diff --git a/git-flow-release b/git-flow-release
index 521a9d8..2b3684f 100644
--- a/git-flow-release
+++ b/git-flow-release
@@ -149,12 +149,6 @@
 		die "There is an existing release branch ($first_branch). Finish that one first."
 }
 
-require_not_on_release_branch() {
-	if [ "$BRANCH" = "$(git_current_branch)"]; then
-		die "You cannot be in the '$BRANCH' branch when you finish it."
-	fi
-}
-
 cmd_start() {
 	DEFINE_boolean fetch false "fetch from $ORIGIN before performing finish" F
 	parse_args "$@"
@@ -210,7 +204,6 @@
 	# sanity checks
 	require_branch "$BRANCH"
 	require_clean_working_tree
-	require_not_on_release_branch
 	if flag fetch; then
 		git fetch -q "$ORIGIN" "$MASTER_BRANCH" || \
 		  die "Could not fetch $MASTER_BRANCH from $ORIGIN."
@@ -264,6 +257,9 @@
 
 	# delete branch
 	if noflag keep; then
+		if [ "$BRANCH" = "$(git_current_branch)" ]; then
+			git checkout "$MASTER_BRANCH"
+		fi
 		git branch -d "$BRANCH"
 	fi