diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index b1d9e78d1b10611812bf03782300417d7cfcb14b..728b3225743c5e5107401ab402fa91dfdd2272ad 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ package-rpm: *packages
 .release_bleeding_edge: &release_bleeding_edge
   only:
   - master@gitlab-org/gitlab-runner
-  - /\Av[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+-rc\.[0-9]+\Z/@gitlab-org/gitlab-runner
+  - /\Av[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+-rc[0-9]+\Z/@gitlab-org/gitlab-runner
 
 .release_stable: &release_stable
   only:
diff --git a/.gitlab/issue_templates/Release Checklist.md b/.gitlab/issue_templates/Release Checklist.md
index b4c725dbd8edda2a517870b43914a43b46ef2823..14452bcfeb608784f48582562f61e5fe3c02a849 100644
--- a/.gitlab/issue_templates/Release Checklist.md	
+++ b/.gitlab/issue_templates/Release Checklist.md	
@@ -24,15 +24,15 @@ https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/blob/master/docs/release_process/how
 - [ ] Add the ~release label to the issue
 - [ ] Add the %X.Y milestone to the issue
 
-## First working day after 7th - **vX.Y.0-rc.1 release**
+## First working day after 7th - **vX.Y.0-rc1 release**
 
 - [ ] check if Pipeline for `master` is passing: [![pipeline status](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/badges/master/pipeline.svg)](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/commits/master)
     - [ ] add all required fixes to make `master` Pipeline passing
-- [ ] add **vX.Y.0-rc.1** CHANGELOG entries
-- [ ] tag and push **vX.Y.0-rc.1**
+- [ ] add **vX.Y.0-rc1** CHANGELOG entries
+- [ ] tag and push **vX.Y.0-rc1**
 - [ ] create and push `X-Y-stable` branch
 - [ ] checkout to `master`, update `VERSION` file to `X.Y+1.0` and push `master`
-- [ ] deploy **vX.Y.0-rc.1** (https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/runbooks/blob/master/howto/update-gitlab-runner-on-managers.md)
+- [ ] deploy **vX.Y.0-rc1** (https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/runbooks/blob/master/howto/update-gitlab-runner-on-managers.md)
 
 _New features_ window is closed - things not merged into `master` up to
 this day, will be released with next release.
@@ -67,15 +67,15 @@ if the only RC version was the _RC1_ released near 7th day of month.
 
 - [ ] check if Pipeline for `X-Y-stable` is passing: [![pipeline status](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/badges/X-Y-stable/pipeline.svg)](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/commits/X-Y-stable)
     - [ ] add all required fixes to make `X-Y-stable` Pipeline passing
-- [ ] add **vX.Y.0-rc.Z** CHANGELOG entries
-- [ ] tag **vX.Y.0-rc.Z**
-- [ ] deploy **vX.Y.0-rc.Z** (https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/runbooks/blob/master/howto/update-gitlab-runner-on-managers.md)
+- [ ] add **vX.Y.0-rcZ** CHANGELOG entries
+- [ ] tag **vX.Y.0-rcZ**
+- [ ] deploy **vX.Y.0-rcZ** (https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/runbooks/blob/master/howto/update-gitlab-runner-on-managers.md)
 
 ## At 22th - the release day
 
 - [ ] Before 12:00 UTC
     - [ ] add last entries to changelog
-    - [ ] merge all RC.x CHANGELOG entries into release entry
+    - [ ] merge all RCx CHANGELOG entries into release entry
     - [ ] tag stable version
 - [ ] Before 15:00 UTC
     - [ ] deploy stable version to all production Runners
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ if the only RC version was the _RC1_ released near 7th day of month.
 
 **RC release template**
 
-There should be at least one RC version between RC.1 and stable release. If there are any
+There should be at least one RC version between RC1 and stable release. If there are any
 important changes merged into stable branch (like bug/security fixes) the RC should be
 prepared and deployed as soon as possible. For a less important changes (documentation,
 simple fixes of typos etc.) the RC can wait a little.
@@ -92,11 +92,11 @@ When deciding to release a new RC version, please update the checklist using the
 template:
 
 ```markdown
-## At _day here_ - **vX.Y.0-rc.Z** release
+## At _day here_ - **vX.Y.0-rcZ** release
 
 - [ ] check if Pipeline for `X-Y-stable` is passing: [![pipeline status](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/badges/X-Y-stable/pipeline.svg)](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/commits/X-Y-stable)
     - [ ] add all required fixes to make `X-Y-stable` Pipeline passing
-- [ ] add **vX.Y.0-rc.Z** CHANGELOG entries
-- [ ] tag **vX.Y.0-rc.Z**
-- [ ] deploy **vX.Y.0-rc.Z** (https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/runbooks/blob/master/howto/update-gitlab-runner-on-managers.md)
+- [ ] add **vX.Y.0-rcZ** CHANGELOG entries
+- [ ] tag **vX.Y.0-rcZ**
+- [ ] deploy **vX.Y.0-rcZ** (https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/runbooks/blob/master/howto/update-gitlab-runner-on-managers.md)
 ```
diff --git a/ci/version b/ci/version
index 825d0a892517480579caadcb9ae91203f80004c3..d8d950b310ed2bc0fc73368d980d2008be0ea0fe 100755
--- a/ci/version
+++ b/ci/version
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ if [[ $(echo ${exact_tag} | grep -E "^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$") ]]; then
     exit 0
 fi
 
-if [[ $(echo ${exact_tag} | grep -E "^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+-rc\.[0-9]+$") ]]; then
+if [[ $(echo ${exact_tag} | grep -E "^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+-rc[0-9]+$") ]]; then
     echo $exact_tag
     exit 0
 fi
diff --git a/docs/release_process/README.md b/docs/release_process/README.md
index b7e6700d70fc9ff94fff33572fd9700c38f8c82e..98569f4d2a84a47b48cee09989f60a37b269c539 100644
--- a/docs/release_process/README.md
+++ b/docs/release_process/README.md
@@ -15,12 +15,12 @@ together with GitLab CE and GitLab EE projects.
 ### Stable release timeline
 
 - 12th day of a month:
-    - tag first RC version on `master` branch, e.g., `v1.6.0-rc.1`
+    - tag first RC version on `master` branch, e.g., `v1.6.0-rc1`
     - deploy the RC version to `docker-ci-X.gitlap.com`
       (each next RC version until the next date should be deployed to those hosts)
 
 - 17th day of a month:
-    - tag next RC version on `master` branch, e.g., `v1.6.0-rc.2`
+    - tag next RC version on `master` branch, e.g., `v1.6.0-rc2`
     - deploy the current RC version to `shared-runners-manager-X.gitlab.com`
       (each next RC version until the next date should be deployed to those hosts)
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ together with GitLab CE and GitLab EE projects.
         > if it's still not _production ready_!
 
 - 21th day of a month:
-    - tag last RC version, e.g., `v1.6.0-rc.5`
+    - tag last RC version, e.g., `v1.6.0-rc5`
 
 - 22nd day of a month:
     - update the `CHANGELOG` file with entries for current release