diff --git a/script/release.js b/script/release.js
index 9863ef912cd5..7ddd069e2168 100755
--- a/script/release.js
+++ b/script/release.js
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ const assert = require('assert')
 const fs = require('fs')
 const { execSync } = require('child_process')
 const GitHub = require('github')
-const { GitProcess } = require('dugite')
 const nugget = require('nugget')
 const pkg = require('../package.json')
 const pkgVersion = `v${pkg.version}`
@@ -24,7 +23,6 @@ const github = new GitHub({
   followRedirects: false
 })
 github.authenticate({type: 'token', token: process.env.ELECTRON_GITHUB_TOKEN})
-const gitDir = path.resolve(__dirname, '..')
 
 async function getDraftRelease (version, skipValidation) {
   let releaseInfo = await github.repos.getReleases({owner: 'electron', repo: 'electron'})
@@ -62,16 +60,18 @@ async function validateReleaseAssets (release, validatingRelease) {
   })
   check((failureCount === 0), `All required GitHub assets exist for release`, true)
 
-  if (release.draft) {
-    await verifyAssets(release)
-  } else {
-    await verifyShasums(downloadUrls)
-      .catch(err => {
-        console.log(`${fail} error verifyingShasums`, err)
-      })
+  if (!validatingRelease || !release.draft) {
+    if (release.draft) {
+      await verifyAssets(release)
+    } else {
+      await verifyShasums(downloadUrls)
+        .catch(err => {
+          console.log(`${fail} error verifyingShasums`, err)
+        })
+    }
+    const s3Urls = s3UrlsForVersion(release.tag_name)
+    await verifyShasums(s3Urls, true)
   }
-  const s3Urls = s3UrlsForVersion(release.tag_name)
-  await verifyShasums(s3Urls, true)
 }
 
 function check (condition, statement, exitIfFail = false) {
@@ -276,7 +276,6 @@ async function makeRelease (releaseToValidate) {
     draftRelease = await getDraftRelease(pkgVersion, true)
     await validateReleaseAssets(draftRelease)
     await publishRelease(draftRelease)
-    await cleanupReleaseBranch()
     console.log(`${pass} SUCCESS!!! Release has been published. Please run ` +
       `"npm run publish-to-npm" to publish release to npm.`)
   }
@@ -444,25 +443,4 @@ async function validateChecksums (validationArgs) {
     `shasums defined in ${validationArgs.shaSumFile}.`)
 }
 
-async function cleanupReleaseBranch () {
-  console.log(`Cleaning up release branch.`)
-  let errorMessage = `Could not delete local release branch.`
-  let successMessage = `Successfully deleted local release branch.`
-  await callGit(['branch', '-D', 'release'], errorMessage, successMessage)
-  errorMessage = `Could not delete remote release branch.`
-  successMessage = `Successfully deleted remote release branch.`
-  return callGit(['push', 'origin', ':release'], errorMessage, successMessage)
-}
-
-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)
-  }
-}
-
 makeRelease(args.validateRelease)