diff --git a/git-flow-release b/git-flow-release
index 35b4fbe..ca5e360 100755
--- a/git-flow-release
+++ b/git-flow-release
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@
 
 	# sanity checks
 	gitflow_check_clean_working_tree
-	git fetch origin
-	gitflow_require_branches_equal $DEVELOP_BRANCH origin/$DEVELOP_BRANCH
+	git fetch $ORIGIN
+	gitflow_require_branches_equal $DEVELOP_BRANCH $ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH
 	gitflow_require_branch_absent $BRANCH
 
 	# create branch
@@ -74,9 +74,9 @@
 
 	# sanity checks
 	gitflow_check_clean_working_tree
-	git fetch origin
-	gitflow_require_branches_equal $MASTER_BRANCH origin/$MASTER_BRANCH
-	gitflow_require_branches_equal $DEVELOP_BRANCH origin/$DEVELOP_BRANCH
+	git fetch $ORIGIN
+	gitflow_require_branches_equal $MASTER_BRANCH $ORIGIN/$MASTER_BRANCH
+	gitflow_require_branches_equal $DEVELOP_BRANCH $ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH
 
 	# merge into master
 	git checkout $MASTER_BRANCH
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
 
 	echo
 	echo "Summary of actions:"
-	echo "- Latest objects have been fetched from 'origin'"
+	echo "- Latest objects have been fetched from '$ORIGIN'"
 	echo "- Release branch has been merged into '$MASTER_BRANCH'"
 	echo "- The release was tagged 'v$VERSION'"
 	echo "- Release branch has been back-merged into '$DEVELOP_BRANCH'"