diff --git a/docs/development/releasing.md b/docs/development/releasing.md
index 0ca039bc5d66..afdff5615421 100644
--- a/docs/development/releasing.md
+++ b/docs/development/releasing.md
@@ -167,27 +167,10 @@ This release is published to [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/electron) under
 1. You can run `npm run release -- --validateRelease` to verify that all of the
 required files have been created for the release.
 
-## Merge temporary branch
-Once the release builds have finished, merge the `release` branch back into
-the source release branch using the `merge-release` script.
-If the branch cannot be successfully merged back this script will automatically
-rebase the `release` branch and push the changes which will trigger the release
-builds again, which means you will need to wait for the release builds to run
-again before proceeding.
-
-### Merging back into master
-```sh
-npm run merge-release -- master
-```
-
-### Merging back into old release branch
-```sh
-npm run merge-release -- 1-7-x
-```
 
 ## Publish the release
 
-Once the merge has finished successfully, run the `release` script
+Once the release builds have finished, run the `release` script
 via `npm run release` to finish the release process. This script will do the
 following:
 1. Build the project to validate that the correct version number is being released.
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d53e7246a602..01726d60fdfe 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@
     "lint-js-in-markdown": "standard-markdown docs",
     "create-api-json": "electron-docs-linter docs --outfile=out/electron-api.json --version=$npm_package_version",
     "create-typescript-definitions": "npm run create-api-json && electron-typescript-definitions --in=out/electron-api.json --out=out/electron.d.ts",
-    "merge-release": "node ./script/merge-release.js",
     "mock-release": "node ./script/ci-release-build.js",
     "preinstall": "node -e 'process.exit(0)'",
     "publish-to-npm": "node ./script/publish-to-npm.js",
diff --git a/script/merge-release.js b/script/merge-release.js
deleted file mode 100755
index 8917da4f2f23..000000000000
--- a/script/merge-release.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,116 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env node
-
-require('colors')
-const assert = require('assert')
-const branchToRelease = process.argv[2]
-const fail = '\u2717'.red
-const { GitProcess, GitError } = require('dugite')
-const pass = '\u2713'.green
-const path = require('path')
-const pkg = require('../package.json')
-
-assert(process.env.ELECTRON_GITHUB_TOKEN, 'ELECTRON_GITHUB_TOKEN not found in environment')
-if (!branchToRelease) {
-  console.log(`Usage: merge-release branch`)
-  process.exit(1)
-}
-const gitDir = path.resolve(__dirname, '..')
-
-async function callGit (args, errorMessage, successMessage) {
-  let gitResult = await GitProcess.exec(args, gitDir)
-  if (gitResult.exitCode === 0) {
-    console.log(`${pass} ${successMessage}`)
-    return true
-  } else {
-    console.log(`${fail} ${errorMessage} ${gitResult.stderr}`)
-    process.exit(1)
-  }
-}
-
-async function checkoutBranch (branchName) {
-  console.log(`Checking out ${branchName}.`)
-  let errorMessage = `Error checking out branch ${branchName}:`
-  let successMessage = `Successfully checked out branch ${branchName}.`
-  return callGit(['checkout', branchName], errorMessage, successMessage)
-}
-
-async function commitMerge () {
-  console.log(`Committing the merge for v${pkg.version}`)
-  let errorMessage = `Error committing merge:`
-  let successMessage = `Successfully committed the merge for v${pkg.version}`
