diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index 060f09f..0c406ba 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -11,5 +11,6 @@
 - Felipe Talavera
 - Guillaume-Jean Herbiet
 - Joseph A. Levin
+- Konstantin Tjuterev
 
 Portions derived from other open source works are clearly marked.
diff --git a/git-flow-feature b/git-flow-feature
index 226730a..ebbb035 100644
--- a/git-flow-feature
+++ b/git-flow-feature
@@ -281,16 +281,17 @@
 	require_clean_working_tree
 
 	# update local repo with remote changes first, if asked
-	if has "$ORIGIN/$BRANCH" "$(git_remote_branches)"; then
+	if has "$ORIGIN/$BRANCH" $(git_remote_branches); then
 		if flag fetch; then
 			git fetch -q "$ORIGIN" "$BRANCH"
+			git fetch -q "$ORIGIN" "$DEVELOP_BRANCH"
 		fi
 	fi
 
-	if has "$ORIGIN/$BRANCH" "$(git_remote_branches)"; then
+	if has "$ORIGIN/$BRANCH" $(git_remote_branches); then
 		require_branches_equal "$BRANCH" "$ORIGIN/$BRANCH"
 	fi
-	if has "$ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH" "$(git_remote_branches)"; then
+	if has "$ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH" $(git_remote_branches); then
 		require_branches_equal "$DEVELOP_BRANCH" "$ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH"
 	fi
 
diff --git a/git-flow-hotfix b/git-flow-hotfix
index 5660131..2618113 100644
--- a/git-flow-hotfix
+++ b/git-flow-hotfix
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@
 	if flag fetch; then
 		git fetch -q "$ORIGIN" "$MASTER_BRANCH"
 	fi
-	if has "$ORIGIN/$MASTER_BRANCH" "$(git_remote_branches)"; then
+	if has "$ORIGIN/$MASTER_BRANCH" $(git_remote_branches); then
 		require_branches_equal "$MASTER_BRANCH" "$ORIGIN/$MASTER_BRANCH"
 	fi
 
@@ -213,10 +213,10 @@
 		git fetch -q "$ORIGIN" "$DEVELOP_BRANCH" || \
 		  die "Could not fetch $DEVELOP_BRANCH from $ORIGIN."
 	fi
-	if has "$ORIGIN/$MASTER_BRANCH" "$(git_remote_branches)"; then
+	if has "$ORIGIN/$MASTER_BRANCH" $(git_remote_branches); then
 		require_branches_equal "$MASTER_BRANCH" "$ORIGIN/$MASTER_BRANCH"
 	fi
-	if has "$ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH" "$(git_remote_branches)"; then
+	if has "$ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH" $(git_remote_branches); then
 		require_branches_equal "$DEVELOP_BRANCH" "$ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH"
 	fi
 
diff --git a/git-flow-release b/git-flow-release
index 05815bc..08f595b 100644
--- a/git-flow-release
+++ b/git-flow-release
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 
 usage() {
 	echo "usage: git flow release [list] [-v]"
-	echo "       git flow release start [-F] <version>"
+	echo "       git flow release start [-F] <version> [<base>]"
 	echo "       git flow release finish [-Fsumpk] <version>"
 	echo "       git flow release publish <name>"
 	echo "       git flow release track <name>"
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@
 	if flag fetch; then
 		git fetch -q "$ORIGIN" "$DEVELOP_BRANCH"
 	fi
-	if has "$ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH" "$(git_remote_branches)"; then
+	if has "$ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH" $(git_remote_branches); then
 		require_branches_equal "$DEVELOP_BRANCH" "$ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH"
 	fi
 
@@ -211,10 +211,10 @@
 		git fetch -q "$ORIGIN" "$DEVELOP_BRANCH" || \
 		  die "Could not fetch $DEVELOP_BRANCH from $ORIGIN."
 	fi
-	if has "$ORIGIN/$MASTER_BRANCH" "$(git_remote_branches)"; then
+	if has "$ORIGIN/$MASTER_BRANCH" $(git_remote_branches); then
 		require_branches_equal "$MASTER_BRANCH" "$ORIGIN/$MASTER_BRANCH"
 	fi
-	if has "$ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH" "$(git_remote_branches)"; then
+	if has "$ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH" $(git_remote_branches); then
 		require_branches_equal "$DEVELOP_BRANCH" "$ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH"
 	fi