diff --git a/git-flow-release b/git-flow-release
index e71c87b..d573da1 100644
--- a/git-flow-release
+++ b/git-flow-release
@@ -149,6 +149,15 @@
 		die "There is an existing release branch ($first_branch). Finish that one first."
 }
 
+git_actual_branch(){
+	git branch --no-color | grep '^*' | sed 's/^[* ] //'
+}
+require_not_being_in_release_branch() {
+	if has $BRANCH $(git_actual_branch); then
+		die "You cannot be in the '$BRANCH' branch when you finnish it."
+	fi
+}
+
 cmd_start() {
 	DEFINE_boolean fetch false "fetch from $ORIGIN before performing finish" F
 	parse_args "$@"
@@ -203,6 +212,7 @@
 	# sanity checks
 	require_branch "$BRANCH"
 	require_clean_working_tree
+	require_not_being_in_release_branch
 	if flag fetch; then
 		git fetch -q "$ORIGIN" "$MASTER_BRANCH" || \
 		  die "Could not fetch $MASTER_BRANCH from $ORIGIN."