diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fd3a2add4..910951d7b 100755
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -17,24 +17,7 @@ install:
 	$(PYTHON) scons/scons.py -j$(JOBS) --config=cache --implicit-cache --max-drift=1 install
 
 release:
-	export MAPNIK_VERSION=$(shell ./utils/mapnik-config/mapnik-config --version) && \
-	export TARBALL_NAME="mapnik-v$${MAPNIK_VERSION}" && \
-	cd /tmp/ && \
-	rm -rf $${TARBALL_NAME} && \
-	git clone --depth 1 --branch v$${MAPNIK_VERSION} git@github.com:mapnik/mapnik.git $${TARBALL_NAME} && \
-	cd $${TARBALL_NAME} && \
-	git checkout "tags/v$${MAPNIK_VERSION}" && \
-	git submodule update --depth 100 --init && \
-	rm -rf deps/mapbox/variant/.git && \
-	rm -rf test/data/.git && \
-	rm -rf test/data/.gitignore && \
-	rm -rf test/data-visual/.git && \
-	rm -rf test/data-visual/.gitignore && \
-	rm -rf .git && \
-	rm -rf .gitignore && \
-	cd ../ && \
-	tar cjf $${TARBALL_NAME}.tar.bz2 $${TARBALL_NAME}/ && \
-	aws s3 cp --acl public-read $${TARBALL_NAME}.tar.bz2 s3://mapnik/dist/v$${MAPNIK_VERSION}/
+	./scripts/publish_release.sh
 
 python:
 	if [ ! -d ./bindings/python ]; then git clone git@github.com:mapnik/python-mapnik.git --recursive ./bindings/python; else (cd bindings/python && git pull && git submodule update --init); fi;
@@ -95,10 +78,13 @@ rebuild:
 uninstall:
 	@$(PYTHON) scons/scons.py -j$(JOBS) --config=cache --implicit-cache --max-drift=1 uninstall
 
-test/data:
-	git submodule update --init
+test/data-visual:
+	./scripts/ensure_test_data.sh
 
-test: ./test/data
+test/data:
+	./scripts/ensure_test_data.sh
+
+test: ./test/data test/data-visual
 	@./test/run
 
 check: test
diff --git a/scripts/ensure_test_data.sh b/scripts/ensure_test_data.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..288dcd8f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ensure_test_data.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -eu
+set -o pipefail
+
+VERSION=$(git describe)
+
+if [[ -d .git ]]; then
+    git submodule update --init
+else
+    if [[ ! -d ./test/data-visual ]]; then
+        echo "Downloading visual test data from https://github.com/mapnik/test-data-visual/archive/${VERSION}.tar.gz"
+        curl -L -s https://github.com/mapnik/test-data-visual/archive/${VERSION}.tar.gz | tar zxf - --strip-components=1 -C test/data-visual/
+    fi
+    if [[ ! -d ./test/data ]]; then
+        echo "Downloading unit test data from https://github.com/mapnik/test-data/archive/${VERSION}.tar.gz"
+        curl -L -s https://github.com/mapnik/test-data/archive/${VERSION}.tar.gz | tar zxf - --strip-components=1 -C test/data/
+    fi
+fi
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/publish_release.sh b/scripts/publish_release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..b881c2ad3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/publish_release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -eu
+set -o pipefail
+
+# for normal release leave empty
+# for release candidate, add "-rcN"
+export MAPNIK_VERSION=$(git describe)
+export TARBALL_NAME="mapnik-v${MAPNIK_VERSION}"
+cd /tmp/
+rm -rf ${TARBALL_NAME}
+echo "Cloning v${MAPNIK_VERSION}"
+git clone --depth 1 --branch v${MAPNIK_VERSION} git@github.com:mapnik/mapnik.git ${TARBALL_NAME}
+cd ${TARBALL_NAME}
+git checkout "tags/v${MAPNIK_VERSION}"
+echo "updating submodules"
+git submodule update --depth 100 --init
+rm -rf deps/mapbox/variant/.git
+cd test/data/
+git remote set-url origin git@github.com:mapnik/test-data
+git tag v${MAPNIK_VERSION} -a -m "tagging for v${MAPNIK_VERSION}"
+git push --tags
+cd ../../
+rm -rf test/data/
+cd test/data-visual/
+git remote set-url origin git@github.com:mapnik/test-data-visual
+git tag v${MAPNIK_VERSION} -a -m "tagging for v${MAPNIK_VERSION}"
+git push --tags
+cd ../../
+rm -rf test/data-visual/
+rm -rf .git
+rm -rf .gitignore
+cd ../
+tar cjf ${TARBALL_NAME}.tar.bz2 ${TARBALL_NAME}/
+#aws s3 cp --acl public-read ${TARBALL_NAME}.tar.bz2 s3://mapnik/dist/v${MAPNIK_VERSION}/