diff --git a/utilities/releaseScripts/4_extract_files.rb b/utilities/releaseScripts/4_extract_files.rb
index 65eb7d4e..6ae3c478 100644
--- a/utilities/releaseScripts/4_extract_files.rb
+++ b/utilities/releaseScripts/4_extract_files.rb
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ require '_common'
 #
 def export_files(vivo_path, vitro_path, tag, export_dir)
 	approve_and_execute([
-			"rm -Rf #{export_dir}/..",
+			"rm -Rf #{File.expand_path("..", export_dir)}",
 			"mkdir -pv #{export_dir}",
 			"cp -R #{vivo_path}/* #{export_dir}",
 			"mkdir -pv #{export_dir}/vitro-core",
diff --git a/utilities/releaseScripts/7_merge_to_master.rb b/utilities/releaseScripts/7_merge_to_master.rb
index fbc8a1dc..1e7ea1df 100644
--- a/utilities/releaseScripts/7_merge_to_master.rb
+++ b/utilities/releaseScripts/7_merge_to_master.rb
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 =begin
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-Merge the new tags into the master branches.
+Merge the maintenance branches into the master branchs, and create the final 
+release tags.
 
-This will only work if the tag is present, and if the release candidate is "final".
+This will only work if the release candidate is "final", and if the maintenance
+branches already exist.
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -13,14 +15,17 @@ $: << File.dirname(File.expand_path(__FILE__))
 require '_common'
 
 #
-# Merge the tag to the master branch.
+# Merge the maintenance branch to the master branch and create the tag.
 #
-def merge_tag_to_master(tag, repo_path)
+def merge_branch_to_master(branch, tag, message, repo_path)
 	Dir.chdir(repo_path) do |path|
-		approve_and_execute([
-				"git checkout master", 
-				"git merge #{tag}"
-				])
+		cmds = [
+				"git checkout master",
+				"git merge --no-ff -Xtheirs #{branch}",
+				"git tag -a -f #{tag} -m '#{message}'"
+				]
+		cmds.insert(0, "git branch master origin/master") if `git branch --list master`.strip.empty?
+		approve_and_execute(cmds, "in #{path}")
 	end
 end
 
@@ -31,24 +36,24 @@ end
 #
 
 begin
+	branch = Settings.branch_name
 	candidate_label = Settings.confirm_candidate_label(Settings.candidate_label)
 	tag = Settings.tag_name
+	message = Settings.tag_message
 	vivo_path = Settings.vivo_path
 	vitro_path = Settings.vitro_path
 
-	raise BadState.new("Only the final release gets merged to the master branch.") unless candidate_label == "final"	
-	raise BadState.new("Tag #{tag} doesn't exist in VIVO.") unless tag_exists?(vivo_path, tag) 
-	raise BadState.new("Tag #{tag} doesn't exist in Vitro.") unless tag_exists?(vitro_path, tag) 
-	raise BadState.new("Tag has already been merged to master branch in VIVO." if tag_commit(tag, vivo_path) == master_commit(vivo_path)
-	raise BadState.new("Tag has already been merged to master branch in Vitro." if tag_commit(tag, vitro_path) == master_commit(vitro_path)
+	raise BadState.new("Only the final release gets merged to the master branch.") unless candidate_label == "final"
+	raise BadState.new("Branch #{branch} doesn't exist in VIVO.") unless branch_exists?(vivo_path, branch) 
+	raise BadState.new("Branch #{branch} doesn't exist in Vitro.") unless branch_exists?(vitro_path, branch) 
 	
 	puts
 	yn = prompt("OK to merge the #{tag} tags to the master branches? (y/n)")
 	if yn.downcase == 'y'
 		puts
 		puts "Merging tags"
-		merge_tag_to_master(tag, vivo_path)
-		merge_tag_to_master(tag, vitro_path)
+		merge_branch_to_master(branch, tag, message, vivo_path)
+		merge_branch_to_master(branch, tag, message, vitro_path)
 		puts
 	else
 		puts