diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index a7605bec..0825ce1f 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -7,8 +7,11 @@ cache:
   - node_modules
 jobs:
   include:
+    - stage: update translations
+      if: $TRAVIS_EVENT_TYPE == cron
+      script: ./scripts/update-translations.sh
     - stage: npm release
-      if: branch = master OR branch = npm-publish
+      if: (branch = master OR branch = npm-publish) AND $TRAVIS_EVENT_TYPE != cron
       node_js: 8
       script: npm run build
       before_deploy:
@@ -16,16 +19,9 @@ jobs:
       - export VERSION=${VPKG/%?/}$(date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S)
       - npm --no-git-tag-version version $VERSION
       deploy:
-      - provider: script
-        skip_cleanup: true
-        script: npm run update
-        on:
-          branch: master
-          condition: $TRAVIS_EVENT_TYPE == cron
-      - provider: npm
+        provider: npm
         skip_cleanup: true
         email: $NPM_EMAIL
         api_key: $NPM_TOKEN
         on:
           all_branches: true
-          condition: $TRAVIS_EVENT_TYPE != cron
diff --git a/scripts/update-translations.sh b/scripts/update-translations.sh
index 2b1a16e5..7f876cbc 100755
--- a/scripts/update-translations.sh
+++ b/scripts/update-translations.sh
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 # script for syncing translations from transifex and comitting the changes.
-# exit if either the pulls or the test fail
+
+# exit script if any command returns a non-zero return code:
+set -ev
 
 npm run pull:editor
-rc=$?; if [[ $rc != 0 ]]; then exit $rc; fi #exit if pull failed
-npm run test
-rc=$?; if [[ $rc != 0 ]]; then exit $rc; fi #exit if test failed
+npm run test 
+
+# commit any updates and push. Build and release should happen on the push not here.
 git add .
-
 git commit -m "pull new editor translations from Transifex"
-
 git push