diff --git a/build/grunt.js b/build/grunt.js
index 75d0e40ed6..a42b91259a 100644
--- a/build/grunt.js
+++ b/build/grunt.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import {gruntCustomizer, gruntOptionsMaker} from './options-customizer.js';
 module.exports = function(grunt) {
   require('time-grunt')(grunt);
 
@@ -41,6 +42,19 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
     ]
   };
 
+  const githubReleaseDefaults = {
+    options: {
+      release: {
+        tag_name: 'v'+ version.full,
+        name: version.full,
+        body: require('chg').find(version.full).changesRaw
+      },
+    },
+    files: {
+      src: [`dist/video-js-${version.full}.zip`] // Files that you want to attach to Release
+    }
+  };
+
   /**
    * Customizes _.merge behavior in `browserifyGruntOptions` to concatenate
    * arrays. This can be overridden on a per-call basis to
@@ -52,11 +66,7 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
    * @param  {Mixed} sourceValue
    * @return {Object}
    */
-  function browserifyGruntCustomizer(objectValue, sourceValue) {
-    if (Array.isArray(objectValue)) {
-      return objectValue.concat(sourceValue);
-    }
-  }
+  const browserifyGruntCustomizer = gruntCustomizer;
 
   /**
    * Creates a unique object of Browserify Grunt task options.
@@ -70,9 +80,10 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
    *
    * @return {Object}
    */
-  function browserifyGruntOptions(options = null, customizer = browserifyGruntCustomizer) {
-    return _.merge({}, browserifyGruntDefaults, options, customizer);
-  }
+  const browserifyGruntOptions = gruntOptionsMaker(browserifyGruntDefaults, browserifyGruntCustomizer);
+
+  const githubReleaseCustomizer = gruntCustomizer;
+  const githubReleaseOptions = gruntOptionsMaker(githubReleaseDefaults, githubReleaseCustomizer);
 
   /**
    * Creates processor functions for license banners.
@@ -296,28 +307,14 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
           password: process.env.VJS_GITHUB_TOKEN
         }
       },
-      release: {
+      release: githubReleaseOptions(),
+      prerelease: githubReleaseOptions({
         options: {
           release: {
-            tag_name: 'v'+ version.full,
-            name: version.full,
-            body: require('chg').find(version.full).changesRaw
-          }
-        }
-      },
-      prerelease: {
-        options: {
-          release: {
-            tag_name: 'v'+ version.full,
-            name: version.full,
-            body: require('chg').find(version.full).changesRaw,
             prerelease: true
           }
         }
-      },
-      files: {
-        src: [`dist/video-js-${version.full}.zip`] // Files that you want to attach to Release
-      }
+      })
     },
     browserify: {
       options: browserifyGruntOptions(),
diff --git a/build/options-customizer.js b/build/options-customizer.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5257e73d6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/options-customizer.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import _ from 'lodash-compat';
+/**
+ * Customizes _.merge behavior in `gruntOptions` to concatenate
+ * arrays. This can be overridden on a per-call basis to
+ *
+ * @see https://lodash.com/docs#merge
+ * @function GruntCustomizer
+ * @private
+ * @param  {Mixed} objectValue
+ * @param  {Mixed} sourceValue
+ * @return {Object}
+ */
+function gruntCustomizer(objectValue, sourceValue) {
+  if (Array.isArray(objectValue)) {
+    return objectValue.concat(sourceValue);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Creates a gruntOptions instance for the specific defaultOptions and gruntCustomizer
+ *
+ * @function browserifyGruntOptions
+ * @private
+ * @param  {Object} [options]
+ * @param  {Function} [customizer=gruntCustomizer]
+ *         If the default array-concatenation behavior is not desireable,
+ *         pass _.noop or a unique customizer (https://lodash.com/docs#merge).
+ *
+ * @return {Function}
+ */
+function gruntOptionsMaker(defaultOptions, gruntCustomizer) {
+  /**
+   * Creates a unique object of Browserify Grunt task options.
+   *
+   * @function gruntOptions
+   * @private
+   * @param  {Object} [options]
+   * @param  {Function} [customizer=browserifyGruntCustomizer]
+   *         If the default array-concatenation behavior is not desireable,
+   *         pass _.noop or a unique customizer (https://lodash.com/docs#merge).
+   *
+   * @return {Object}
+   */
+  return function gruntOptions(options = null, customizer = gruntCustomizer) {
+    return _.merge({}, defaultOptions, options, customizer);
+  }
+};
+
+export { gruntCustomizer, gruntOptionsMaker };