-  let gitArgs = ['commit', '-m', `v${pkg.version}`]
-  return callGit(gitArgs, errorMessage, successMessage)
-}
-
-async function mergeReleaseIntoBranch (branchName) {
-  console.log(`Merging release branch into ${branchName}.`)
-  let mergeArgs = ['merge', 'release', '--squash']
-  let mergeDetails = await GitProcess.exec(mergeArgs, gitDir)
-  if (mergeDetails.exitCode === 0) {
-    return true
-  } else {
-    const error = GitProcess.parseError(mergeDetails.stderr)
-    if (error === GitError.MergeConflicts) {
-      console.log(`${fail} Could not merge release branch into ${branchName} ` +
-        `due to merge conflicts.`)
-      return false
-    } else {
-      console.log(`${fail} Could not merge release branch into ${branchName} ` +
-        `due to an error: ${mergeDetails.stderr}.`)
-      process.exit(1)
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-async function pushBranch (branchName) {
-  console.log(`Pushing branch ${branchName}.`)
-  let pushArgs = ['push', 'origin', branchName]
-  let errorMessage = `Could not push branch ${branchName} due to an error:`
-  let successMessage = `Successfully pushed branch ${branchName}.`
-  return callGit(pushArgs, errorMessage, successMessage)
-}
-
-async function pull () {
-  console.log(`Performing a git pull`)
-  let errorMessage = `Could not pull due to an error:`
-  let successMessage = `Successfully performed a git pull`
-  return callGit(['pull'], errorMessage, successMessage)
-}
-
-async function rebase (targetBranch) {
-  console.log(`Rebasing release branch from ${targetBranch}`)
-  let errorMessage = `Could not rebase due to an error:`
-  let successMessage = `Successfully rebased release branch from ` +
-    `${targetBranch}`
-  return callGit(['rebase', targetBranch], errorMessage, successMessage)
-}
-
-async function mergeRelease () {
-  await checkoutBranch(branchToRelease)
-  let mergeSuccess = await mergeReleaseIntoBranch(branchToRelease)
-  if (mergeSuccess) {
-    console.log(`${pass} Successfully merged release branch into ` +
-      `${branchToRelease}.`)
-    await commitMerge()
-    let pushSuccess = await pushBranch(branchToRelease)
-    if (pushSuccess) {
-      console.log(`${pass} Success!!! ${branchToRelease} now has the latest release!`)
-    }
-  } else {
-    console.log(`Trying rebase of ${branchToRelease} into release branch.`)
-    await pull()
-    await checkoutBranch('release')
-    let rebaseResult = await rebase(branchToRelease)
-    if (rebaseResult) {
-      let pushResult = pushBranch('HEAD')
-      if (pushResult) {
-        console.log(`Rebase of ${branchToRelease} into release branch was ` +
-          `successful.  Let release builds run and then try this step again.`)
-      }
-      // Exit as failure so release doesn't continue
-      process.exit(1)
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-mergeRelease()
diff --git a/script/prepare-release.js b/script/prepare-release.js
index cb5ea4468821..69882928765a 100755
--- a/script/prepare-release.js
+++ b/script/prepare-release.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const assert = require('assert')
 const ciReleaseBuild = require('./ci-release-build')
 const { execSync } = require('child_process')
 const fail = '\u2717'.red
-const { GitProcess, GitError } = require('dugite')
+const { GitProcess } = require('dugite')
 const GitHub = require('github')
 const pass = '\u2713'.green
 const path = require('path')
@@ -28,24 +28,6 @@ const github = new GitHub()
 const gitDir = path.resolve(__dirname, '..')
 github.authenticate({type: 'token', token: process.env.ELECTRON_GITHUB_TOKEN})
 
