diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/AbstractGitFlowMojo.java b/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/AbstractGitFlowMojo.java
index 7e0ad030..970e4390 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/AbstractGitFlowMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/AbstractGitFlowMojo.java
@@ -418,20 +418,44 @@ private void gitSetConfig(final String name, String value)
     protected String gitFindBranches(final String branchName,
             final boolean firstMatch) throws MojoFailureException,
             CommandLineException {
+
+        return gitFindBranches(branchName, firstMatch, false);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Executes git for-each-ref with <code>refname:short</code> format.
+     *
+     * @param branchName
+     *            Branch name to find.
+     * @param firstMatch
+     *            Return first match.
+     * @param includeRemote
+     *            Include remote origin
+     * @return Branch names which matches <code>refs/heads/{branchName}*</code> and conditionally also
+     * <code>refs/remote/{origin}/{branchName}*</code>.
+     * @throws MojoFailureException
+     * @throws CommandLineException
+     */
+    protected String gitFindBranches(final String branchName,
+            final boolean firstMatch, final boolean includeRemote) throws MojoFailureException,
+            CommandLineException {
         String wildcard = "*";
         if (branchName.endsWith("/")) {
             wildcard = "**";
         }
 
+        String pattern = "refs/heads/" + branchName + wildcard;
+        if (includeRemote) {
+            pattern = pattern + " refs/remotes/" + gitFlowConfig.getOrigin() + "/" + branchName + wildcard;
+        }
+
         String branches;
         if (firstMatch) {
             branches = executeGitCommandReturn("for-each-ref", "--count=1",
-                    "--format=\"%(refname:short)\"", "refs/heads/" + branchName
-                            + wildcard);
+                    "--format=\"%(refname:short)\"", pattern);
         } else {
             branches = executeGitCommandReturn("for-each-ref",
-                    "--format=\"%(refname:short)\"", "refs/heads/" + branchName
-                            + wildcard);
+                    "--format=\"%(refname:short)\"", pattern);
         }
 
         // on *nix systems return values from git for-each-ref are wrapped in
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/GitFlowReleaseFinishMojo.java b/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/GitFlowReleaseFinishMojo.java
index d389a7d2..74247c9c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/GitFlowReleaseFinishMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/GitFlowReleaseFinishMojo.java
@@ -168,9 +168,9 @@ public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
             // check uncommitted changes
             checkUncommittedChanges();
 
-            // git for-each-ref --format='%(refname:short)' refs/heads/release/*
+            // git for-each-ref --format='%(refname:short)' refs/heads/release/*  refs/remotes/{origin}/release/*
             final String releaseBranch = gitFindBranches(
-                    gitFlowConfig.getReleaseBranchPrefix(), false).trim();
+                    gitFlowConfig.getReleaseBranchPrefix(), false, true).trim();
 
             if (StringUtils.isBlank(releaseBranch)) {
                 throw new MojoFailureException("There is no release branch.");