diff --git a/build/Makefile b/build/Makefile
index 9266d3a085..072f3053a0 100644
--- a/build/Makefile
+++ b/build/Makefile
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ RELEASE_DESKTOP_LINUX = $(RELEASE_NAME)-desktop-linux
 ZIP=zip -q --symlinks -r
 UNZIP=unzip -q
 SHASUM=shasum
+ELECTRON_VERSION=1.8.4
 
 
 all: clean release
@@ -27,27 +28,30 @@ release: release-dev release-min release-notes.html
 	ls -lh *.zip
 	$(SHASUM) *.zip
 
-release-electron-darwin: release
-	cd $(RELEASE_MIN)&&./setup.sh legacy&&cd ..
-	npm install
-	electron-packager $(RELEASE_MIN) JBrowseDesktop --platform=darwin --arch=x64
-	$(ZIP) $(RELEASE_DESKTOP_OSX).zip JBrowseDesktop-darwin-x64
+release-electron-setup:
+	echo "Setting up electron"
+	cd $(RELEASE_MIN)&&./setup.sh&&cd ..
 
-release-electron-all: release
-	echo "Building desktop packages..."
-	cd $(RELEASE_MIN)&&./setup.sh legacy&&cd ..
-	npm install
-	# build all versions
-	#   electron-packager $(RELEASE_MIN) JBrowseDesktop --platform=all --arch=x64
-	# build specific versions
-	electron-packager $(RELEASE_MIN) JBrowseDesktop --platform=darwin --arch=x64
-	electron-packager $(RELEASE_MIN) JBrowseDesktop --platform=win32 --arch=ia32
-	# zap files that cause problems on windows (because of colons in filenames)
-	find JBrowseDesktop-win32-ia32 -type f -name "*.3pm" -delete &> /dev/null
-	# zip packages
+release-electron-darwin: clean release release-electron-setup
+	echo "Building mac electron"
+	electron-packager $(RELEASE_MIN) JBrowseDesktop --platform=darwin --electron-version=$(ELECTRON_VERSION)
 	$(ZIP) $(RELEASE_DESKTOP_OSX).zip JBrowseDesktop-darwin-x64
-	$(ZIP) $(RELEASE_DESKTOP_WIN).zip JBrowseDesktop-win32-ia32
-	#	$(ZIP) $(RELEASE_DESKTOP_LINUX).zip JBrowseDesktop-linux-x64
+
+release-electron-win32: clean release release-electron-setup
+	echo "Building win32 electron"
+	electron-packager $(RELEASE_MIN) JBrowseDesktop --platform=win32 --electron-version=$(ELECTRON_VERSION)
+	$(ZIP) $(RELEASE_DESKTOP_OSX).zip JBrowseDesktop-win32-x64
+
+
+release-electron-linux: clean release release-electron-setup
+	echo "Building linux electron"
+	electron-packager $(RELEASE_MIN) JBrowseDesktop --platform=linux --electron-version=$(ELECTRON_VERSION)
+	$(ZIP) $(RELEASE_DESKTOP_OSX).zip JBrowseDesktop-linux-x64
+
+
+release-electron-all: clean release release-electron-setup
+	echo "Building desktop packages"
+	electron-packager $(RELEASE_MIN) JBrowseDesktop --platform=all --electron-version=$(ELECTRON_VERSION)
 
 release-notes.html: release-notes.txt
 	build/format_release_notes.pl $< > $@
diff --git a/setup.sh b/setup.sh
index 2508cc6c25..fb45b99c92 100755
--- a/setup.sh
+++ b/setup.sh
@@ -173,11 +173,6 @@ log_echo -n "Formatting Volvox example data ...";
     bin/flatfile-to-json.pl --bed docs/tutorial/data_files/volvox_segment.bed --out sample_data/json/volvox --trackLabel ChromHMM --trackType CanvasFeatures --clientConfig '{"color": "{chromHMM}", "strandArrow": false}' --config '{"displayMode": "collapsed", "enableCollapsedMouseover": true, "category": "Miscellaneous" }';
     bin/generate-names.pl --safeMode -v --out sample_data/json/volvox;
 
-    # also recreate some symlinks used by tests and such
-    if [ -d sample_data/json/modencode ]; then
-            mkdir -p sample_data/json/modencode/tracks;
-            ln -sf ../../volvox/tracks/volvox_microarray.wig sample_data/json/modencode/tracks/volvox_microarray.wig;
-    fi;
     mkdir -p sample_data/raw;
     if [ ! -e sample_data/raw/volvox ]; then
         ln -s ../../docs/tutorial/data_files sample_data/raw/volvox;
diff --git a/src/JBrowse/Browser.js b/src/JBrowse/Browser.js
index 615e224005..77df6c9fbc 100644
--- a/src/JBrowse/Browser.js
+++ b/src/JBrowse/Browser.js
@@ -750,20 +750,6 @@ initView: function() {
                   }
                 )
             );
-            this.addGlobalMenuItem(this.config.classicMenu ? 'file':'dataset',
-              new dijitMenuItem(
-                  {
-                      id: 'menubar_dataset_conf',
-                      label: "Open plugin",
-                      iconClass: 'dijitIconConfigure',
-                      onClick: function() {
-                            new PreferencesDialog({
-                                    browser: thisObj,
-                                    setCallback: dojo.hitch( thisObj, 'openConfig' )
-                                }).show();
-                            }
-                  }
-            ));
             this.addGlobalMenuItem(this.config.classicMenu ? 'file':'dataset',
               new dijitMenuItem(
                   {