diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index daa1e3b..d527954 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@
 stages:
   - name: test
     if: type = pull_request or (type = push and branch = master)
-  - name: deploy
-    if: type = push and tag =~ ^v
+  # Until deployment of the release binaries is fixed, always build them
+  #- name: deploy
+    #if: type = push and tag =~ ^v
   - name: update-latest
     if: type = push and tag =~ ^v
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9017de7..297dc1f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Changelog
 =========
 
-v1.8.1 - 2018-
+v1.8.1 - 2018-04-14
 -------------------
 
 - Fixed a regression in 1.8.0 that caused linker files specified as `sourceFiles` to not get inherited properly - [issue #1408][issue1408], [pull #1409][issue1409]
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 3b2f527..1afe076 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@
 	echo Using existing version file.
 fi
 
-# For OSX compatibility >= 10.7
-MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=10.7
+# For OSX compatibility >= 10.8
+MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=10.8
 
 echo Running $DMD...
 $DMD -ofbin/dub -g -O -w -version=DubUseCurl -Isource $* $LIBS @build-files.txt
diff --git a/release.sh b/release.sh
index ceec952..bbf6736 100755
--- a/release.sh
+++ b/release.sh
@@ -1,23 +1,31 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-set -v -e -o pipefail
+set -eux -o pipefail
 
 VERSION=$(git describe --abbrev=0 --tags)
 ARCH="${ARCH:-64}"
-CUSTOM_FLAGS=""
-
+CUSTOM_FLAGS=()
 unameOut="$(uname -s)"
 case "$unameOut" in
     Linux*)
         OS=linux
-        CUSTOM_FLAGS="-L--export-dynamic"
+        CUSTOM_FLAGS+=("-L--export-dynamic")
         ;;
     Darwin*)
         OS=osx
+        CUSTOM_FLAGS+=("-L-dead_strip")
         ;;
     *) echo "Unknown OS: $unameOut"; exit 1
 esac
 
+if [[ $(basename "$DMD") =~ ldmd.* ]] ; then
+    CUSTOM_FLAGS+=("-flto=full")
+    # ld.gold is required on Linux
+    if [ ${OS:-} == "linux" ] ; then
+        CUSTOM_FLAGS+=("-linker=gold")
+    fi
+fi
+
 case "$ARCH" in
     64) ARCH_SUFFIX="x86_64";;
     32) ARCH_SUFFIX="x86";;
@@ -27,5 +35,5 @@
 archiveName="dub-$VERSION-$OS-$ARCH_SUFFIX.tar.gz"
 
 echo "Building $archiveName"
-DFLAGS="-release -m$ARCH ${CUSTOM_FLAGS}" DMD="$(command -v $DMD)" ./build.sh
+DFLAGS="-release -m$ARCH ${CUSTOM_FLAGS[@]}" DMD="$(command -v $DMD)" ./build.sh
 tar cvfz "bin/$archiveName" -C bin dub
diff --git a/source/dub/version_.d b/source/dub/version_.d
index c7872e5..24a72ab 100644
--- a/source/dub/version_.d
+++ b/source/dub/version_.d
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 module dub.version_;
-enum dubVersion = "v1.8.1-beta.1";
+enum dubVersion = "v1.8.1";