diff --git a/premake5.lua b/premake5.lua
index 88e1f2ba..f6ceaa43 100644
--- a/premake5.lua
+++ b/premake5.lua
@@ -41,15 +41,6 @@
 	}
 
 
-	newaction {
-		trigger = "release",
-		description = "Merges current branch to release; updates version and tags",
-		execute = function ()
-			include (path.join(corePath, "scripts/release.lua"))
-		end
-	}
-
-
 	newaction {
 		trigger = "test",
 		description = "Run the automated test suite",
diff --git a/scripts/package.lua b/scripts/package.lua
index c0f0cd57..3f433ae8 100644
--- a/scripts/package.lua
+++ b/scripts/package.lua
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 -- Make sure I've got what I've need to be happy.
 --
 
-	local required = { "hg", "make", "gcc", "premake5", "zip" }
+	local required = { "git", "make", "gcc", "premake5", "zip" }
 	for _, value in ipairs(required) do
 		local z = execQuiet("%s --version", value)
 		if z ~= 0 then
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 --
 
 	os.chdir("..")
-	local text = os.outputof(string.format('hg cat -r %s src/host/premake.c', branch))
+	local text = os.outputof(string.format('git show %s:src/host/premake.c', branch))
 	local _, _, version = text:find('VERSION%s*"([%w%p]+)"')
 
 	local pkgName = "premake-" .. version
@@ -88,18 +88,24 @@
 	os.rmdir(pkgName)
 
 	print("Cloning source code")
-	z = os.executef("hg clone .. -r %s %s", branch, pkgName)
+	z = os.executef("git clone .. %s", pkgName)
 	if z ~= 0 then
 		error("clone failed", 0)
 	end
 
+	os.chdir(pkgName)
+
+	z = os.executef("git checkout %s", branch)
+	if z ~= 0 then
+		error("unable to checkout branch " .. branch, 0)
+	end
+
 
 --
 -- Make absolutely sure the embedded scripts have been updated
 --
 
 	print("Updating embedded scripts...")
-	os.chdir(pkgName)
 	z = execQuiet("premake5 embed")
 	if z ~= 0 then
 		error("failed to update the embedded scripts", 0)
diff --git a/scripts/release.lua b/scripts/release.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index 3f523204..00000000
--- a/scripts/release.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,113 +0,0 @@
---
--- Merge the current working branch to Premake's release branch,
--- update the embedded version number and tag the result.
---
-
-
---
--- Helper function: run a command while hiding its output.
---
-
-	local function execQuiet(cmd, ...)
-		cmd = string.format(cmd, unpack(arg)) .. " > _output_.log 2> _error_.log"
-		local z = os.execute(cmd)
-		os.remove("_output_.log")
-		os.remove("_error_.log")
-		return z
-	end
-
-
---
--- Check the command line arguments, and show some help if needed.
---
-
-	local usage = 'usage is: release <version>\n' ..
-		'       <version> is of the form "5.0", "5.0.1", or "5.0-rc1"\n'
-
-	local usage = 'usage is: release <version>\n'
-	if #_ARGS ~= 1 then
-		error(usage, 0)
-	end
-
-	local version = _ARGS[1]
-
-
---
--- Make sure I've got what I've need to be happy.
---
-
-	local required = { "hg" }
-	for _, value in ipairs(required) do
-		local z = execQuiet("%s --version", value)
-		if z ~= 0 then
-			error("required tool '" .. value .. "' not found", 0)
-		end
-	end
-
-
---
--- Figure out what I'm doing.
---
-
-	os.chdir("..")
-	local branch = os.outputof("hg branch"):gsub("%s+$", "")
-
-
---
--- Make sure I'm sure.
---
-
-	printf("")
-	printf("I am about to")
-	printf("  ...merge %s to the release branch", branchName)
-	printf("  ...update the embedded version to \"%s\"", version)
-	printf("  ...commit and tag the merged result")
-	printf("")
-	printf("Does this look right to you? If so, press [Enter] to begin.")
-	io.read()
-
-
---
--- Pull down the release branch.
---
-
-	print("Preparing release folder")
-
-	os.mkdir("release")
-	os.chdir("release")
-	os.rmdir(version)
-
-	print("Cloning source code")
-	local z = os.executef("hg clone .. -r release %s", branch, version)
-	if z ~= 0 then
-		error("clone failed", 0)
-	end
-
-
---
--- Merge in the release working branch.
---
-
-	error("merge of release working branch is not yet implemented")
-
-
---
--- Update the version number in premake.c
---
-
-	print("Updating version number...")
-
-	os.chdir(version)
-	io.input("src/host/premake.c")
-	local text = io.read("*a")
-	text = text:gsub("HEAD", version)
-	io.output("src/host/premake.c")
-	io.write(text)
-	io.close()
-
-
---
--- Commit and tag merged revision.
---
-
-	error("commit and tag of merged branch is not yet implemented")