diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e51f05e3304703..dcb7535c588154 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ test-timers-clean:
 
 apidoc_sources = $(wildcard doc/api/*.markdown)
 apidocs = $(addprefix out/,$(apidoc_sources:.markdown=.html)) \
-          $(addprefix out/,$(apidoc_sources:.markdown=.json))
+		$(addprefix out/,$(apidoc_sources:.markdown=.json))
 
 apidoc_dirs = out/doc out/doc/api/ out/doc/api/assets
 
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ release-only:
 	@if [ "$(shell git status --porcelain | egrep -v '^\?\? ')" = "" ]; then \
 		exit 0 ; \
 	else \
-	  echo "" >&2 ; \
+		echo "" >&2 ; \
 		echo "The git repository is not clean." >&2 ; \
 		echo "Please commit changes before building release tarball." >&2 ; \
 		echo "" >&2 ; \
@@ -280,17 +280,21 @@ release-only:
 	@if [ "$(DISTTYPE)" != "release" -o "$(RELEASE)" = "1" ]; then \
 		exit 0; \
 	else \
-	  echo "" >&2 ; \
+		echo "" >&2 ; \
 		echo "#NODE_VERSION_IS_RELEASE is set to $(RELEASE)." >&2 ; \
-	  echo "Did you remember to update src/node_version.h?" >&2 ; \
-	  echo "" >&2 ; \
+		echo "Did you remember to update src/node_version.h?" >&2 ; \
+		echo "" >&2 ; \
 		exit 1 ; \
 	fi
 
 $(PKG): release-only
 	rm -rf $(PKGDIR)
 	rm -rf out/deps out/Release
-	$(PYTHON) ./configure --dest-cpu=x64 --tag=$(TAG)
+	$(PYTHON) ./configure \
+		--dest-cpu=x64 \
+		--tag=$(TAG) \
+		--release-urlbase=$(RELEASE_URLBASE) \
+		$(CONFIG_FLAGS)
 	$(MAKE) install V=$(V) DESTDIR=$(PKGDIR)
 	SIGN="$(CODESIGN_CERT)" PKGDIR="$(PKGDIR)" bash tools/osx-codesign.sh
 	cat tools/osx-pkg.pmdoc/index.xml.tmpl \
@@ -346,8 +350,13 @@ doc-upload: tar
 	ssh $(STAGINGSERVER) "touch staging/$(DISTTYPEDIR)/$(FULLVERSION)/doc.done"
 
 $(TARBALL)-headers: config.gypi release-only
-	$(PYTHON) ./configure --prefix=/ --dest-cpu=$(DESTCPU) --tag=$(TAG) $(CONFIG_FLAGS)
-	HEADERS_ONLY=1 $(PYTHON) tools/install.py install '$(TARNAME)' '/'
+	$(PYTHON) ./configure \
+		--prefix=/ \
+		--dest-cpu=$(DESTCPU) \
+		--tag=$(TAG) \
+		--release-urlbase=$(RELEASE_URLBASE) \
+		$(CONFIG_FLAGS)
+	HEADERS_ONLY=1 $(PYTHON) tools/install.py install '$(TARNAME)' '$(PREFIX)'
 	find $(TARNAME)/ -type l | xargs rm # annoying on windows
 	tar -cf $(TARNAME)-headers.tar $(TARNAME)
 	rm -rf $(TARNAME)
@@ -371,7 +380,12 @@ endif
 $(BINARYTAR): release-only
 	rm -rf $(BINARYNAME)
 	rm -rf out/deps out/Release
-	$(PYTHON) ./configure --prefix=/ --dest-cpu=$(DESTCPU) --tag=$(TAG) $(CONFIG_FLAGS)
+	$(PYTHON) ./configure \
+		--prefix=/ \
+		--dest-cpu=$(DESTCPU) \
+		--tag=$(TAG) \
+		--release-urlbase=$(RELEASE_URLBASE) \
+		$(CONFIG_FLAGS)
 	$(MAKE) install DESTDIR=$(BINARYNAME) V=$(V) PORTABLE=1
 	cp README.md $(BINARYNAME)
 	cp LICENSE $(BINARYNAME)
@@ -438,7 +452,7 @@ bench-all: bench bench-misc bench-array bench-buffer bench-url bench-events
 bench: bench-net bench-http bench-fs bench-tls
 
 bench-http-simple:
-	 benchmark/http_simple_bench.sh
+	benchmark/http_simple_bench.sh
 
 bench-idle:
 	$(NODE) benchmark/idle_server.js &
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index d198d79fd2dd89..63d4c25810f51a 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -191,6 +191,13 @@ parser.add_option('--tag',
     dest='tag',
     help='custom build tag')
 
+parser.add_option('--release-urlbase',
+    action='store',
+    dest='release_urlbase',
+    help='Provide a custom URL prefix for the `process.release` properties '
+         '`sourceUrl` and `headersUrl`. When compiling a release build, this '
+         'will default to https://iojs.org/download/release/')
+
 parser.add_option('--v8-options',
     action='store',
     dest='v8_options',
@@ -675,6 +682,8 @@ def configure_node(o):
   else:
     o['variables']['node_tag'] = ''
 
