diff --git a/dev-tools/release/make_release.sh b/dev-tools/release/make_release.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 8b8a79b30c884231453ff1cb59290c7f024cef9a..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/dev-tools/release/make_release.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash 
-# Main script to start release preparation
-
-set -e
-
-
-
-
-# set -e
-# 
-# mkdir BornAgain-release
-# cd BornAgain-release
-# 
-# git clone git@apps.jcns.fz-juelich.de:BornAgain.git
-# cd BornAgain
-# git checkout PreRelease
-# 
-# cd ..
-# mkdir build
-# cd build
-# 
-# cmake ../BornAgain
-# 
-# ./bin/release.sh
-# 
-# echo " "
-# echo "1) Modify BornAgain-release/build/RELEASE/CHANGELOG"
-# echo "2) Copy new Windows build into BornAgain-release/build/RELEASE"
-# echo "3) Run BornAgain-release/build/bin/release.sh with menu option #2 (upload on apps)"
-# echo "4) Run BornAgain-release/build/bin/release.sh with menu option #3 (finalize git)"
diff --git a/dev-tools/release/utils/check_release.py b/dev-tools/release/utils/check_release.py
index 68ffcf0fee1fe435ce269c0257ec8e65049fa20c..215b9421f843effad87683ea5115edb7d8029733 100644
--- a/dev-tools/release/utils/check_release.py
+++ b/dev-tools/release/utils/check_release.py
@@ -5,40 +5,45 @@ import subprocess
 
 
 
+def check_manual():
+    cmd = "cd %s; wget http://apps.jcns.fz-juelich.de/src/BornAgain/%s" % (get_checkrelease_dir(), get_manual_name())
+    run_command(cmd)
+    if not os.path.exists(get_checkrelease_dir()+"/"+get_manual_name()):
+        exit("Error! Can't access user manual")
+
+
 def check_tarball():
     print "Checking tarball ..."
     cmd = "cd %s; wget http://apps.jcns.fz-juelich.de/src/BornAgain/BornAgain-%s.tar.gz" % (get_checktarball_dir(), get_version())
-    print cmd
+    run_command(cmd)
     cmd = "cd %s; tar zxf BornAgain-%s.tar.gz" % (get_checktarball_dir(), get_version())
-    print cmd
+    run_command(cmd)
     cmd = "cd %s; mkdir build; mkdir installed" % get_checktarball_dir()
-    print cmd
+    run_command(cmd)
     cmd = "cd %s/build; cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=../installed ../BornAgain-%s; make -j8; make check; make install" % (get_checktarball_dir(), get_version())
-    print cmd
+    run_command(cmd)
     cmd = "source %s/installed/bin/thisbornagain.sh; python -c \"from libBornAgainCore import *; print GetVersionNumber()\"" % (get_checktarball_dir())
     print cmd
-    #p = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
-    #p.wait()
-    #return iter(p.stdout.readline, b''), iter(p.stderr.readline, b'')
-
-
-def check_manual():
-    cmd = "cd %s; wget http://apps.jcns.fz-juelich.de/src/BornAgain/%s" % (get_checkrelease_dir(), get_manual_name())
-    print cmd
-    if not os.path.exists(get_checkrelease_dir()+"/"+get_manual_name()):
-        exit("Error! Can't access user manual")
+    result = subprocess.check_output(cmd, shell=True)
+    received_version = result.split("\n")[0]
+    if not received_version == get_version():
+        exit("Error! Can't get correct version from tarball. Received '"+received_version+"', expected '"+get_version()+"'")
 
 
 def check_master_branch():
     print "Checking master branch ..."
     cmd = "cd %s; mkdir build; mkdir installed" % get_checkmaster_dir()
-    print cmd
+    run_command(cmd)
     cmd = "cd %s; git clone git://apps.jcns.fz-juelich.de/BornAgain.git " % get_checkmaster_dir()
-    print cmd
+    run_command(cmd)
     cmd = "cd %s/build; cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=../installed ../BornAgain; make -j8; make check; make install" % (get_checkmaster_dir())
-    print cmd
+    run_command(cmd)
     cmd = "source %s/installed/bin/thisbornagain.sh; python -c \"from libBornAgainCore import *; print GetVersionNumber()\"" % (get_checkmaster_dir())
     print cmd
+    result = subprocess.check_output(cmd, shell=True)
+    received_version = result.split("\n")[0]
+    if not received_version == get_version():
+        exit("Error! Can't get correct version from master branch. Received '"+received_version+"', expected '"+get_version()+"'")
 
 
 def check_release():
@@ -46,6 +51,9 @@ def check_release():
     check_manual()
     check_tarball()
     check_master_branch()
-
+    print "\n"
+    print "Congratulations! New %s release was successfully validated. " % (get_version())
+    print "Don't forget to post news items."
+    print "And yes, this was very productive."
 
 
diff --git a/dev-tools/release/utils/finalize_release.py b/dev-tools/release/utils/finalize_release.py
index 27b3e79574f99ae8b65189417ab7480625ec2d12..4af9a47d46099502436d342b3bc71127fd28047d 100644
--- a/dev-tools/release/utils/finalize_release.py
+++ b/dev-tools/release/utils/finalize_release.py
@@ -8,46 +8,44 @@ from check_release import *
 def upload_release():
     print "Uploading to the app server ..."
     cmd = "rsync --delete -avzhe ssh %s/ apps@apps.jcns.fz-juelich.de:/www/apps/src/BornAgain/" % get_upload_dir()
-    print cmd
-    #run_command(cmd)
+    run_command(cmd)
 
 
 def finalize_git():
     print "Finalizing git ..."
     cmd = "cd %s; git commit -a -m \"Release %s\"" % (get_source_dir(), get_version())
-    #run_command(cmd)
+    run_command(cmd)
+
     cmd = "cd %s; git push" % get_source_dir()
-    #run_command(cmd)
+    run_command(cmd)
 
     # master branch
     cmd = "cd %s; git checkout master" % get_source_dir()
-    #run_command(cmd)
+    run_command(cmd)
 
-    cmd = "cd %s; git merge --no--ff %s -m \"Merge %s\"" % (get_source_dir(), get_branch_name(), get_version())
-    #run_command(cmd)
+    cmd = "cd %s; git merge --no-ff %s -m \"Merge %s\"" % (get_source_dir(), get_branch_name(), get_version())
+    run_command(cmd)
 
     cmd = "cd %s; git tag -a %s -m \"Release %s\"" % (get_source_dir(), get_version(), get_version())
-    #run_command(cmd)
+    run_command(cmd)
 
     cmd = "cd %s; git push --tags" % get_source_dir()
-    #run_command(cmd)
+    run_command(cmd)
 
     # develop branch
     cmd = "cd %s; git checkout develop" % get_source_dir()
-    #run_command(cmd)
+    run_command(cmd)
 
-    cmd = "cd %s; git merge --no--ff %s -m \"Merge %s\"" % (get_source_dir(), get_branch_name(), get_version())
-    #run_command(cmd)
+    cmd = "cd %s; git merge --no-ff %s -m \"Merge %s\"" % (get_source_dir(), get_branch_name(), get_version())
+    run_command(cmd)
 
     cmd = "cd %s; git push" % get_source_dir()
-    #run_command(cmd)
+    run_command(cmd)
 
     # deleting branch
-    cmd = "cd %s; git branch -d %s" % (get_source_dir(), get_branch_name())
-    #run_command(cmd)
 
     cmd = "cd %s; git push origin --delete %s" % (get_source_dir(), get_branch_name())
-    #run_command(cmd)
+    run_command(cmd)
 
 
 def finalize_release():