
+  for (const platform of ['win32', 'linux']) {
+    it(`should generate a zip file for a ${platform} app`, async () => {
+      const output = await maker.make({
+        dir,
+        makeDir,
+        appName,
+        targetArch,
+        targetPlatform: platform,
+        packageJSON,
+        forgeConfig: null as any,
+      });
+
+      expect(output).to.have.length(1, 'should have made a single file');
+      expect(output[0]).to.match(/\.zip$/, 'should be a zip file');
+      expect(await fs.pathExists(output[0])).to.equal(true, 'zip file should exist on disk');
+    });
+  }
+
+  for (const platform of ['darwin', 'mas']) {
+    it(`should generate a zip file for a ${platform} app`, async () => {
+      const output = await maker.make({
+        dir: darwinDir,
+        makeDir,
+        appName,
+        targetArch,
+        targetPlatform: platform,
+        packageJSON,
+        forgeConfig: null as any,
+      });
+
+      expect(output).to.have.length(1, 'should have made a single file');
+      expect(output[0]).to.match(/\.zip$/, 'should be a zip file');
+      expect(await fs.pathExists(output[0])).to.equal(true, 'zip file should exist on disk');
+    });
+  }
+
+  describe('macUpdateManifestBaseUrl', () => {
+    for (const platform of ['win32', 'linux', 'mas']) {
+      it(`should not result in network calls on ${platform}`, async () => {
+        const output = await maker.make({
+          dir: darwinDir,
+          makeDir,
+          appName,
+          targetArch,
+          targetPlatform: platform,
+          packageJSON,
+          forgeConfig: null as any,
+        });
+
+        expect(output).to.have.length(1, 'should have made a single file');
+        expect(getStub).to.not.have.been.called;
+      });
+    }
+
+    describe('when making for the darwin platform', () => {
+      it('should fetch the current RELEASES.json', async () => {
+        maker.config = {
+          macUpdateManifestBaseUrl: 'fake://test/foo',
+        };
+        getStub.returns(Promise.resolve({ statusCode: 200, body: '{}' }));
+        await maker.make({
+          dir: darwinDir,
+          makeDir,
+          appName,
+          targetArch,
+          targetPlatform: 'darwin',
+          packageJSON,
+          forgeConfig: null as any,
+        });
+
+        expect(getStub).to.have.been.calledOnce;
+      });
+
+      it('should generate a valid RELEASES.json manifest', async () => {
+        maker.config = {
+          macUpdateManifestBaseUrl: 'fake://test/foo',
+        };
+        getStub.returns(Promise.resolve({ statusCode: 200, body: '{}' }));
+        const output = await maker.make({
+          dir: darwinDir,
+          makeDir,
+          appName,
+          targetArch,
+          targetPlatform: 'darwin',
+          packageJSON,
+          forgeConfig: null as any,
+        });
+
+        const foo = await fs.readJson(output[1]);
+        expect(foo).to.have.property('currentRelease', '1.2.3');
+        expect(foo).to.have.property('releases');
+        expect(foo.releases).to.be.an('array').with.lengthOf(1);
+        expect(foo.releases[0]).to.have.property('version');
+        expect(foo.releases[0]).to.have.property('updateTo');
+        expect(foo.releases[0].updateTo).to.have.property('url');
+      });
+
+      it('should extend the current RELEASES.json manifest if it exists', async () => {
+        maker.config = {
+          macUpdateManifestBaseUrl: 'fake://test/foo',
+          macUpdateReleaseNotes: 'my-notes',
+        };
+        const oneOneOneRelease = {
+          version: '1.1.1',
+          updateTo: {
+            version: '1.1.1',
+            name: 'Fun 1.1.1 Release',
+            url: 'fake://test/bar',
+          },
+        };
+        getStub.returns(
+          Promise.resolve({
+            statusCode: 200,
+            body: JSON.stringify({
+              currentRelease: '1.1.1',
+              releases: [oneOneOneRelease],
+            }),
+          })
+        );
+        isoString.returns('fake-date');
+        const output = await maker.make({
+          dir: darwinDir,
+          makeDir,
+          appName,
+          targetArch,
+          targetPlatform: 'darwin',
+          packageJSON,
+          forgeConfig: null as any,
+        });
+
+        const foo = await fs.readJson(output[1]);
+        expect(foo).to.have.property('currentRelease', '1.2.3');
+        expect(foo).to.have.property('releases');
+        expect(foo.releases).to.be.an('array').with.lengthOf(2);
+        expect(foo.releases[0]).to.deep.equal(oneOneOneRelease);
+        expect(foo.releases[1]).to.deep.equal({
+          version: '1.2.3',
+          updateTo: {
+            version: '1.2.3',
+            name: 'My Test App v1.2.3',
+            url: 'fake://test/foo/fake-darwin-app-1.2.3.zip',
+            notes: 'my-notes',
+            pub_date: 'fake-date',
+          },
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/maker/zip/test/fixture/fake-app/index.js b/packages/maker/zip/test/fixture/fake-app/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/packages/maker/zip/test/fixture/fake-darwin-app/My Test App.app/index.js b/packages/maker/zip/test/fixture/fake-darwin-app/My Test App.app/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2