diff --git a/lib/release/base.rb b/lib/release/base.rb
index 5635fac..602a217 100644
--- a/lib/release/base.rb
+++ b/lib/release/base.rb
@@ -27,20 +27,28 @@ module Release
 
     private
 
+      def show_existing_tags
+        git_local_list_tags(release_tag_prefix).join("\n")
+      end
+
       def validate_version_format (version)
-        error "Invalid version number format. Try using MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH."  unless version =~ /\d+\.\d+\.\d+/
+        error "Invalid version number format. Try using MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH."  unless version =~ version_pattern
       end
 
       def validate_version_is_new (version)
-        error "Version already exists: #{git_local_list_tags.join(' ')}" if git_local_list_tags.include? "v#{version}"
+        error "Version already exists: \n#{show_existing_tags}" if git_local_list_tags(release_tag_prefix).include? release_tag_from_version(version)
       end
 
       def validate_version_exists (version)
-        error "Version does not exist: #{git_local_list_tags.join(' ')}" unless git_local_list_tags.include? "v#{version}"
+        error "Version does not exist: \n#{show_existing_tags}" unless git_local_list_tags(release_tag_prefix).include? release_tag_from_version(version)
+      end
+
+      def validate_version_does_not_exist (version)
+        error "Version already exists: \n#{show_existing_tags}" if git_local_list_tags(release_tag_prefix).include? release_tag_from_version(version)
       end
 
       def validate_current_branch_is_release
-        error "Invalid release branch: #{current_branch}" unless current_branch =~ /\d+\.\d+\.\d+/
+        error "Invalid release branch: #{current_branch}" unless current_branch =~ release_branch_pattern
       end
 
       def validate_current_branch_master
@@ -50,6 +58,8 @@ module Release
       def validate_release_branch_does_not_exist (branch)
         error "Version branch already exists: #{branch}" if remote_branch(branch) != ""
       end
+
+
   end
 
 end
diff --git a/lib/release/commander.rb b/lib/release/commander.rb
index 9ed2f9f..8389407 100644
--- a/lib/release/commander.rb
+++ b/lib/release/commander.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ module Release
       :minor,
       :patch,
       :tab,
-      :trash
+      :trash,
+      :versions
     ].sort
 
     DEFAULT = :help
diff --git a/lib/release/finish.rb b/lib/release/finish.rb
index 4231410..519955f 100644
--- a/lib/release/finish.rb
+++ b/lib/release/finish.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ module Release
 
       git_pull release_branch
 
-      git_local_tag release_branch
+      git_local_tag release_tag_from_version(version_from_release_branch(release_branch))
 
       git_push release_branch
 
diff --git a/lib/release/init.rb b/lib/release/init.rb
index 673ded7..30cef28 100644
--- a/lib/release/init.rb
+++ b/lib/release/init.rb
@@ -15,13 +15,13 @@ module Release
       subcommand, version, *extras = *argv
 
       validate_version_format version
-      
+
       validate_current_branch_master
       git_pull current_branch
 
       validate_version_is_new version
 
-      git_local_tag version
+      git_local_tag release_tag_from_version(version)
 
       git_push_tags
 
diff --git a/lib/release/new_version.rb b/lib/release/new_version.rb
index fc46995..48bd8ae 100644
--- a/lib/release/new_version.rb
+++ b/lib/release/new_version.rb
@@ -21,12 +21,13 @@ module Release
 
       validate_version_exists version
 
-      new_branch = increment_version(version)
-      validate_release_branch_does_not_exist(new_branch)
+      new_version = increment_version(version)
+      validate_version_does_not_exist new_version
+      validate_release_branch_does_not_exist(release_branch_from_version(new_version))
 
-      git_local_branch_create new_branch, "v#{version}"
+      git_local_branch_create release_branch_from_version(new_version), release_tag_from_version(version)
 
-      git_push new_branch
+      git_push release_branch_from_version(new_version)
     end
 
     private
diff --git a/lib/release/versions.rb b/lib/release/versions.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a61d59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/release/versions.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+require_relative './base'
+
+module Release
+
+  class Versions < Release::Base
+    def valid?
+      true
+    end
+
+    def help
+      "release versions"
+    end
+
+    def execute
+      puts
+      puts show_existing_tags
+      puts
+    end
+  end
+
+end
diff --git a/lib/shared/branchability.rb b/lib/shared/branchability.rb
index 957f568..808bc10 100644
--- a/lib/shared/branchability.rb
+++ b/lib/shared/branchability.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,30 @@ module Shared
       ['master']
     end
 
+    def version_pattern
+      /\d+\.\d+\.\d+/
+    end
+
+    def release_branch_pattern
+      /rc\d+\.\d+\.\d+/
+    end
+
+    def release_branch_from_version (version)
+      "rc#{version}"
+    end
+
+    def release_tag_prefix
+      'v'
+    end
+    
+    def release_tag_from_version (version)
+      "v#{version}"
+    end
+
+    def version_from_release_branch (branch)
+      branch.sub(/^rc/, '')
+    end
+
     def parse_branch (branch)
       parts = branch.split('-')
       error "invalid branch: user-standard-feature" unless parts.size > 2
@@ -20,7 +44,7 @@ module Shared
       user     = parts.shift
       standard = parts.shift
       error "invalid user: #{user}" unless [ENV['FEATURE_USER'],ENV['USER']].include? user
-      error "invalid branch: #{standard}" unless standard_branches.include? standard or standard =~ /\d+\.\d+\.\d+/
+      error "invalid branch: #{standard}" unless standard_branches.include? standard or standard =~ release_branch_pattern
       feature  =  parts.join('-')
       { user: user, standard: standard, feature: feature }
     end
diff --git a/lib/shared/runnable.rb b/lib/shared/runnable.rb
index e0749f2..d3dc3b5 100644
--- a/lib/shared/runnable.rb
+++ b/lib/shared/runnable.rb
@@ -40,11 +40,11 @@ module Shared
     end
 
     def git_local_tag ( tag )
-      run_cmd "git tag -a 'v#{tag}' -m 'v#{tag}'"
+      run_cmd "git tag -a '#{tag}' -m '#{tag}'"
     end
 
-    def git_local_list_tags
-      `git tag -l 'v*'`.strip.split(/\s+/).sort
+    def git_local_list_tags (release_tag_prefix)
+      `git tag -l '#{release_tag_prefix}*'`.strip.split(/\s+/).sort
     end
 
     def git_prune