diff --git a/release-scripts/VERSIONS.inc b/release-scripts/VERSIONS.inc
deleted file mode 100644
index 509ab402cb..0000000000
--- a/release-scripts/VERSIONS.inc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-[default]
-MAJOR_VERSION=5
-MINOR_VERSION=1
-PATCH_VERSION=0
-BRANCH=5.1
-
-OLD_SHA1=5.0
-NEW_SHA1=v5.1.0
diff --git a/release-scripts/create_log.py b/release-scripts/create_log.py
index ce75bf8689..2baaf5e159 100755
--- a/release-scripts/create_log.py
+++ b/release-scripts/create_log.py
@@ -1,137 +1,137 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
 # stolen from releaseme/plasma, which was stolen from release-tools Applications/15.04 branch
 # ported to Python 3 and fixed the worst issues + removed Plasma-related bits --Kevin
 
 from __future__ import print_function
 
 import configparser
 import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
 import cgi
 
 THIS_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
 
 f = open(os.path.join(THIS_DIR, 'REPOSITORIES.inc'))
 srcdir = os.getcwd()
 repos = f.read().rstrip().split(" ")
 
 for repo in repos:
     config = configparser.ConfigParser()
-    config.read(os.path.join(THIS_DIR, "VERSIONS.inc"))
+    config.read(os.path.join(THIS_DIR, "VERSIONS.ini"))
     fromVersion = config['default']['OLD_SHA1']
     toVersion = config['default']['NEW_SHA1']
 
     os.chdir(os.path.join(srcdir, repo))
 
     p = subprocess.Popen('git fetch', shell=True,
                          stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
     if p.wait() != 0:
         raise NameError('git fetch failed')
 
     p = subprocess.Popen('git rev-parse ' + fromVersion + ' ' + toVersion, shell=True,
                          stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
     if p.wait() != 0:
         raise NameError("git rev-parse failed -- correct to/from version?")
 
     p = subprocess.Popen('git log ' + fromVersion + '...' + toVersion, shell=True,
                          stdout=subprocess.PIPE, universal_newlines=True)
     commit = []
     commits = []
     for line in p.stdout:
         if line.startswith("commit"):
             if len(commit) > 1 and not ignoreCommit:
                 commits.append(commit)
             commitHash = line[7:].strip()
             ignoreCommit = False
             commit = [commitHash]
         elif line.startswith("Author"):
             pass
         elif line.startswith("Date"):
             pass
         elif line.startswith("Merge"):
             pass
         else:
             line = line.strip()
             if line.startswith("Merge remote-tracking branch"):
                 ignoreCommit = True
             elif line.startswith("SVN_SILENT"):
                 ignoreCommit = True
             elif line.startswith("GIT_SILENT"):
                 ignoreCommit = True
             elif line.startswith("Merge branch"):
                 ignoreCommit = True
             elif line.startswith("Update version number for"):
                 ignoreCommit = True
             elif line:
                 commit.append(line)
     # Add the last commit
     if len(commit) > 1 and not ignoreCommit:
         commits.append(commit)
 
     if len(commits):
         print("<h3><a name='" + repo + "' href='https://commits.kde.org/"+repo+"'>" + repo + "</a></h3>")
         print("<ul id='ul" + repo + "' style='display: block'>")
         for commit in commits:
             extra = ""
             changelog = commit[1]
 
             for line in commit:
                 line = cgi.escape(line)
                 if line.startswith("BUGS:"):
                     bugNumbers = line[line.find(":") + 1:].strip()
                     for bugNumber in bugNumbers.split(","):
                         if bugNumber.isdigit():
                             if extra:
                                 extra += ". "
                             extra += "Fixes bug <a href='https://bugs.kde.org/" + bugNumber + "'>#" + bugNumber + "</a>"
                 elif line.startswith("BUG:"):
                     bugNumber = line[line.find(":") + 1:].strip()
                     if bugNumber.isdigit():
                         if extra:
                             extra += ". "
                         extra += "Fixes bug <a href='https://bugs.kde.org/" + bugNumber + "'>#" + bugNumber + "</a>"
                 elif line.startswith("REVIEW:"):
                     if extra:
                         extra += ". "
                     reviewNumber = line[line.find(":") + 1:].strip()
                     extra += "Code review <a href='https://git.reviewboard.kde.org/r/" + reviewNumber + "'>#" + reviewNumber + "</a>"
                     # jr addition 2017-02 phab link
                 elif line.startswith("Differential Revision:"):
                     if extra:
                         extra += ". "
                     reviewNumber = line[line.find("org/") + 4:].strip()
                     extra += "Phabricator Code review <a href='https://phabricator.kde.org/" + reviewNumber + "'>" + reviewNumber + "</a>"
                 elif line.startswith("CCBUG:"):
                     if extra:
                         extra += ". "
                     bugNumber = line[line.find(":") + 1:].strip()
                     extra += "See bug <a href='https://bugs.kde.org/" + bugNumber + "'>#" + bugNumber + "</a>"
                 elif line.startswith("FEATURE:"):
                     feature = line[line.find(":") + 1:].strip()
                     if feature.isdigit():
                         if extra:
                             extra += ". "
                         extra += "Implements feature <a href='https://bugs.kde.org/" + feature + "'>#" + feature + "</a>"
                     else:
                         if feature:
                             changelog = feature
 
                 elif line.startswith("CHANGELOG:"):
                     changelog = line[11:] # remove word "CHANGELOG: "
                 elif line.startswith("Merge Plasma"):
                     pass
 
             commitHash = commit[0]
             if not changelog.endswith("."):
                 changelog = changelog + "."
 
             # NOTE: Only showing interesting changes
             if extra:
                 capitalizedChangelog = changelog[0].capitalize() + changelog[1:]
                 print("<li>" + capitalizedChangelog + " <a href='https://commits.kde.org/"+repo+"/"+commitHash+"'>Commit.</a> " + extra + "</li>")
         print("</ul>\n\n")
 
     if p.wait() != 0:
         raise NameError('git log failed', repo, fromVersion, toVersion)
diff --git a/release-scripts/update-versions.sh b/release-scripts/update-versions.sh
index ef7186a5a6..261e3853a3 100755
--- a/release-scripts/update-versions.sh
+++ b/release-scripts/update-versions.sh
@@ -1,27 +1,25 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 set -x
 
-MAJOR_VERSION=5
-MINOR_VERSION=1
-PATCH_VERSION=0
-BRANCH=5.1
+# load ini file
+source <(grep = VERSIONS.ini)
 
 do_replace() {
     local project=$1
 
     echo $MINOR_VERSION
 
     git checkout $BRANCH
     sed -i -e "s/set(.*${project}_VERSION_MAJOR .*)/set(${project}_VERSION_MAJOR $MAJOR_VERSION)/g" CMakeLists.txt
     sed -i -e "s/set(.*${project}_VERSION_MINOR .*)/set(${project}_VERSION_MINOR $MINOR_VERSION)/g" CMakeLists.txt
     sed -i -e "s/set(.*${project}_VERSION_PATCH .*)/set(${project}_VERSION_PATCH $PATCH_VERSION)/g" CMakeLists.txt
     git diff CMakeLists.txt
     git commit CMakeLists.txt -m "Update version number to $MAJOR_VERSION.$MINOR_VERSION.$PATCH_VERSION"
     git push origin $BRANCH
 }
 
 (cd kdevplatform; do_replace KDEVPLATFORM)
 (cd kdevelop; do_replace KDEVELOP)
 (cd kdev-python; do_replace KDEVPYTHON)
 (cd kdev-php; do_replace KDEVPHP)