diff --git a/RELEASE-CHECKLIST b/RELEASE-CHECKLIST
deleted file mode 100644
index f4155a313..000000000
--- a/RELEASE-CHECKLIST
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-_ Test, on linux, windows, mac (inc. website demos)
-
-_ Finalize changelog
-  git log --pretty='format:%n%n* %s (%an)%n%b%n%h%n' --reverse --name-only 1.17.0.3..HEAD > LOG
-
-_ make man/pandoc.1 and commit if needed
-
-_ Tag release in git
-
-_ Tag templates
-
-_ 'make dist' to generate tarball
-
-_ Generate Windows package (make winpkg)
-
-_ Generate Mac OSX package (make osxpkg)
-
-_ Generate Ubuntu/Debian deb package (make debpkg)
-
-- Add release on github (use 'make changes_github' and upload files)
-
-_ Upload to HackageDB
-
-_ if docs don't build on Hackage:
-  'cabal install neil && neil docs --username=MYUSERNAME'
-
-_ Update website, including short description of changes ('make changes')
-
-_ Announce on pandoc-announce, pandoc-discuss
-
-_ on server, 'cabal install --enable-tests -ftrypandoc'
-  and then 'cd trypandoc; sudo make install'
-
-_ recompile gitit
-
diff --git a/RELEASE-CHECKLIST.md b/RELEASE-CHECKLIST.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d3fd70f23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/RELEASE-CHECKLIST.md
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+- [ ] Test, on linux, windows, mac (inc. website demos)
+
+- [ ] Finalize changelog:
+   `git log --pretty='format:%n%n* %s (%an)%n%b%n%h%n' --reverse --name-only 1.17.0.3..HEAD > LOG`
+
+- [ ] `make man/pandoc.1` and commit if needed
+
+- [ ] Tag release in git
+
+- [ ] Tag templates
+
+- [ ] Generate Windows package (`make winpkg`)
+
+- [ ] Generate Mac OSX package (`make osxpkg`)
+
+- [ ] Generate Ubuntu/Debian deb package (`make debpkg`)
+
+- [ ] Add release on github (use `make changes_github` and upload files)
+
+- [ ] Upload to HackageDB
+
+- [ ] Update website (`make update`), including short description of changes (`make changes`)
+
+- [ ] on server, `cabal install --enable-tests -ftrypandoc`
+  and then `cd trypandoc; sudo make install`
+
+- [ ] Announce on pandoc-announce, pandoc-discuss