diff --git a/scripts/release-post.js b/scripts/release-post.js
index 0ca8056088c97..7fc5fda5d4895 100755
--- a/scripts/release-post.js
+++ b/scripts/release-post.js
@@ -20,42 +20,35 @@
 
 'use strict'
 
-const https = require('https')
 const fs = require('fs')
 const path = require('path')
 const extend = require('util')._extend
 const Handlebars = require('handlebars')
-const url = require('url')
+const request = require('request')
 
 const downloads = require('./helpers/downloads')
 
-function request (uri, method) {
+function sendRequest (uri, method) {
   return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
-    // user-agent is required when by api.github.com
-    const opts = extend({
-      method,
-      headers: {
-        'user-agent': 'nodejs.org release blog post script'
+    request({
+      headers: { 'User-Agent': 'nodejs.org release blog post script' },
+      method: method,
+      uri: uri
+    }, function (err, res, body) {
+      if (err) {
+        return reject(new Error(`Error requesting URL ${uri}: ${err.message}`))
       }
-    }, url.parse(uri))
-
-    let data = ''
-
-    https.request(opts, function (res) {
       if (res.statusCode !== 200) {
         return reject(new Error(`Invalid status code (!= 200) while retrieving ${uri}: ${res.statusCode}`))
       }
 
-      res.on('data', function (chunk) { data += chunk })
-      res.on('end', function () { resolve(data) })
-    }).on('error', function (err) {
-      reject(new Error(`Error requesting URL ${uri}: ${err.message}`))
-    }).end()
+      resolve(body)
+    })
   })
 }
 
 function download (url) {
-  return request(url, 'GET')
+  return sendRequest(url, 'GET')
 }
 
 function explicitVersion (version) {
@@ -159,7 +152,7 @@ function findAuthorLogin (version, section) {
 }
 
 function urlOrComingSoon (binary) {
-  return request(binary.url, 'HEAD').then(
+  return sendRequest(binary.url, 'HEAD').then(
     () => `${binary.title}: ${binary.url}`,
     () => `${binary.title}: *Coming soon*`)
 }
diff --git a/scripts/tasks/download.js b/scripts/tasks/download.js
index 1e4d398b292e5..981c9cd4eacb9 100644
--- a/scripts/tasks/download.js
+++ b/scripts/tasks/download.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 'use strict'
 
 const github = require('octonode')
-const https = require('https')
+const request = require('request')
 const path = require('path')
 const fs = require('fs')
 
@@ -27,14 +27,26 @@ function checkOrFetchFile (file) {
     }
 
     console.log(`Weekly Update ${filePath} does not exist. Downloading.`)
-
-    https.get(file.download_url, (response) => {
-      const ws = fs.createWriteStream(filePath)
-      ws.on('error', (err) => console.error(err.stack))
-
-      response.on('end', () => console.log(`Weekly Update ${filePath} downloaded.`))
-      response.pipe(ws)
-    }).on('error', (err) => console.error(err.stack))
+    const uri = file.download_url
+
+    request
+      .get(uri)
+      .on('error', (err) => console.error(err.stack))
+      .on('response', function (response) {
+        if (response.statusCode !== 200) {
+          this.emit('error', new Error(
+            `Invalid status code (!= 200) while retrieving ${uri}: ${response.statusCode}`
+          ))
+          return
+        }
+
+        const ws = fs.createWriteStream(filePath)
+
+        ws.on('error', this.emit.bind(this, 'error'))
+        ws.on('finish', () => console.log(`Weekly Update ${filePath} downloaded.`))
+
+        response.pipe(ws)
+      })
   })
 }