diff --git a/.github/CODEOWNERS b/.github/CODEOWNERS
index 51bcf54d94..57237e5850 100644
--- a/.github/CODEOWNERS
+++ b/.github/CODEOWNERS
@@ -1 +1 @@
-@kalexand-rh @bergerhoffer @adellape @sjhala-ccs @apinnick @ousleyp @michaelryanpeter @mjpytlak @snarayan-redhat @opayne1 @kelbrown20 @bscott-rh @kcarmichael08 @JoeAldinger @jab-rh @rolfedh @abrennan89 @sjhala-ccs @abhatt-rh @gabriel-rh @Srivaralakshmi @bburt-rh @jeana-redhat
+ @abhatt-rh @abrennan89 @adellape @aireilly @apinnick @bburt-rh @bergerhoffer @bscott-rh @gabriel-rh @jab-rh @jeana-redhat @JoeAldinger @kalexand-rh @kcarmichael08 @kelbrown20 @michaelryanpeter @mjpytlak @opayne1 @ousleyp @rolfedh @sjhala-ccs @snarayan-redhat @Srivaralakshmi
diff --git a/OWNERS b/OWNERS
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..944aec3bb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/OWNERS
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# See the OWNERS docs: https://git.k8s.io/community/contributors/guide/owners.md
+# This file just uses aliases defined in OWNERS_ALIASES.
+
+reviewers:
+  - merge-rights
+approvers:
+  - merge-rights
diff --git a/OWNERS-ALIASES b/OWNERS-ALIASES
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f116ef67d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/OWNERS-ALIASES
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# See the OWNERS_ALIASES docs: https://git.k8s.io/community/contributors/guide/owners.md#OWNERS_ALIASES
+
+aliases:
+  merge-rights:
+    - abhatt-rh
+    - abrennan89
+    - adellape
+    - aireilly
+    - apinnick
+    - bburt-rh
+    - bergerhoffer
+    - bscott-rh
+    - gabriel-rh
+    - jab-rh
+    - jeana-redhat
+    - JoeAldinger
+    - kalexand-rh
+    - kcarmichael08
+    - kelbrown20
+    - michaelryanpeter
+    - mjpytlak
+    - opayne1
+    - ousleyp
+    - rolfedh
+    - sjhala-ccs
+    - snarayan-redhat
+    - Srivaralakshmi