diff --git a/git-flow-release b/git-flow-release
index b23914e..8fb4061 100644
--- a/git-flow-release
+++ b/git-flow-release
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 VERSION_PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.versiontag)
 PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.release || echo release/)
-FLAG_FETCH=1
 
 usage() {
 	echo "usage: git flow release [list] [-v]"
@@ -120,6 +119,7 @@
 }
 
 cmd_start() {
+	DEFINE_boolean fetch true "fetch from $ORIGIN before performing finish" F
 	parse_args "$@"
 	BASE="${2:-$DEVELOP_BRANCH}"
 	require_version_arg
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
 
 	# sanity checks
 	gitflow_require_clean_working_tree
-	if [ $FLAG_FETCH -eq 1 ]; then
+	if flag fetch; then
 		git fetch -q $ORIGIN $DEVELOP_BRANCH
 	fi
 	gitflow_require_branches_equal $DEVELOP_BRANCH $ORIGIN/$DEVELOP_BRANCH
@@ -151,12 +151,13 @@
 }
 
 cmd_finish() {
+	DEFINE_boolean fetch true "fetch from $ORIGIN before performing finish" F
 	parse_args "$@"
 	require_version_arg
 
 	# sanity checks
 	gitflow_require_clean_working_tree
-	if [ $FLAG_FETCH -eq 1 ]; then
+	if flag fetch; then
 		git fetch -q $ORIGIN $MASTER_BRANCH
 		git fetch -q $ORIGIN $DEVELOP_BRANCH
 	fi