diff --git a/docs/source/coredev/release_process.rst b/docs/source/coredev/release_process.rst
index 7ab4fc6..b279c6a 100644
--- a/docs/source/coredev/release_process.rst
+++ b/docs/source/coredev/release_process.rst
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ release is: ``1.3rc1``. Notice that there is no separator between the '3' and
 the 'r'.
 
 
-Commit the changes to release.py and jsversion::
+Commit the changes to release.py::
 
     git commit -am "release $VERSION"
     git push origin $BRANCH
diff --git a/tools/build_release b/tools/build_release
index 3521e5f..3b115f1 100755
--- a/tools/build_release
+++ b/tools/build_release
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 import os
 from shutil import rmtree
 
-from toollib import sh, pjoin, get_ipdir, cd, compile_tree, execfile, sdists, buildwheels
+from toollib import sh, pjoin, get_ipdir, cd, execfile, sdists, buildwheels
 
 def build_release():
 
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@ def build_release():
     # Load release info
     execfile(pjoin('IPython', 'core', 'release.py'), globals())
 
-    # Check that everything compiles
-    compile_tree('*')
-
     # Cleanup
     for d in ['build', 'dist', pjoin('docs', 'build'), pjoin('docs', 'dist'),
               pjoin('docs', 'source', 'api', 'generated')]:
diff --git a/tools/toollib.py b/tools/toollib.py
index 1b390c7..ad71bd0 100644
--- a/tools/toollib.py
+++ b/tools/toollib.py
@@ -49,17 +49,8 @@ def get_ipdir():
         raise SystemExit('Invalid ipython directory: %s' % ipdir)
     return ipdir
 
-
-def compile_tree(folder='.'):
-    """Compile all Python files below current directory."""
-    stat = os.system('python -m compileall {}'.format(folder))
-    if stat:
-        msg = '*** ERROR: Some Python files in tree do NOT compile! ***\n'
-        msg += 'See messages above for the actual file that produced it.\n'
-        raise SystemExit(msg)
-
 try:
-    execfile
+    execfile = execfile
 except NameError:
     def execfile(fname, globs, locs=None):
         locs = locs or globs