diff --git a/mps/code/mps.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj b/mps/code/mps.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
index d546be9ad6e..2e5432ecaf1 100644
--- a/mps/code/mps.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
+++ b/mps/code/mps.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
@@ -3163,7 +3163,7 @@
 			);
 			runOnlyForDeploymentPostprocessing = 0;
 			shellPath = /bin/sh;
-			shellScript = "# Not listed here:\n# bttest and teletest -- interactive and so cannot be run unattended.\n# djbench and gcbench -- benchmarks, not test cases.\n# zcoll -- takes too long to be useful as a regularly run smoke test.\nTESTCASES=\"abqtest amcss amcsshe amcssth amsss amssshe apss arenacv \\\n           awlut awlutth awluthe btcv expt825 exposet0 fbmtest finalcv \\\n           finaltest fotest locbwcss lockcov locusss locv messtest mpmss \\\n           mpsicv mv2test poolncv qs sacss segsmss steptest walkt0 zmess\"\n\n../tool/testrun.sh $(for TEST in $TESTCASES; do echo $TARGET_BUILD_DIR/$TEST; done)\n\n# Coverage\nif [ \"$CONFIGURATION\" == \"Debug\" ]; then\n    (cd xc/$PROJECT.build/$CONFIGURATION/$PROJECT.build/Objects-normal/x86_64 &&\n     gcov mps.c 2> /dev/null) | ../tool/gcovfmt.py\nfi";
+			shellScript = "# Not listed here:\n# bttest and teletest -- interactive and so cannot be run unattended.\n# djbench and gcbench -- benchmarks, not test cases.\n# zcoll -- takes too long to be useful as a regularly run smoke test.\nTESTCASES=\"abqtest amcss amcsshe amcssth amsss amssshe apss arenacv \\\n           awlut awlutth awluthe btcv expt825 exposet0 fbmtest finalcv \\\n           finaltest fotest locbwcss lockcov locusss locv messtest mpmss \\\n           mpsicv mv2test poolncv qs sacss segsmss steptest walkt0 zmess\"\n\n../tool/testrun.sh $(for TEST in $TESTCASES; do echo $TARGET_BUILD_DIR/$TEST; done)\n\n# Coverage\nif [ \"$CONFIGURATION\" == \"Debug\" ]; then\n    (cd xc/$PROJECT.build/$CONFIGURATION/$PROJECT.build/Objects-normal/x86_64 &&\n     gcov mps.c 2> /dev/null) | ../tool/gcovfmt\nfi";
 			showEnvVarsInLog = 0;
 		};
 /* End PBXShellScriptBuildPhase section */
diff --git a/mps/procedure/branch-merge.rst b/mps/procedure/branch-merge.rst
index aca8814abda..a29a6daa197 100644
--- a/mps/procedure/branch-merge.rst
+++ b/mps/procedure/branch-merge.rst
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ This document contains procedures and checklists for branching and merging durin
 3. Creating a development branch (automated procedure)
 ------------------------------------------------------
 
-Run the script ``tool/branch.py``, passing the options:
+Run the script ``tool/branch``, passing the options:
 
 * ``-P mps`` — project name
 * ``-p PARENT`` — parent branch: for example ``master`` or ``custom/cet/main``
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ If omitted, the project and parent branch are deduced from the current
 directory, and the changelevel defaults to the most recent change on
 the parent branch. So a typical invocation looks like this::
 
-    tool/branch.py -p master -t lii6ll -d "Adding new supported platform lii6ll (job003596)." -y
+    tool/branch -p master -t lii6ll -d "Adding new supported platform lii6ll (job003596)." -y
 
 
 4. Creating a development branch (manual procedure)
diff --git a/mps/procedure/release-build.rst b/mps/procedure/release-build.rst
index f27bca26bf1..7cfd54f10ac 100644
--- a/mps/procedure/release-build.rst
+++ b/mps/procedure/release-build.rst
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ All relative paths are relative to
 5. Making the release (automated procedure)
 -------------------------------------------
 
-Run the script ``tool/release.py``, passing the options:
+Run the script ``tool/release``, passing the options:
 
 * ``-P mps`` — project name
 * ``-b BRANCH`` — branch to make the release from: for example ``version/1.113``
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ If omitted, the project and branch are deduced from the current
 directory, and the changelevel defaults to the most recent change on
 the branch. A typical invocation looks like this::
 
-    tool/release.py -b version/1.113 -d "Simplified interface to generation chains." -y
+    tool/release -b version/1.113 -d "Simplified interface to generation chains." -y
 
 
 6. Making the release (manual procedure)
diff --git a/mps/procedure/version-create.rst b/mps/procedure/version-create.rst
index ceca458e2ee..a3bc27c0ede 100644
--- a/mps/procedure/version-create.rst
+++ b/mps/procedure/version-create.rst
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ evolution. A version has these parts:
 3.2. Automated procedure
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-Run the script ``tool/branch.py``, passing the options:
+Run the script ``tool/branch``, passing the options:
 
 * ``-P mps`` — project name
 * ``-p master`` — parent branch
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ If omitted, the project and parent branch are deduced from the current
 directory, and the changelevel defaults to the most recent change on
 the parent branch. A typical invocation looks like this::
 
-    tool/branch.py -p master -v -d "Simplified interface to generation chains." -y
+    tool/branch -p master -v -d "Simplified interface to generation chains." -y
 
 
 3.3. Manual procedure
diff --git a/mps/tool/branch.py b/mps/tool/branch
similarity index 99%
rename from mps/tool/branch.py
rename to mps/tool/branch
index 96472db3535..a2ee0af0395 100755
--- a/mps/tool/branch.py
+++ b/mps/tool/branch
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #                              Ravenbrook
 #                     <http://www.ravenbrook.com/>
 #
-#             BRANCH.PY -- CREATE VERSION OR TASK BRANCH
+#              BRANCH -- CREATE VERSION OR TASK BRANCH
 #
 #             Gareth Rees, Ravenbrook Limited, 2014-03-18
 #
diff --git a/mps/tool/gcovfmt.py b/mps/tool/gcovfmt
similarity index 96%
rename from mps/tool/gcovfmt.py
rename to mps/tool/gcovfmt
index 0f17bd0a353..53a1081ab1f 100755
--- a/mps/tool/gcovfmt.py
+++ b/mps/tool/gcovfmt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-#!/usr/bin/python
+#!/usr/bin/env python
 # 
 # $Id$
-# Copyright (c) 2013 Ravenbrook Limited. See end of file for license.
+# Copyright (c) 2013-2014 Ravenbrook Limited. See end of file for license.
 # 
 # This program takes the output of gcov on standard input and writes a
 # human-readable table with a summary, to the file named on the
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 
 # C. COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
 #
-# Copyright (C) 2013 Ravenbrook Limited <http://www.ravenbrook.com/>.
+# Copyright (C) 2013-2014 Ravenbrook Limited <http://www.ravenbrook.com/>.
 # All rights reserved.  This is an open source license.  Contact
 # Ravenbrook for commercial licensing options.
 # 
diff --git a/mps/tool/release.py b/mps/tool/release
similarity index 99%
rename from mps/tool/release.py
rename to mps/tool/release
index ec452281b35..f1613f88b42 100755
--- a/mps/tool/release.py
+++ b/mps/tool/release
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #                              Ravenbrook
 #                     <http://www.ravenbrook.com/>
 #
-#                    RELEASE.PY -- MAKE A RELEASE
+#                     RELEASE -- MAKE A RELEASE
 #
 #             Gareth Rees, Ravenbrook Limited, 2014-03-18
 #