diff --git a/tools/gulp/gulpfile.ts b/tools/gulp/gulpfile.ts
index 734ebc4cb1a..e2f5adcde75 100644
--- a/tools/gulp/gulpfile.ts
+++ b/tools/gulp/gulpfile.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,3 @@ import './tasks/lint';
 import './tasks/material-release';
 import './tasks/unit-test';
 import './tasks/universal';
-
-import './tasks/publish/publish-task';
-import './tasks/publish/sanity-checks';
-import './tasks/publish/validate-release';
diff --git a/tools/gulp/tasks/publish/branch-check.ts b/tools/gulp/tasks/publish/branch-check.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 522601d64cb..00000000000
--- a/tools/gulp/tasks/publish/branch-check.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,54 +0,0 @@
-import {spawnSync} from 'child_process';
-import {buildConfig} from 'material2-build-tools';
-
-/** Regular expression that matches version names and the individual version segments. */
-export const versionNameRegex = /^(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)(?:-(alpha|beta|rc)\.(\d)+)?$/;
-
-/** Checks if the specified version can be released from the current Git branch. */
-export function checkPublishBranch(version: string) {
-  const versionType = getSemverVersionType(version);
-  const branchName = spawnSync('git', ['symbolic-ref', '--short', 'HEAD'],
-    {cwd: buildConfig.projectDir}).stdout.toString().trim();
-
-
-  // TODO(devversion): also check the the local branch's HEAD sha matches upstream.
-  // TODO(devversion): also check that the version is a single increment of the previous release.
-  // TODO(devversion): minor releases can also be published from master if there isn't a minor
-  // branch for that major range yet.
-  const [major, minor] = version.split('.');
-
-  let expectedBranch = '';
-  if (versionType === 'major') {
-    expectedBranch = 'master';
-  } else if (versionType === 'minor') {
-    expectedBranch = `${major}.x`;
-  } else if (versionType === 'patch') {
-    expectedBranch = `${major}.${minor}.x`;
-  }
-
-  if (branchName !== expectedBranch) {
-    throw `A ${versionType} release must be done from the ${expectedBranch} branch.`;
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * Determines the type of the specified semver version. Can be either a major, minor or
- * patch version.
- */
-export function getSemverVersionType(version: string): 'major' | 'minor' | 'patch' {
-  const versionNameMatch = version.match(versionNameRegex);
-
-  if (!versionNameMatch) {
-    throw `Could not parse version: ${version}. Cannot properly determine version type.`;
-  }
-
-  const versionDigits = versionNameMatch.slice(1, 4);
-
-  if (versionDigits[1] === '0' && versionDigits[2] === '0') {
-    return 'major';
-  } else if (versionDigits[2] === '0') {
-    return 'minor';
-  } else {
-    return 'patch';
-  }
-}
diff --git a/tools/gulp/tasks/publish/publish-task.ts b/tools/gulp/tasks/publish/publish-task.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 0e86ca36de0..00000000000
--- a/tools/gulp/tasks/publish/publish-task.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,125 +0,0 @@
-import {green, grey, yellow} from 'chalk';
-import {spawn} from 'child_process';
-import {existsSync, statSync} from 'fs-extra';
-import {task} from 'gulp';
-import {buildConfig, sequenceTask} from 'material2-build-tools';
-import * as minimist from 'minimist';
-import {join} from 'path';
-import {execTask} from '../../util/task-helpers';
-
-/** Packages that will be published to NPM by the release task. */
-export const releasePackages = [
-  'cdk',
-  'material',
-  'cdk-experimental',
-  'material-experimental',
-  'material-moment-adapter'
-];
-
-/** Parse command-line arguments for release task. */
-const argv = minimist(process.argv.slice(3));
-
-task('publish', sequenceTask(
-  ':publish:sanity-checks',
-  ':publish:whoami',
-  ':publish:build-releases',
-  'validate-release:check-bundles',
-  ':publish',
-  ':publish:logout',
-));
-
-/** Task that builds all releases that will be published. */
-task(':publish:build-releases', sequenceTask(
-  'clean',
-  releasePackages.map(packageName => `${packageName}:build-release`)
-));
-
-/** Make sure we're logged in. */
-task(':publish:whoami', execTask('npm', ['whoami'], {
-  silent: true,
-  errMessage: 'You must be logged in to publish.'
