diff --git a/scripts/release/build-commands/check-circle-ci-status.js b/scripts/release/build-commands/check-circle-ci-status.js
index c2c140d764bbb..406246945f479 100644
--- a/scripts/release/build-commands/check-circle-ci-status.js
+++ b/scripts/release/build-commands/check-circle-ci-status.js
@@ -43,5 +43,8 @@ const check = async ({cwd}) => {
 };
 
 module.exports = async params => {
+  if (params.local) {
+    return;
+  }
   return logPromise(check(params), 'Checking CircleCI status');
 };
diff --git a/scripts/release/build-commands/update-git.js b/scripts/release/build-commands/update-git.js
index 58255a48ca084..467916a5784e4 100644
--- a/scripts/release/build-commands/update-git.js
+++ b/scripts/release/build-commands/update-git.js
@@ -6,15 +6,21 @@ const chalk = require('chalk');
 const {exec} = require('child-process-promise');
 const {logPromise} = require('../utils');
 
-const update = async ({cwd}) => {
-  await exec('git fetch', {cwd});
-  await exec('git checkout master', {cwd});
-  await exec('git pull', {cwd});
+const update = async ({cwd, branch, local}) => {
+  if (!local) {
+    await exec('git fetch', {cwd});
+  }
+  await exec(`git checkout ${branch}`, {cwd});
+  if (!local) {
+    await exec('git pull', {cwd});
+  }
 };
 
-module.exports = async ({cwd}) => {
+module.exports = async params => {
   return logPromise(
-    update({cwd}),
-    `Updating checkout ${chalk.yellow.bold(cwd)}`
+    update(params),
+    `Updating checkout ${chalk.yellow.bold(
+      params.cwd
+    )} on branch ${chalk.yellow.bold(params.branch)}}`
   );
 };
diff --git a/scripts/release/config.js b/scripts/release/config.js
index 367cc2ef89ba8..e270967cbc00d 100644
--- a/scripts/release/config.js
+++ b/scripts/release/config.js
@@ -23,6 +23,26 @@ const paramDefinitions = [
     alias: 'v',
     description: 'Semantic version number',
   },
+  {
+    name: 'branch',
+    type: String,
+    alias: 'b',
+    description: 'Branch to build from; defaults to [bold]{master}',
+    defaultValue: 'master',
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'local',
+    type: Boolean,
+    description:
+      "Don't push or pull changes from remote repo. Don't check CI status.",
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'tag',
+    type: String,
+    description:
+      'The npm dist tag; defaults to [bold]{latest} for a stable' +
+      'release, [bold]{next} for unstable',
+  },
 ];
 
 module.exports = {
diff --git a/scripts/release/publish-commands/check-build-status.js b/scripts/release/publish-commands/check-build-status.js
index b64d7e90ab0e7..02ecf20424c19 100644
--- a/scripts/release/publish-commands/check-build-status.js
+++ b/scripts/release/publish-commands/check-build-status.js
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@ const {existsSync} = require('fs');
 const {readJson} = require('fs-extra');
 const {join} = require('path');
 
-module.exports = async ({cwd, version}) => {
+module.exports = async ({cwd, version, local}) => {
+  if (local) {
+    return;
+  }
   const packagePath = join(
     cwd,
     'build',
diff --git a/scripts/release/publish-commands/publish-to-npm.js b/scripts/release/publish-commands/publish-to-npm.js
index 6b34e12a7c19f..429b64cbd1867 100644
--- a/scripts/release/publish-commands/publish-to-npm.js
+++ b/scripts/release/publish-commands/publish-to-npm.js
@@ -8,10 +8,16 @@ const {join} = require('path');
 const semver = require('semver');
 const {execRead, execUnlessDry, logPromise} = require('../utils');
 
-const push = async ({cwd, dry, packages, version}) => {
+const push = async ({cwd, dry, packages, version, tag}) => {
   const errors = [];
   const isPrerelease = semver.prerelease(version);
-  const tag = isPrerelease ? 'next' : 'latest';
+  if (tag === undefined) {
+    // No tag was provided. Default to `latest` for stable releases and `next`
+    // for prereleases
+    tag = isPrerelease ? 'next' : 'latest';
+  } else if (tag === 'latest' && isPrerelease) {
+    throw new Error('The tag `latest` can only be used for stable versions.');
+  }
 
   const publishProject = async project => {
     try {
diff --git a/scripts/release/publish-commands/push-git-remote.js b/scripts/release/publish-commands/push-git-remote.js
index c30d035f289d5..6d487ac546d2e 100644
--- a/scripts/release/publish-commands/push-git-remote.js
+++ b/scripts/release/publish-commands/push-git-remote.js
@@ -10,5 +10,8 @@ const push = async ({cwd, dry}) => {
 };
 
 module.exports = async params => {
+  if (params.local) {
+    return;
+  }
   return logPromise(push(params), 'Pushing to git remote');
 };