diff --git a/utilities/releaseScripts/3_create_tags.rb b/utilities/releaseScripts/3_create_tags.rb
index f20cf77e..9ffec871 100644
--- a/utilities/releaseScripts/3_create_tags.rb
+++ b/utilities/releaseScripts/3_create_tags.rb
@@ -25,15 +25,11 @@ def create_tag(dir, branch, tag, message)
 				"git pull",
 				"git tag -a #{tag} -m '#{message}'"
 				]
-		cmds.delete_at(1) unless is_remote_branch?(branch)
+		cmds.delete_at(1) unless remote_branch_exists?(path, branch)
 		approve_and_execute(cmds, "in #{path}")
 	end
 end
 
-def is_remote_branch?(branch)
-	! `git branch --list -a origin/#{branch}`.strip.empty?
-end
-
 #
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Main method
diff --git a/utilities/releaseScripts/4_extract_files.rb b/utilities/releaseScripts/4_extract_files.rb
index d223158f..0df62855 100644
--- a/utilities/releaseScripts/4_extract_files.rb
+++ b/utilities/releaseScripts/4_extract_files.rb
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ def export_files(vivo_path, vitro_path, tag, branch, export_dir)
 		cmds = ["git checkout #{branch}", 
 				"git pull",
 				]
-		cmds.delete_at(1) unless is_remote_branch?(branch)
+		cmds.delete_at(1) unless remote_branch_exists?(path, branch)
 		approve_and_execute(cmds, "in #{path}")
 	end
 	
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def export_files(vivo_path, vitro_path, tag, branch, export_dir)
 		cmds = ["git checkout #{branch}", 
 				"git pull",
 				]
-		cmds.delete_at(1) unless is_remote_branch?(branch)
+		cmds.delete_at(1) unless remote_branch_exists?(path, branch)
 		approve_and_execute(cmds, "in #{path}")
 	end
 	
@@ -47,10 +47,6 @@ def export_files(vivo_path, vitro_path, tag, branch, export_dir)
 			])
 end
 
-def is_remote_branch?(branch)
-	! `git branch --list -a origin/#{branch}`.strip.empty?
-end
-
 #
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Main method
diff --git a/utilities/releaseScripts/_common.rb b/utilities/releaseScripts/_common.rb
index b175b3e1..c29278f1 100644
--- a/utilities/releaseScripts/_common.rb
+++ b/utilities/releaseScripts/_common.rb
@@ -239,13 +239,22 @@ end
 
 def branch_exists?(dir, branch)
 	Dir.chdir(dir) do |path|
-		! `git branch --list #{branch}`.strip.empty?
+		re = Regexp.new("\\b#{branch}\\b")
+		`git branch`.index(re)
+	end
+end
+
+def remote_branch_exists?(dir, branch)
+	Dir.chdir(dir) do |path|
+		re = Regexp.new("remotes/origin/#{branch}\\b")
+		`git branch -a`.index(re)
 	end
 end
 
 def tag_exists?(dir, tag)
 	Dir.chdir(dir) do |path|
-		!`git tag --list #{tag}`.strip.empty?
+		re = Regexp.new("\\b#{tag}\\b")
+		`git tag`.index(re)
 	end
 end