diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 00f49a4b74..cffac9a667 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -12,10 +12,6 @@ jobs:
       - run:
           name: Check for release
           command: |
-            MESSAGE="$(git log --format=%B -n 1 HEAD)"
-            case ${MESSAGE} in
-              Bump* ) echo 'export ELECTRON_RELEASE=1' >> $BASH_ENV
-            esac
             if [ -n "${RUN_RELEASE_BUILD}" ]; then
               echo 'release build triggered from api'
               echo 'export ELECTRON_RELEASE=1 TRIGGERED_BY_API=1' >> $BASH_ENV
@@ -73,10 +69,6 @@ jobs:
       - run:
           name: Check for release
           command: |
-            MESSAGE="$(git log --format=%B -n 1 HEAD)"
-            case ${MESSAGE} in
-              Bump* ) echo 'export ELECTRON_RELEASE=1' >> $BASH_ENV
-            esac
             if [ -n "${RUN_RELEASE_BUILD}" ]; then
               echo 'release build triggered from api'
               echo 'export ELECTRON_RELEASE=1 TRIGGERED_BY_API=1' >> $BASH_ENV
@@ -134,10 +126,6 @@ jobs:
       - run:
           name: Check for release
           command: |
-            MESSAGE="$(git log --format=%B -n 1 HEAD)"
-            case ${MESSAGE} in
-              Bump* ) echo 'export ELECTRON_RELEASE=1' >> $BASH_ENV
-            esac
             if [ -n "${RUN_RELEASE_BUILD}" ]; then
               echo 'release build triggered from api'
               echo 'export ELECTRON_RELEASE=1 TRIGGERED_BY_API=1' >> $BASH_ENV
@@ -200,10 +188,6 @@ jobs:
       - run:
           name: Check for release
           command: |
-            MESSAGE="$(git log --format=%B -n 1 HEAD)"
-            case ${MESSAGE} in
-              Bump* ) echo 'export ELECTRON_RELEASE=1' >> $BASH_ENV
-            esac
             if [ -n "${RUN_RELEASE_BUILD}" ]; then
               echo 'release build triggered from api'
               echo 'export ELECTRON_RELEASE=1 TRIGGERED_BY_API=1' >> $BASH_ENV
diff --git a/script/prepare-release.js b/script/prepare-release.js
index ae8b0c7bfe..ccc9057693 100755
--- a/script/prepare-release.js
+++ b/script/prepare-release.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 require('colors')
 const args = require('minimist')(process.argv.slice(2))
 const assert = require('assert')
+const ciReleaseBuild = require('./ci-release-build')
 const { execSync } = require('child_process')
 const fail = '\u2717'.red
 const { GitProcess, GitError } = require('dugite')
@@ -158,6 +159,12 @@ async function pushRelease () {
   }
 }
 
+async function runReleaseBuilds () {
+  await ciReleaseBuild('release', {
+    ghRelease: true
+  })
+}
+
 async function prepareRelease (isBeta, notesOnly) {
   let currentBranch = await getCurrentBranch(gitDir)
   if (notesOnly) {
@@ -167,6 +174,7 @@ async function prepareRelease (isBeta, notesOnly) {
     await createReleaseBranch()
     await createRelease(currentBranch, isBeta)
     await pushRelease()
+    await runReleaseBuilds()
   }
 }