diff --git a/JenkinsJobs/Releng/prepareNextDevCycle.jenkinsfile b/JenkinsJobs/Releng/prepareNextDevCycle.jenkinsfile
index 3d172929375..44946a21b21 100644
--- a/JenkinsJobs/Releng/prepareNextDevCycle.jenkinsfile
+++ b/JenkinsJobs/Releng/prepareNextDevCycle.jenkinsfile
@@ -185,6 +185,24 @@ pipeline {
 				commitAllChangesExcludingSubmodules("Move previous version to ${PREVIOUS_RELEASE_CANDIDATE_TAG} in build scripts")
 			}
 		}
+		stage('Clear Qualifier-update files') {
+			steps {
+				dir('eclipse.platform.common/bundles') {
+					sh '''
+						# Clear content of all forceQualifierUpdate files in this directory
+						for file in */forceQualifierUpdate.txt; do
+							> "$file"
+						done
+						# Commit cleared files, if there was content to remove
+						if [ -n "$(git diff --shortstat .)" ] ; then
+							git commit --message "Clean forceQualifierUpdate files of doc bundles for ${NEXT_RELEASE_VERSION} development" .
+						else
+							echo 'The forceQualifierUpdate files of all doc bundles are already empty. Nothing to do.'
+						fi
+					'''
+				}
+			}
+		}
 		stage('Apply individual updates') {
 			environment {
 				UPDATE_SCRIPT = 'prepareNextDevCycle.sh'
diff --git a/RELEASE.md b/RELEASE.md
index 07c02f62748..9f9d5b392c6 100644
--- a/RELEASE.md
+++ b/RELEASE.md
@@ -187,9 +187,6 @@ Previously they were created in ther own job:
     - Update the last release build versions in [eclipse.platform.releng.tychoeclipsebuilder/eclipse-junit-tests/src/main/resources/equinoxp2tests.properties](eclipse.platform.releng.tychoeclipsebuilder/eclipse-junit-tests/src/main/resources/equinoxp2tests.properties)
     - Update the previousReleaseVersion in [eclipse.platform.releng.tychoeclipsebuilder/eclipse-junit-tests/src/main/resources/label.properties](eclipse.platform.releng.tychoeclipsebuilder/eclipse-junit-tests/src/main/resources/label.properties)
     - Update the name of the copied files in [eclipse.platform.releng.tychoeclipsebuilder/eclipse-junit-tests/src/main/scripts/getPreviousRelease.sh](eclipse.platform.releng.tychoeclipsebuilder/eclipse-junit-tests/src/main/scripts/getPreviousRelease.sh)
-**General Cleanup**
-  - In [eclipse.platform.common] search for and clear out all of the forceQualifierUpdate.txt files.  
-    The context here is that the doc builds only check for changes in this repo and so these files need to be changed to trigger a full rebuild.
 
 **RC2a Release**
   * Sometimes there is a critical issue that requires a fix, if it's decided that one is needed then an RC2a (followed by RC2b, RC2c etc if necessary) is built from the maintenance branch and promoted using the RC2 process.
diff --git a/scripts/newReleasePrep.sh b/scripts/newReleasePrep.sh
index 9d23a45583f..75b25df8744 100755
--- a/scripts/newReleasePrep.sh
+++ b/scripts/newReleasePrep.sh
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ BODY="This preparation work involves the following tasks. For previous bug pleas
 - [ ] Create ${NEXT_STREAM}-I-builds repo
 - [ ] Run [`Prepare Next Development Cycle`](https://ci.eclipse.org/releng/job/Releng/job/prepareNextDevCycle/) job and submit the created changes
 - [ ] Update version number in Mac's Eclipse.app for ${NEXT_STREAM}
-- [ ] Clean forceQualifierUpdate files for doc bundles
 - [ ] Update builds and repo cleanup scripts for ${NEXT_STREAM}
 - [ ] Update check composites script to verify ${NEXT_STREAM} repositories
 - [ ] Update Comparator repo and eclipse run repo to ${NEXT_STREAM}-I-builds repo