diff --git a/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/cli/ReleaseCommands.java b/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/cli/ReleaseCommands.java
index c491813..a8ae7c9 100644
--- a/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/cli/ReleaseCommands.java
+++ b/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/cli/ReleaseCommands.java
@@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ class ReleaseCommands extends TimedCommand {
 			List<DeploymentInformation> deploymentInformation = build.performRelease(iteration);
 
 			deploymentInformation.forEach(deployment::promote);
-
-			build.prepareVersions(iteration, Phase.CLEANUP);
-			git.commit(iteration, "Prepare next development iteration.");
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -124,22 +121,31 @@ class ReleaseCommands extends TimedCommand {
 
 		Assert.notNull(iteration, "Train iteration must not be null!");
 
-		// Tag release
-		git.tagRelease(iteration);
+		build.prepareVersions(iteration, Phase.CLEANUP);
+		git.commit(iteration, "Prepare next development iteration.");
 
 		// Prepare master branch
 		build.updateProjectDescriptors(iteration, Phase.CLEANUP);
 		git.commit(iteration, "After release cleanups.");
 
+		// Tag release
+		git.tagRelease(iteration);
+
 		// Prepare maintenance branches
 		if (iteration.getIteration().isGAIteration()) {
 
+			// Create bugfix branches
 			git.createMaintenanceBranches(iteration);
 
-			build.updateProjectDescriptors(iteration, Phase.MAINTENANCE);
+			// Set project version to maintenance once
 			build.prepareVersions(iteration, Phase.MAINTENANCE);
 			git.commit(iteration, "Prepare next development iteration.");
 
+			// Update inter-project dependencies and repositories
+			build.updateProjectDescriptors(iteration, Phase.MAINTENANCE);
+			git.commit(iteration, "After release cleanups.");
+
+			// Back to master branch
 			git.checkout(iteration);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/git/Branch.java b/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/git/Branch.java
index 982018d..0165454 100644
--- a/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/git/Branch.java
+++ b/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/git/Branch.java
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public class Branch implements Comparable<Branch> {
 		return from(versioned.getVersion());
 	}
 
-	private static Branch from(Version version) {
+	public static Branch from(Version version) {
 		return from(version.toString().concat(".x"));
 	}
 
diff --git a/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/git/GitOperations.java b/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/git/GitOperations.java
index 46f8d0c..38f6824 100644
--- a/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/git/GitOperations.java
+++ b/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/git/GitOperations.java
@@ -148,8 +148,6 @@ public class GitOperations {
 
 		Assert.notNull(iteration, "Train iteration must not be null!");
 
-		update(iteration.getTrain());
-
 		ExecutionUtils.run(iteration, module -> {
 
 			Project project = module.getProject();
@@ -319,23 +317,23 @@ public class GitOperations {
 		});
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Tags the release commits for the given {@link TrainIteration}.
+	 * 
+	 * @param iteration
+	 */
 	public void tagRelease(TrainIteration iteration) {
 
+		Assert.notNull(iteration, "Train iteration must not be null!");
+
 		ExecutionUtils.run(iteration, module -> {
 
-			Branch branch = Branch.from(module);
 			Project project = module.getProject();
+			ObjectId hash = getReleaseHash(module);
+			Tag tag = getTags(project).createTag(module);
 
 			doWithGit(project, git -> {
 
-				checkout(project, branch);
-
-				logger.log(module, "git pull", branch);
-				git.pull().call();
-
-				ObjectId hash = getReleaseHash(module);
-				Tag tag = getTags(project).createTag(module);
-
 				try (RevWalk walk = new RevWalk(git.getRepository())) {
 
 					RevCommit commit = walk.parseCommit(hash);
@@ -423,11 +421,11 @@ public class GitOperations {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Checks out the given {@link Branch} of the given {@link Project}.
+	 * Checks out the given {@link Branch} of the given {@link Project}. If the given branch doesn't exist yet, a tracking
+	 * branch is created assuming the branch exists in the {@code origin} remote.
 	 * 
 	 * @param project must not be {@literal null}.
 	 * @param branch must not be {@literal null}.
-	 * @throws Exception
 	 */
 	public void checkout(Project project, Branch branch) {
 
@@ -462,9 +460,14 @@ public class GitOperations {
 
 	public void createMaintenanceBranches(TrainIteration iteration) {
 
+		if (!iteration.getIteration().isGAIteration()) {
+			return;
+		}
+
 		checkout(iteration);
 
 		ExecutionUtils.run(iteration, module -> {
+
 			Branch branch = createMaintenanceBranch(module);
 			checkout(module.getProject(), branch);
 		});
@@ -539,11 +542,20 @@ public class GitOperations {
 		});
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Creates a version branch for the given {@link ModuleIteration}.
+	 * 
+	 * @param module must not be {@literal null}.
+	 * @return
+	 */
 	private Branch createMaintenanceBranch(ModuleIteration module) {
 
-		Branch branch = Branch.from(module);
+		Assert.notNull(module, "Module iteration must not be null!");
+
+		Branch branch = Branch.from(module.getVersion());
 
 		doWithGit(module.getProject(), git -> {
+			logger.log(module, "git checkout -b %s", branch);
 			git.branchCreate().setName(branch.toString()).call();
 		});