+  o['variables']['node_release_urlbase'] = options.release_urlbase or ''
+
   if options.v8_options:
     o['variables']['node_v8_options'] = options.v8_options.replace('"', '\\"')
 
diff --git a/doc/api/process.markdown b/doc/api/process.markdown
index 71c7d3cfcc76b1..7e7de33af83ead 100644
--- a/doc/api/process.markdown
+++ b/doc/api/process.markdown
@@ -672,6 +672,33 @@ An example of the possible output looks like:
          target_arch: 'x64',
          v8_use_snapshot: 'true' } }
 
+## process.release
+
+An Object containing metadata related to the current release, including URLs
+for the source tarball and headers-only tarball. This property may not exist in
+custom builds from non-release versions of the source tree.
+
+`process.release` contains the following properties:
+
+* `name`: a string with a value that will always be `"io.js"` for io.js.
+* `sourceUrl`: a complete URL pointing to a _.tar.gz_ file containing the
+  source of the current release.
+* `headersUrl`: a complete URL pointing to a _.tar.gz_ file containing only
+  the header files for the current release. This file is significantly smaller
+  than the full source file and can be used for compiling add-ons against
+  io.js.
+* `libUrl`: a complete URL pointing to an _iojs.lib_ file matching the
+  architecture and version of the current release. This file is used for
+  compiling add-ons against io.js. _This property is only present on Windows
+  builds of io.js and will be missing on all other platforms._
+
+e.g.
+
+    { name: 'io.js',
+      sourceUrl: 'https://iojs.org/download/release/v2.3.5/iojs-v2.3.5.tar.gz',
+      headersUrl: 'https://iojs.org/download/release/v2.3.5/iojs-v2.3.5-headers.tar.gz',
+      libUrl: 'https://iojs.org/download/release/v2.3.5/win-x64/iojs.lib' }
+
 ## process.kill(pid[, signal])
 
 Send a signal to a process. `pid` is the process id and `signal` is the
diff --git a/node.gyp b/node.gyp
index 21d2802a2067b0..7b2d0a54f7cfd3 100644
--- a/node.gyp
+++ b/node.gyp
@@ -194,6 +194,11 @@
             'src/node_main.cc',
           ],
         }],
+        [ 'node_release_urlbase!=""', {
+          'defines': [
+            'NODE_RELEASE_URLBASE="<(node_release_urlbase)"',
+          ]
+        }],
         [ 'v8_enable_i18n_support==1', {
           'defines': [ 'NODE_HAVE_I18N_SUPPORT=1' ],
           'dependencies': [
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 56a629fec7101c..c2c1c948ff1d3a 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -2762,6 +2762,39 @@ void SetupProcessObject(Environment* env,
                     "platform",
                     OneByteString(env->isolate(), NODE_PLATFORM));
 
+  // process.release
+  Local<Object> release = Object::New(env->isolate());
+  READONLY_PROPERTY(process, "release", release);
+  READONLY_PROPERTY(release, "name", OneByteString(env->isolate(), "io.js"));
+
+// if this is a release build and no explicit base has been set
+// substitute the standard release download URL
+#ifndef NODE_RELEASE_URLBASE
+# if NODE_VERSION_IS_RELEASE
+#  define NODE_RELEASE_URLBASE "https://iojs.org/download/release/"
+# endif
+#endif
+
+#if defined(NODE_RELEASE_URLBASE)
+#  define _RELEASE_URLPFX NODE_RELEASE_URLBASE "v" NODE_VERSION_STRING "/"
+#  define _RELEASE_URLFPFX _RELEASE_URLPFX "iojs-v" NODE_VERSION_STRING
+
+  READONLY_PROPERTY(release,
+                    "sourceUrl",
+                    OneByteString(env->isolate(),
+                    _RELEASE_URLFPFX ".tar.gz"));
+  READONLY_PROPERTY(release,
+                    "headersUrl",
+                    OneByteString(env->isolate(),
+                    _RELEASE_URLFPFX "-headers.tar.gz"));
+#  ifdef _WIN32
+  READONLY_PROPERTY(release,
+                    "libUrl",
+                    OneByteString(env->isolate(),
+                    _RELEASE_URLPFX "win-" NODE_ARCH "/iojs.lib"));
+#  endif
+#endif
+
   // process.argv
   Local<Array> arguments = Array::New(env->isolate(), argc);
   for (int i = 0; i < argc; ++i) {
diff --git a/vcbuild.bat b/vcbuild.bat
index e452849dfd9dcf..44dfb634d780ec 100644
--- a/vcbuild.bat
+++ b/vcbuild.bat
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ set noperfctr_arg=
 set noperfctr_msi_arg=
 set i18n_arg=
 set download_arg=
+set release_urls_arg=
 
 :next-arg
 if "%1"=="" goto args-done
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ if "%config%"=="Debug" set debug_arg=--debug
 if defined nosnapshot set snapshot_arg=--without-snapshot
 if defined noetw set noetw_arg=--without-etw& set noetw_msi_arg=/p:NoETW=1
 if defined noperfctr set noperfctr_arg=--without-perfctr& set noperfctr_msi_arg=/p:NoPerfCtr=1
+if defined RELEASE_URLBASE set release_urlbase_arg=--release-urlbase=%RELEASE_URLBASE%
 
 if "%i18n_arg%"=="full-icu" set i18n_arg=--with-intl=full-icu
 if "%i18n_arg%"=="small-icu" set i18n_arg=--with-intl=small-icu