-}));
-
-task(':publish:logout', execTask('npm', ['logout']));
-
-task(':publish', async () => {
-  const tag = argv['tag'];
-  const version = buildConfig.projectVersion;
-  const currentDir = process.cwd();
-
-  console.log();
-  if (!tag) {
-    console.log(grey('> You can specify the tag by passing --tag=labelName.\n'));
-    console.log(green(`Publishing version "${version}" to the latest tag...`));
-  } else {
-    console.log(yellow(`Publishing version "${version}" to the ${tag} tag...`));
-  }
-  console.log();
-
-  if (releasePackages.length > 1) {
-    console.warn(yellow('Warning: Multiple packages will be released.'));
-    console.warn(yellow('Warning: Packages to be released:', releasePackages.join(', ')));
-    console.warn();
-  }
-
-  console.log(yellow('> Make sure to check the "requiredAngularVersion" in the package.json.'));
-  console.log(yellow('> The version in the config defines the peer dependency of Angular.'));
-  console.log();
-
-  // Iterate over every declared release package and publish it on NPM.
-  for (const packageName of releasePackages) {
-    await _execNpmPublish(tag, packageName);
-  }
-
-  process.chdir(currentDir);
-});
-
-function _execNpmPublish(tag: string, packageName: string): Promise<{}> | undefined {
-  const packageDir = join(buildConfig.outputDir, 'releases', packageName);
-
-  if (!statSync(packageDir).isDirectory()) {
-    return;
-  }
-
-  if (!existsSync(join(packageDir, 'package.json'))) {
-    throw new Error(`"${packageDir}" does not have a package.json.`);
-  }
-
-  if (!existsSync(join(packageDir, 'LICENSE'))) {
-    throw new Error(`"${packageDir}" does not have a LICENSE file`);
-  }
-
-  process.chdir(packageDir);
-  console.log(green(`Publishing ${packageName}...`));
-
-  const command = 'npm';
-  const args = ['publish', '--access', 'public'];
-
-  if (tag) {
-    args.push('--tag', tag);
-  }
-
-  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-    console.log(grey(`Executing: ${command} ${args.join(' ')}`));
-    if (argv['dry']) {
-      resolve();
-      return;
-    }
-
-    const childProcess = spawn(command, args);
-    childProcess.stdout.on('data', (data: Buffer) => {
-      console.log(`  stdout: ${data.toString().split(/[\n\r]/g).join('\n          ')}`);
-    });
-    childProcess.stderr.on('data', (data: Buffer) => {
-      console.error(`  stderr: ${data.toString().split(/[\n\r]/g).join('\n          ')}`);
-    });
-
-    childProcess.on('close', (code: number) => {
-      if (code == 0) {
-        resolve();
-      } else {
-        reject(new Error(`Could not publish ${packageName}, status: ${code}.`));
-      }
-    });
-  });
-}
diff --git a/tools/gulp/tasks/publish/sanity-checks.ts b/tools/gulp/tasks/publish/sanity-checks.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 0ed4f3c7580..00000000000
--- a/tools/gulp/tasks/publish/sanity-checks.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,57 +0,0 @@
-import {red} from 'chalk';
-import {spawnSync} from 'child_process';
-import {task} from 'gulp';
-import {buildConfig} from 'material2-build-tools';
-import * as minimist from 'minimist';
-import {checkPublishBranch, versionNameRegex} from './branch-check';
-
-const {projectDir, projectVersion} = buildConfig;
-
-/** Git repository URL that has been read out from the project package.json file. */
-const repositoryGitUrl = require('../../../../package.json').repository.url;
-
-/** Parse command-line arguments for release task. */
-const argv = minimist(process.argv.slice(3));
-
-/** Task that runs various sanity checks before publishing. */
-task(':publish:sanity-checks', [
-  ':publish:check-project-version',
-  ':publish:check-remote-tag',
-  ':publish:check-publish-branch',
-]);
-
-/** Task that checks the new project version. */
-task(':publish:check-project-version', () => {
-  const tag = argv['tag'];
-
-  if (!projectVersion.match(versionNameRegex)) {
-    console.error(red(`Error: Cannot publish due to an invalid version name. Version ` +
-        `"${projectVersion}" is not following our semver format.`));
-    console.error(red(`A version should follow this format: X.X.X, X.X.X-beta.X, ` +
-        `X.X.X-alpha.X, X.X.X-rc.X`));
-    process.exit(1);
-  }
-
-  if (projectVersion.match(/(alpha|beta|rc)/) && (!tag || tag === 'latest')) {
-    console.error(red(`Publishing ${projectVersion} to the "latest" tag is not allowed.`));
-    console.error(red(`Alpha, Beta or RC versions shouldn't be published to "latest".`));
-    process.exit(1);
-  }
-});
-
-/** Task that verifies that the new version can be published from the current branch. */
-task(':publish:check-publish-branch', () => checkPublishBranch(projectVersion));
-
-/** Task that ensures that the new release tagged on GitHub before publishing to NPM. */
-task(':publish:check-remote-tag', () => {
-  // Since we cannot assume that every developer uses `origin` as the default name for the upstream
-  // remote, we just pass in the Git URL that refers to angular/material2 repository on Github.