-async function createReleaseBranch () {
-  console.log(`Creating release branch.`)
-  let checkoutDetails = await GitProcess.exec([ 'checkout', '-b', 'release' ], gitDir)
-  if (checkoutDetails.exitCode === 0) {
-    console.log(`${pass} Successfully created the release branch.`)
-  } else {
-    const error = GitProcess.parseError(checkoutDetails.stderr)
-    if (error === GitError.BranchAlreadyExists) {
-      console.log(`${fail} Release branch already exists, aborting prepare ` +
-        `release process.`)
-    } else {
-      console.log(`${fail} Error creating release branch: ` +
-        `${checkoutDetails.stderr}`)
-    }
-    process.exit(1)
-  }
-}
-
 function getNewVersion (dryRun) {
   console.log(`Bumping for new "${versionType}" version.`)
   let bumpScript = path.join(__dirname, 'bump-version.py')
@@ -98,7 +80,7 @@ async function getReleaseNotes (currentBranch) {
   console.log(`Checking for commits from ${pkg.version} to ${currentBranch}`)
   let commitComparison = await github.repos.compareCommits(githubOpts)
     .catch(err => {
-      console.log(`{$fail} Error checking for commits from ${pkg.version} to ` +
+      console.log(`${fail} Error checking for commits from ${pkg.version} to ` +
         `${currentBranch}`, err)
       process.exit(1)
     })
@@ -116,6 +98,7 @@ async function getReleaseNotes (currentBranch) {
 async function createRelease (branchToTarget, isBeta) {
   let releaseNotes = await getReleaseNotes(branchToTarget)
   let newVersion = getNewVersion()
+  await tagRelease(newVersion)
   const githubOpts = {
     owner: 'electron',
     repo: 'electron'
@@ -156,25 +139,37 @@ async function createRelease (branchToTarget, isBeta) {
 }
 
 async function pushRelease () {
-  let pushDetails = await GitProcess.exec(['push', 'origin', 'HEAD'], gitDir)
+  let pushDetails = await GitProcess.exec(['push', 'origin', 'HEAD', '--follow-tags'], gitDir)
   if (pushDetails.exitCode === 0) {
-    console.log(`${pass} Successfully pushed the release branch.  Wait for ` +
+    console.log(`${pass} Successfully pushed the release.  Wait for ` +
       `release builds to finish before running "npm run release".`)
   } else {
-    console.log(`${fail} Error pushing the release branch: ` +
+    console.log(`${fail} Error pushing the release: ` +
         `${pushDetails.stderr}`)
     process.exit(1)
   }
 }
 
-async function runReleaseBuilds () {
-  await ciReleaseBuild('release', {
+async function runReleaseBuilds (branch) {
+  await ciReleaseBuild(branch, {
     ghRelease: true
   })
 }
 
+async function tagRelease (version) {
+  console.log(`Tagging release ${version}.`)
+  let checkoutDetails = await GitProcess.exec([ 'tag', '-a', '-m', version, version ], gitDir)
+  if (checkoutDetails.exitCode === 0) {
+    console.log(`${pass} Successfully tagged ${version}.`)
+  } else {
+    console.log(`${fail} Error tagging ${version}: ` +
+      `${checkoutDetails.stderr}`)
+    process.exit(1)
+  }
+}
+
 async function verifyNewVersion () {
-  let newVersion = await getNewVersion(true)
+  let newVersion = getNewVersion(true)
   let response = await promptForVersion(newVersion)
   if (response.match(/^y/i)) {
     console.log(`${pass} Starting release of ${newVersion}`)
@@ -204,10 +199,9 @@ async function prepareRelease (isBeta, notesOnly) {
     console.log(`Draft release notes are: ${releaseNotes}`)
   } else {
     await verifyNewVersion()
-    await createReleaseBranch()
     await createRelease(currentBranch, isBeta)
     await pushRelease()
-    await runReleaseBuilds()
+    await runReleaseBuilds(currentBranch)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/script/publish-to-npm.js b/script/publish-to-npm.js
index 0fd3477d0e45..eb0702ff5ef2 100644
--- a/script/publish-to-npm.js
+++ b/script/publish-to-npm.js
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
   tempDir = dirPath
   // copy files from `/npm` to temp directory
   files.forEach((name) => {
-    const noThirdSegment = name === 'README.md' || 'LICENSE'
+    const noThirdSegment = name === 'README.md' || name === 'LICENSE'
     fs.writeFileSync(
       path.join(tempDir, name),
       fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, '..', noThirdSegment ? '' : 'npm', name))