diff --git a/History.md b/History.md
index 043fcbed93..3295a3f34e 100644
--- a/History.md
+++ b/History.md
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@
   information about how dynamic `import(...)` works in Meteor, and how to
   use it in your applications.
 
+## v1.4.4.1, 2017-04-07
+
+* A change in Meteor 1.4.4 to remove "garbage" directories asynchronously
+  in `files.renameDirAlmostAtomically` had unintended consequences for
+  rebuilding some npm packages, so that change was reverted, and those
+  directories are now removed before `files.renameDirAlmostAtomically`
+  returns. [PR #8574](https://github.com/meteor/meteor/pull/8574)
+
 ## v1.4.4, 2017-04-07
 
 * Node has been upgraded to version 4.8.1.
diff --git a/scripts/admin/meteor-release-official.json b/scripts/admin/meteor-release-official.json
index 3d3e6088d8..748abf611f 100644
--- a/scripts/admin/meteor-release-official.json
+++ b/scripts/admin/meteor-release-official.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "track": "METEOR",
-  "version": "1.4.4",
+  "version": "1.4.4.1",
   "recommended": false,
   "official": true,
   "description": "The Official Meteor Distribution"
diff --git a/tools/fs/files.js b/tools/fs/files.js
index f26e1eb9ff..b9b618476a 100644
--- a/tools/fs/files.js
+++ b/tools/fs/files.js
@@ -1038,7 +1038,7 @@ files.renameDirAlmostAtomically =
     // ... and take out the trash.
     if (cleanupGarbage) {
       // We don't care about how long this takes, so we'll let it go async.
-      files.rm_recursive_async(garbageDir);
+      files.rm_recursive(garbageDir);
     }
   });