-  const tagCommitSha = spawnSync('git', ['ls-remote', '--tags', repositoryGitUrl, projectVersion],
-      {cwd: projectDir}).stdout.toString().trim();
-
-  if (!tagCommitSha) {
-    console.error(red(`Cannot publish v${projectVersion} because the release is not ` +
-        `tagged on upstream yet. Please tag the release before publishing to NPM.`));
-    process.exit(1);
-  }
-});
diff --git a/tools/gulp/tasks/publish/validate-release.ts b/tools/gulp/tasks/publish/validate-release.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 996887d4961..00000000000
--- a/tools/gulp/tasks/publish/validate-release.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,87 +0,0 @@
-import {green, red} from 'chalk';
-import {existsSync, readFileSync} from 'fs';
-import {sync as glob} from 'glob';
-import {task} from 'gulp';
-import {buildConfig, sequenceTask} from 'material2-build-tools';
-import {join} from 'path';
-import {releasePackages} from './publish-task';
-
-const {outputDir} = buildConfig;
-
-/** Path to the directory where all releases are created. */
-const releasesDir = join(outputDir, 'releases');
-
-/** RegExp that matches Angular component inline styles that contain a sourcemap reference. */
-const inlineStylesSourcemapRegex = /styles: ?\[["'].*sourceMappingURL=.*["']/;
-
-/** RegExp that matches Angular component metadata properties that refer to external resources. */
-const externalReferencesRegex = /(templateUrl|styleUrls): *["'[]/;
-
-task('validate-release', sequenceTask(':publish:build-releases', 'validate-release:check-bundles'));
-
-/** Task that checks the release bundles for any common mistakes before releasing to the public. */
-task('validate-release:check-bundles', () => {
-  const releaseFailures = releasePackages
-    .map(packageName => checkReleasePackage(packageName))
-    .map((failures, index) => ({failures, packageName: releasePackages[index]}));
-
-  releaseFailures.forEach(({failures, packageName}) => {
-    failures.forEach(failure => console.error(red(`Failure (${packageName}): ${failure}`)));
-  });
-
-  if (releaseFailures.some(({failures}) => failures.length > 0)) {
-    // Throw an error to notify Gulp about the failures that have been detected.
-    throw 'Release output is not valid and not ready for being released.';
-  } else {
-    console.log(green('Release output has been checked and everything looks fine.'));
-  }
-});
-
-/** Task that validates the given release package before releasing. */
-function checkReleasePackage(packageName: string): string[] {
-  return glob(join(releasesDir, packageName, 'esm2015/*.js'))
-    .reduce((failures: string[], bundlePath: string) => {
-      return failures.concat(checkEs2015ReleaseBundle(packageName, bundlePath));
-    }, []);
-}
-
-/**
- * Checks an ES2015 bundle inside of a release package. Secondary entry-point bundles will be
- * checked as well.
- */
-function checkEs2015ReleaseBundle(packageName: string, bundlePath: string): string[] {
-  const bundleContent = readFileSync(bundlePath, 'utf8');
-  let failures: string[] = [];
-
-  if (inlineStylesSourcemapRegex.exec(bundleContent) !== null) {
-    failures.push('Bundles contain sourcemap references in component styles.');
-  }
-
-  if (externalReferencesRegex.exec(bundleContent) !== null) {
-    failures.push('Bundles are including references to external resources (templates or styles)');
-  }
-
-  if (packageName === 'material') {
-    failures = failures.concat(checkMaterialPackage());
-  }
-
-  return failures;
-}
-
-/** Function that includes special checks for the Material package. */
-function checkMaterialPackage(): string[] {
-  const packagePath = join(releasesDir, 'material');
-  const prebuiltThemesPath = join(packagePath, 'prebuilt-themes');
-  const themingFilePath = join(packagePath, '_theming.scss');
-  const failures: string[] = [];
-
-  if (glob('*.css', {cwd: prebuiltThemesPath}).length === 0) {
-    failures.push('Prebuilt themes are not present in the Material release output.');
-  }
-
-  if (!existsSync(themingFilePath)) {
-    failures.push('The theming SCSS file is not present in the Material release output.');
-  }
-
-  return failures;
-}