diff --git a/script/deploy_nightly.sh b/script/deploy_nightly.sh
index b0a21bca15..06127d5c07 100644
--- a/script/deploy_nightly.sh
+++ b/script/deploy_nightly.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,25 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-set -eu
+set -exu
 
-[ -n $LEAN_VERSION_STRING ] && gothub upload -s $GH_TOKEN -u leanprover -r lean-nightly -t $LEAN_VERSION_STRING -n "$(basename $1)" -f "$1"
+[ -z $LEAN_VERSION_STRING] && exit 0
+
+# Travis can't publish releases to other repos (or stop mucking with the markdown description), so push releases directly
+GO_PATH=$(realpath go)
+PATH=$PATH:$GO_PATH/bin
+go get github.com/itchio/gothub
+
+if git tag $LEAN_VERSION_STRING
+then
+    # technically a race condition...
+    git push nightly $LEAN_VERSION_STRING
+    last_tag=$(git describe @^ --abbrev=0 --tags)
+    echo -e "Changes since ${last_tag}:\n\n" > diff.md
+    ./script/diff_changelogs.py <(git show $last_tag:doc/changes.md) doc/changes.md >> diff.md
+    gothub release -s $GH_TOKEN -u leanprover -r lean-nightly -t $LEAN_VERSION_STRING -d - --pre-release < diff.md
+else
+    # make sure every runner is building the same commit
+    [ $(git parse-rev HEAD) == $(git parse-rev $LEAN_VERSION_STRING) ] || exit 1
+fi
+
+gothub upload -s $GH_TOKEN -u leanprover -r lean-nightly -t $LEAN_VERSION_STRING -n "$(basename $1)" -f "$1"
diff --git a/script/setup_nightly.sh b/script/setup_nightly.sh
index 66624b1ae1..46d7e50a39 100644
--- a/script/setup_nightly.sh
+++ b/script/setup_nightly.sh
@@ -1,28 +1,13 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-set -eu
+set -exu
 
 git remote add nightly "https://$GH_TOKEN@github.com/leanprover/lean-nightly.git"
-git fetch nightly
+git fetch nightly --tags
 
-# exit if commit is already tagged
-git describe --exact-match --tags HEAD >& /dev/null && return
-
-# Travis can't publish releases to other repos (or stop mucking with the markdown description), so push releases directly
-go get github.com/itchio/gothub
-
-if git tag $LEAN_VERSION_STRING
+# do nothing if commit is already tagged
+if [ ! git describe --exact-match --tags HEAD >& /dev/null ]
 then
-    # technically a race condition...
-    git push nightly $LEAN_VERSION_STRING
-    last_tag=$(git describe @^ --abbrev=0 --tags)
-    echo -e "Changes since ${last_tag}:\n\n" > diff.md
-    ./script/diff_changelogs.py <(git show $last_tag:doc/changes.md) doc/changes.md >> diff.md
-    gothub release -s $GH_TOKEN -u leanprover -r lean-nightly -t $LEAN_VERSION_STRING -d - --pre-release < diff.md
-else
-    # make sure every runner is building the same commit
-    git checkout $LEAN_VERSION_STRING
+    LEAN_VERSION_STRING="nightly-$(date -uI)"
+    OPTIONS+=" -DLEAN_SPECIAL_VERSION_DESC=$LEAN_VERSION_STRING"
 fi
-
-LEAN_VERSION_STRING="nightly-$(date -uI)"
-OPTIONS+="-DLEAN_SPECIAL_VERSION_DESC=$LEAN_VERSION_STRING"