diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 829b93f..8b5f5fd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -117,8 +117,7 @@
 
 `emsdk update` will fetch package information for all the new tools and
 SDK versions. After that, run `emsdk install <tool/sdk name>` to install a new
-version. The command `emsdk update-tags` obtains a list of all new tagged
-releases from GitHub without updating Emscripten SDK itself.
+version.
 
 ### How do I install an old Emscripten compiler version?
 
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index d31e0df..e5674ea 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 
 RUN echo "## Install Emscripten" \
     && cd ${EMSDK} \
-    && if [ "$EMSCRIPTEN_VERSION" = "tot" ]; then ./emsdk update-tags; fi \
     && ./emsdk install ${EMSCRIPTEN_VERSION} \
     && echo "## Done"
 
diff --git a/emsdk.py b/emsdk.py
index 4d44cb4..b83618c 100644
--- a/emsdk.py
+++ b/emsdk.py
@@ -787,7 +787,7 @@
 def git_clone(url, dstpath):
   debug_print('git_clone(url=' + url + ', dstpath=' + dstpath + ')')
   if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(dstpath, '.git')):
-    print("Repository '" + url + "' already cloned to directory '" + dstpath + "', skipping.")
+    debug_print("Repository '" + url + "' already cloned to directory '" + dstpath + "', skipping.")
     return True
   mkdir_p(dstpath)
   git_clone_args = []
@@ -798,12 +798,12 @@
 
 def git_checkout_and_pull(repo_path, branch):
   debug_print('git_checkout_and_pull(repo_path=' + repo_path + ', branch=' + branch + ')')
-  ret = run([GIT(), 'fetch', 'origin'], repo_path)
+  ret = run([GIT(), 'fetch', '--quiet', 'origin'], repo_path)
   if ret != 0:
     return False
   try:
     print("Fetching latest changes to the branch '" + branch + "' for '" + repo_path + "'...")
-    ret = run([GIT(), 'fetch', 'origin'], repo_path)
+    ret = run([GIT(), 'fetch', '--quiet', 'origin'], repo_path)
     if ret != 0:
       return False
     #  run([GIT, 'checkout', '-b', branch, '--track', 'origin/'+branch], repo_path)
@@ -2047,19 +2047,11 @@
   return 'sdk-releases-%s-%s-64bit' % (which, find_latest_releases_hash())
 
 
-def find_tot():
-  return open(tot_path()).read().strip()
-
-
-def find_tot_sdk(which):
-  if not os.path.exists(tot_path()):
-    print('Tip-of-tree information was not found, run emsdk update-tags')
-    sys.exit(1)
-  tot = find_tot()
-  if not tot:
-    print('Tip-of-tree build was not found, run emsdk update-tags (however, if there is no recent tip-of-tree build, you may need to wait)')
-    sys.exit(1)
-  return 'sdk-releases-%s-%s-64bit' % (which, tot)
+def find_tot_sdk():
+  debug_print('Fetching emscripten-releases repository...')
+  global extra_release_tag
+  extra_release_tag = get_emscripten_releases_tot()
+  return 'sdk-releases-upstream-%s-64bit' % (extra_release_tag)
 
 
 # Given a git hash in emscripten-releases, find the emscripten
@@ -2073,10 +2065,6 @@
   return None
 
 
-def tot_path():
-  return sdk_path('emscripten-releases-tot.txt')
-
-
 # Get the tip-of-tree build identifier.
 def get_emscripten_releases_tot():
   git_clone_checkout_and_pull(emscripten_releases_repo, sdk_path('releases'), 'master')
@@ -2115,12 +2103,6 @@
     return sorted(arr, cmp=cmp)
 
 
-def update_tags():
-  print('Fetching emscripten-releases repository...')
-  emscripten_releases_tot = get_emscripten_releases_tot()
-  open(tot_path(), 'w').write(emscripten_releases_tot)
-
-
 def is_emsdk_sourced_from_github():
   return os.path.exists(os.path.join(emsdk_path(), '.git'))
 
