diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 33ecb63593cd..7b8050a65633 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -27,3 +27,5 @@ util/gh-pages/lints.json
 
 # rustfmt backups
 *.rs.bk
+
+helper.txt
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 8f434f3ef2ae..fa39dd4bed66 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -23,17 +23,11 @@ install:
   - nvm install stable
   - nvm use stable
   - npm install remark-cli remark-lint
-  # || true, because we cache rustfmt and don't want to crash on the next travis run
-  # due to rustfmt already being installed
-  - (cargo install rustfmt || true)
 
 script:
  - PATH=$PATH:./node_modules/.bin
  - remark -f README.md > /dev/null
- - python util/update_lints.py -c
  - set -e
- - PATH=$PATH:~/.cargo/bin cargo fmt -- --write-mode=diff
- - cd clippy_lints && PATH=$PATH:~/.cargo/bin cargo fmt -- --write-mode=diff && cd ..
  - cargo build --features debugging
  - cargo test --features debugging
  - mkdir -p ~/rust/cargo/bin
diff --git a/PUBLISH.md b/PUBLISH.md
index b500e5e3f28c..228e4b97f49a 100644
--- a/PUBLISH.md
+++ b/PUBLISH.md
@@ -1,15 +1,14 @@
 Steps to publish a new clippy version
 
-1. `cargo test`.
 - Bump `package.version` in `./Cargo.toml` (no need to manually bump `dependencies.clippy_lints.version`).
-- Run `./util/update_lints.py`.
+- Run `./pre_publish.sh`
 - Write a changelog entry.
-- Commit `./Cargo.toml`, `./clippy_lints/Cargo.toml` and `./CHANGELOG.md`.
+- Review and commit all changed files
 - `git push`
 - Wait for Travis's approval.
 - Merge.
 - `cargo publish` in `./clippy_clints`.
 - `cargo publish` in the root directory.
 - `git pull`.
-- `git tag -s v0.0.X`.
+- `git tag -s v0.0.X -m "v0.0.X"`.
 - `git push --tags`.
diff --git a/pre_publish.sh b/pre_publish.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..ee8e51cda6b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pre_publish.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+./util/update_lints.py
+
+git status --short | sort | grep -v README.md | grep -v helper.txt > helper.txt
+
+# abort if the files differ
+diff "publish.files" "helper.txt"
+
+rm helper.txt
+
+# add all changed files
+git add .
+git commit -m "Bump the version"
+
+set +e
+
+cd clippy_lints && cargo fmt -- --write-mode=overwrite && cd ..
+cargo fmt -- --write-mode=overwrite
+
+echo "remember to add a git tag and running 'cargo test' before committing the rustfmt changes"
diff --git a/publish.files b/publish.files
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9ee50447f99e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/publish.files
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+ M Cargo.toml
+ M CHANGELOG.md
+ M clippy_lints/Cargo.toml