diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 05b16df..f5fad08 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -116,10 +116,12 @@ release: dist
 		echo "  make release KEYID=2117364A"; \
 		exit 1; \
 	fi
+	@head -1 NEWS | grep -q "Version $(VERSION) (released `date -I`)" || \
+                (echo 'error: You need to update date/version in NEWS'; exit 1)
 	gpg --detach-sign --default-key $(KEYID) $(PACKAGE)-$(VERSION).tgz
 	gpg --verify $(PACKAGE)-$(VERSION).tgz.sig
 
-	git tag -sm "$(PACKAGE)-$(VERSION)" $(PACKAGE)-$(VERSION)
+	git tag -u $(KEYID) -m "$(PACKAGE)-$(VERSION)" $(PACKAGE)-$(VERSION)
 	git push
 	git push --tags
 
@@ -130,7 +132,7 @@ release: dist
 	git stash pop
 	git mv $(PACKAGE)-$(VERSION).tgz releases/
 	git mv $(PACKAGE)-$(VERSION).tgz.sig releases/
-	x=$$(ls -1 releases/*.tgz | awk -F\- '{print $$3}' | sed 's/.tgz//' | paste -sd ',' - | sed 's/,/, /g');sed -i -e "2s/\[.*\]/[$$x]/" releases.html
+	x=$$(ls -1v releases/*.tgz | awk -F\- '{print $$3}' | sed 's/.tgz//' | paste -sd ',' - | sed 's/,/, /g');sed -i -e "2s/\[.*\]/[$$x]/" releases.html
 	git add releases.html
 	git commit -m "Added tarball for release $(VERSION)"
 	git push