diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c28c0ac7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# Changelog
+
+
+
diff --git a/build-utils/grunt-config/run.js b/build-utils/grunt-config/run.js
index bce0f9e1..d247dffb 100644
--- a/build-utils/grunt-config/run.js
+++ b/build-utils/grunt-config/run.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ module.exports = {
     --rootDir src/ts/
     --declaration true
     --declarationDir ./build/npm/types
-    `.replace(/\n[\t ]+/g,' ').split(' ').filter(x => x != '')
+    `.replace(/\n[\t ]+/g, ' ').split(' ').filter(x => x != '')
   },
   npmPublish: {
     options: {
@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@ module.exports = {
     options: {
       cwd: process.cwd()
     },
-    exec: `(export VERSION=<%= package.version %> && export CHANGELOG="<%= changelog %>" && bash build-utils/release.sh)`
+    exec: `(export VERSION='<%= package.version %>' && export CHANGELOG='<%= changelog %>' && bash build-utils/release.sh)`
   }
 };
diff --git a/build-utils/grunt-tasks/changelog-custom.js b/build-utils/grunt-tasks/changelog-custom.js
index 38edabd4..b2d10d34 100644
--- a/build-utils/grunt-tasks/changelog-custom.js
+++ b/build-utils/grunt-tasks/changelog-custom.js
@@ -1,15 +1,26 @@
-let fs = require('fs')
+let fs = require('fs');
 let conventionalChangelog = require('conventional-changelog');
 
+/**
+ * Escape string to be used as bash argument
+ * assumes strong quoting (using single qotes)
+ * @param  {string} str
+ */
+const escapeForBash = (str) => {
+  return JSON.stringify(str)
+    .replace(/^"|"$/g, '') //remove JSON-string double quotes
+    .replace(/'/g, '\'"\'"\''); //escape single quotes the ugly bash way
+};
+
 /**
  * @param  {IGrunt} grunt - Grunt instance
  */
-module.exports = function(grunt){
+module.exports = function (grunt) {
   let PassThroughStream = require('stream').PassThrough;
 
-  grunt.registerTask('changelog-custom', 'Custom version of changelog', function() {
+  grunt.registerTask('changelog-custom', 'Custom version of changelog', function () {
     const done = this.async();
-    const options = this.options()
+    const options = this.options();
     let readDataStream = new PassThroughStream();
     let tmpBuffer = "";
 
@@ -17,27 +28,28 @@ module.exports = function(grunt){
     readDataStream
       .on('data', (chunk) => tmpBuffer += chunk)
       .on('end', () => {
-        grunt.config.data.changelog = tmpBuffer
-        readDataStream.end()
-      })
+        let lines = tmpBuffer.split("\n");
+        lines.shift(); //remove the html-ancor tag in the first line
+        grunt.config.data.changelog = escapeForBash(lines.join('\n'));
+        readDataStream.end();
+      });
 
     // changlog file writer
-    let appenFileStream = fs.createWriteStream(options.file, {'flags': 'a'})
+    let appenFileStream = fs.createWriteStream(options.file, { 'flags': 'a' })
       .on('error', grunt.log.error)
       .on('close', () => {
-        grunt.log.ok(`${options.file} updated with latest changelog for ${options.version}`)
+        grunt.log.ok(`${options.file} updated with latest changelog for ${options.version}`);
         done();
-      })
+      });
 
     // get changelog
     conventionalChangelog({
       config: {
-        warn : grunt.warn,
+        warn: grunt.warn,
         pkg: grunt.package
       }
     }, {
-      version: options.version
-    }).pipe(readDataStream).pipe(appenFileStream) // or any writable stream
+        version: options.version
+      }).pipe(readDataStream).pipe(appenFileStream); // or any writable stream
   });
-
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+};
diff --git a/build-utils/release.sh b/build-utils/release.sh
index 2afed0be..894729ab 100644
--- a/build-utils/release.sh
+++ b/build-utils/release.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 # release.sh
 # assumes to run in repo root
 
+set -e #exit on errors
+
 # load (private) environment variables like RELEASE_KEY from non-commited file
 . ./ENV_VARS
 
@@ -12,6 +14,7 @@
 echo "Start Github release for ${VERSION}..."
 
 CHANGELOG="${CHANGELOG:-}"
+API_JSON=$(printf '{"body": "%s"}' "${CHANGELOG}")
 
 ###
 # Github Release
@@ -39,9 +42,6 @@ git tag "v$VERSION"
 git push --follow-tags
 
 echo "make Github release"
-# make releases
-# TODO: make final not draft once confirmed working
-# TODO: add Changelog
 API_JSON=$(printf '{"tag_name": "v%s", "target_commitish": "release", "name": "v%s", "body": "%s", "draft": false, "prerelease": false}' $VERSION $VERSION $CHANGELOG)
 curl \
   --data "$API_JSON" \