diff --git a/Procfile b/Procfile
index 67c796ecb..efbe1a4db 100644
--- a/Procfile
+++ b/Procfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-release: STATEMENT_TIMEOUT=180000 bundle exec rails db:migrate
+release: ./release-tasks.sh
 web: bin/start-pgbouncer bundle exec puma -C config/puma.rb
 worker: bundle exec rails jobs:work
 sidekiq_worker: bundle exec sidekiq -t 25
diff --git a/docs/deployment.md b/docs/deployment.md
index 20967b873..4062d4bcd 100644
--- a/docs/deployment.md
+++ b/docs/deployment.md
@@ -37,10 +37,13 @@ Upon deploy, the app installs dependencies, bundles assets, and gets the app
 ready for launch. However, before it launches and releases the app Heroku runs a
 release script on a one-off dyno. If that release script/step succeeds the new
 app is released on all of the dynos. If that release script/step fails then the
-deploy is halted and we are notified. During this release step, we have chosen
-to run migrations. This ensures that a migration finishes successfully before
-the code that uses it goes live. We deploy asynchronously, so the website is
-running the new code a few minutes after deploy. A new instance of Heroku Rails
-console will immediately run a new code.
+deploy is halted and we are notified. During this release step, we first run any
+outstanding migrations. This ensures that a migration finishes successfully
+before the code that uses it goes live. After running migrations, we use the
+rails runner to output a simple string. Executing a Rails runner command allows
+us to ensure that we can boot up the entire app successfully before it is
+deployed. We deploy asynchronously, so the website is running the new code a few
+minutes after deploy. A new instance of Heroku Rails console will immediately
+run a new code.
 
 ![](https://devcenter0.assets.heroku.com/article-images/1494371187-release-phase-diagram-3.png)
diff --git a/release-tasks.sh b/release-tasks.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..cace30bd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release-tasks.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+STATEMENT_TIMEOUT=180000 bundle exec rails db:migrate && rails runner "puts 'app load success'"