diff --git a/master_release b/master_release
deleted file mode 100755
index 98793e6f15..0000000000
--- a/master_release
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,47 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# Copyright (c) 2013 The CoreOS Authors. All rights reserved.
-# Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
-# found in the LICENSE file.
-
-SCRIPT_ROOT=$(dirname $(readlink -f "$0"))
-. "${SCRIPT_ROOT}/common.sh" || exit 1
-
-DEFINE_string master "master" "Manifest master branch to update."
-DEFINE_string branch "origin/build-${TODAYS_VERSION}" \
-    "Manifest branch, tag, or other ref to get version from."
-DEFINE_boolean update_sdk ${FLAGS_TRUE} \
-    "Use new build as the SDK version instead of the SDK in version.txt"
-DEFINE_boolean push ${FLAGS_FALSE} "Push to public manifest repository."
-DEFINE_string remote "origin" "Remote name or URL to push to."
-
-# Parse flags
-FLAGS "$@" || exit 1
-eval set -- "${FLAGS_ARGV}"
-switch_to_strict_mode
-
-update_sdk_version() {
-    source version.txt
-    COREOS_SDK_VERSION="${COREOS_BUILD}.${COREOS_BRANCH}.${COREOS_PATCH}"
-    sed -i -e '/^COREOS_SDK_VERSION=/d' version.txt
-    echo "COREOS_SDK_VERSION=${COREOS_SDK_VERSION}" >> version.txt
-}
-
-info "Running repo init -b ${FLAGS_master}"
-repo init -b "${FLAGS_master}"
-
-info "Updating version.txt from ${FLAGS_branch}"
-cd "${GCLIENT_ROOT}/.repo/manifests"
-git fetch --all --tags
-git checkout "${FLAGS_branch}" version.txt
-if [[ ${FLAGS_update_sdk} -eq ${FLAGS_TRUE} ]]; then
-    update_sdk_version
-fi
-git add version.txt
-tag=$(git describe --exact --tags "${FLAGS_branch}" 2>/dev/null || true)
-git commit -m "bump(version): Update version from ${tag:-$FLAGS_branch}"
-
-if [[ ${FLAGS_push} -eq ${FLAGS_TRUE} ]]; then
-    info "Pushing to ${FLAGS_remote} ${FLAGS_master}"
-    git push "${FLAGS_remote}" "HEAD:refs/heads/${FLAGS_master}"
-fi
diff --git a/branch_release b/tag_release
similarity index 65%
rename from branch_release
rename to tag_release
index a4fa3d4c0f..2cdd73d309 100755
--- a/branch_release
+++ b/tag_release
@@ -25,30 +25,42 @@ BRANCH_NAME="build-${FLAGS_build}"
 TAG_NAME="v${FLAGS_build}.${FLAGS_branch}.${FLAGS_patch}"
 
 cd "${GCLIENT_ROOT}/.repo/manifests"
-git checkout -b "${BRANCH_NAME}"
+
+# Clean up existing branch manifest(s)
+if [[ $(ls branch-*.xml 2>/dev/null) ]]; then
+    for old_branch in branch-*.xml; do
+        if [[ "${old_branch}" != "${BRANCH_NAME}.xml" ]]; then
+            git rm -f "${old_branch}"
+        fi
+    done
+fi
+
 repo manifest -o "${BRANCH_NAME}.xml" -r
-ln -sf "${BRANCH_NAME}.xml" default.xml
 tee version.txt <<EOF
 COREOS_BUILD=${FLAGS_build}
 COREOS_BRANCH=${FLAGS_branch}
 COREOS_PATCH=${FLAGS_patch}
 COREOS_SDK_VERSION=${FLAGS_sdk_version}
 EOF
-git add "${BRANCH_NAME}.xml" default.xml version.txt
-info "Creating ${BRANCH_NAME} with tag ${TAG_NAME}"
-git commit -m "add(${BRANCH_NAME}): Add branched manifest for ${TAG_NAME}"
-git tag -m "CoreOS ${TAG_NAME}" "${TAG_NAME}" "${BRANCH_NAME}"
+ln -sf "${BRANCH_NAME}.xml" release.xml
+git add "${BRANCH_NAME}.xml" release.xml version.txt
+info "Creating ${BRANCH_NAME} and tag ${TAG_NAME}"
+git commit -m "add(${BRANCH_NAME}): Add manifest for ${TAG_NAME}"
+git branch -f "${BRANCH_NAME}"
+git tag -m "CoreOS ${TAG_NAME}" "${TAG_NAME}"
 
 
 PUSH_TRACK=
 if [[ -n "${FLAGS_track}" ]]; then
-    git branch -f "${FLAGS_track}" "${BRANCH_NAME}"
-    info "Setting ${FLAGS_track} to ${BRANCH_NAME}"
+    git branch -f "${FLAGS_track}"
+    info "Updating track ${FLAGS_track}"
     PUSH_TRACK=1
 fi
 
 if [[ ${FLAGS_push} -eq ${FLAGS_TRUE} ]]; then
-    git push "${FLAGS_remote}" "refs/heads/${BRANCH_NAME}" \
+    git push "${FLAGS_remote}" \
+        "HEAD:refs/heads/master" \
+        "refs/heads/${BRANCH_NAME}" \
         ${PUSH_TRACK:+"+refs/heads/${FLAGS_track}"} \
         "refs/tags/${TAG_NAME}"
 fi