diff --git a/doc/release-process.md b/doc/release-process.md
index aded05e0f..93b97adaf 100644
--- a/doc/release-process.md
+++ b/doc/release-process.md
@@ -59,10 +59,9 @@ In `configure.ac` and `clientversion.h`:
 
 ### B2. Write release notes
 
-git shortlog helps a lot, for example:
+Run the release-notes.py script to generate release notes and update authors.md file. For example:
 
-    $ git shortlog --no-merges v${ZCASH_RELEASE_PREV}..HEAD \
-        > ./doc/release-notes/release-notes-${ZCASH_RELEASE}.md
+    $ python zcutil/release-notes.py --version $ZCASH_RELEASE
 
 Update the Debian package changelog:
 
diff --git a/zcutil/release-notes.py b/zcutil/release-notes.py
index aa524bacf..f56e8c22d 100644
--- a/zcutil/release-notes.py
+++ b/zcutil/release-notes.py
@@ -70,9 +70,9 @@ def document_authors():
 ## Writes release note to ./doc/release-notes based on git shortlog when current version number is specified
 def generate_release_note(version, filename):
     print "Automatically generating release notes for {0} from git shortlog. Should review {1} for accuracy.".format(version, filename)
-    prev_tag = subprocess.Popen(['git describe --abbrev=0 v{0}^'.format(version)], shell=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()[0].strip()
-    print "Previous release tag: ", prev_tag
-    notes = subprocess.Popen(['git shortlog --no-merges {0}..v{1}'.format(prev_tag, version)], shell=True, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()[0]
+    latest_tag = subprocess.Popen(['git describe --abbrev=0'], shell=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()[0].strip()
+    print "Previous release tag: ", latest_tag
+    notes = subprocess.Popen(['git shortlog --no-merges {0}..HEAD'.format(latest_tag)], shell=True, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()[0]
     lines = notes.split('\n')
     lines = [alias_authors_in_release_notes(line) for line in lines]
     release_note = os.path.join(doc_dir, 'release-notes', 'release-notes-{0}.md'.format(version))