diff --git a/build/release.py b/build/release.py
index 373a7cdfe..4100cf8cf 100644
--- a/build/release.py
+++ b/build/release.py
@@ -114,7 +114,10 @@ def main():
     base_repo.bumpversion()
     current_tag = base.git.describe()
 
-    github_repo.create_git_release(current_tag, current_tag, release_msg, draft=True)
+    is_rc = re.match('\drc\d+$', current_tag) is not None
+
+    github_repo.create_git_release(current_tag, current_tag, release_msg, draft=True,
+                                   prerelease=is_rc)
     no_change_msg = ('No change since the last release. This release is simply a placeholder'
                      ' so that LBRY and LBRY App track the same version')
     lbrynet_daemon_release_msg = changelogs.get('lbry', no_change_msg)
diff --git a/lbrynet-daemon/requirements.txt b/lbrynet-daemon/requirements.txt
index d96cf5a5d..bef178815 100644
--- a/lbrynet-daemon/requirements.txt
+++ b/lbrynet-daemon/requirements.txt
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ requests==2.9.1
 requests_futures==0.9.7
 seccure==0.3.1.3
 service_identity==16.0.0
-simplejson==3.8.2
 six>=1.9.0
 slowaes==0.1a1
 txJSON-RPC==0.5