@@ -2128,22 +2110,9 @@
 def update_emsdk():
   if is_emsdk_sourced_from_github():
     errlog('You seem to have bootstrapped Emscripten SDK by cloning from GitHub. In this case, use "git pull" instead of "emsdk update" to update emsdk. (Not doing that automatically in case you have local changes)')
-    errlog('Alternatively, use "emsdk update-tags" to refresh the latest list of tags from the different Git repositories.')
     sys.exit(1)
   if not download_and_unzip(emsdk_zip_download_url, emsdk_path(), download_even_if_exists=True, clobber=False):
     sys.exit(1)
-  if not GIT(must_succeed=False):
-    print('Update complete, however skipped update-tags, since git was not found.')
-    if WINDOWS:
-      print("Please install git by typing 'emsdk install git-1.9.4', or alternatively by installing it manually from http://git-scm.com/downloads . If you install git manually, remember to add it to PATH.")
-    elif MACOS:
-      print("Please install git from http://git-scm.com/ , or by installing XCode and then the XCode Command Line Tools (see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9329243/xcode-4-4-command-line-tools ).")
-    elif LINUX:
-      print("Pease install git using your package manager, see http://git-scm.com/book/en/Getting-Started-Installing-Git .")
-    else:
-      print("Please install git.")
-    return
-  update_tags()
 
 
 # Lists all legacy (pre-emscripten-releases) tagged versions directly in the Git
@@ -2214,12 +2183,6 @@
   if extra_release_tag:
     tags.append(extra_release_tag)
 
-  # Add the tip-of-tree, if it exists.
-  if os.path.exists(tot_path()):
-    tot = find_tot()
-    if tot:
-      tags.append(tot)
-
   return tags, tags_fastcomp
 
 
@@ -2626,10 +2589,8 @@
     return str(find_latest_releases_sdk('upstream'))
   elif name in ('latest-upstream', 'latest-clang-upstream', 'latest-releases-upstream'):
     return str(find_latest_releases_sdk('upstream'))
-  elif name in ('tot', 'sdk-tot'):
-    return str(find_tot_sdk('upstream'))
-  elif name == 'tot-upstream':
-    return str(find_tot_sdk('upstream'))
+  elif name in ('tot', 'sdk-tot', 'tot-upstream'):
+    return str(find_tot_sdk())
   else:
     # check if it's a release handled by an emscripten-releases version,
     # and if so use that by using the right hash. we support a few notations,
@@ -2682,15 +2643,10 @@
                                   composition of different SDK packages and
                                   dependencies.
 
-   emsdk update                 - Updates emsdk to the newest version, and also
-                                  runs 'update-tags' (below). If you have
+   emsdk update                 - Updates emsdk to the newest version. If you have
                                   bootstrapped emsdk via cloning directly from
                                   GitHub, call "git pull" instead to update emsdk.
 
-   emsdk update-tags            - Fetches the most up to date list of available
-                                  Emscripten tagged and other releases from the
-                                  servers.
-
    emsdk install [options] <tool 1> <tool 2> <tool 3> ...
                                 - Downloads and installs given tools or SDKs.
                                   Options can contain:
@@ -2951,7 +2907,7 @@
       print_tools(find_tools(needs_compilation=True))
     else:
       if is_emsdk_sourced_from_github():
-        print("There are no tools available. Run 'git pull' followed by 'emsdk update-tags' to fetch the latest set of tools.")
+        print("There are no tools available. Run 'git pull' to fetch the latest set of tools.")
       else:
         print("There are no tools available. Run 'emsdk update' to fetch the latest set of tools.")
       print('')
@@ -2966,7 +2922,7 @@
 
     print('')
     if is_emsdk_sourced_from_github():
-      print('Run "git pull" followed by "./emsdk update-tags" to pull in the latest list.')
+      print('Run "git pull" to pull in the latest list.')
     else:
       print('Run "./emsdk update" to pull in the latest list.')
 
@@ -2990,7 +2946,7 @@
       rmfile(sdk_path(EMSDK_SET_ENV))
     return 0
   elif cmd == 'update-tags':
-    update_tags()
+    errlog('`update-tags` is not longer needed.  To install the latest tot release just run `install tot`')
     return 0
   elif cmd == 'activate':
     if arg_permanent: