diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 1005a76da..2bf9baf41 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,11 @@ go:
 stages:
   - name: build
   - name: deploy
-    if: type != pull_request
+    # only deploy if:
+    ## we are not in a PR
+    ## tag is blank (ie, master or any other branch)
+    ## tag is a release tag (release/v1.6.1, which is the release build)
+    if: (type != pull_request) AND ((tag IS blank) OR (tag =~ /^release\/v.[\d\.]+(\-.*)?$/))
 
 jobs:
   include:
diff --git a/.travis/release.sh b/.travis/release.sh
index 1748969ed..7a3a57415 100755
--- a/.travis/release.sh
+++ b/.travis/release.sh
@@ -22,4 +22,9 @@ else
     git commit -qm "Release ${TAG}" --author="Jaeger Release <jaeger-release@jaegertracing.io>"
     git tag ${TAG}
     git push --tags --repo=https://${GH_WRITE_TOKEN}@github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger-operator.git
+
+    ## release commit should reach master!
+    git checkout master
+    git merge ${TAG}
+    git push --repo=https://${GH_WRITE_TOKEN}@github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger-operator.git
 fi
diff --git a/RELEASE.adoc b/RELEASE.adoc
index ba3f11db7..15d30b8ba 100644
--- a/RELEASE.adoc
+++ b/RELEASE.adoc
@@ -8,5 +8,6 @@
 
 1. Tag and push
 
-  git tag release/1.6.1
+  git checkout master ## it's only possible to release from master for now!
+  git tag release/v1.6.1
   git push git@github.com:jaegertracing/jaeger-operator.git release/v1.6.1