diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index e39e786..7a04c45 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ inputs:
     description: 'The branch name to use for a pull request for your changelog (If `use_pullrequest` is true)'
   default_branch:
     required: false
-    description: 'The branch name to commit / make pull request against for changelog'
+    description: 'The branch name to commit / make pull request against for changelog if different than the tagged branch'
 
 runs:
   using: 'node12'
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index 95129b7..2993487 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -537,7 +537,9 @@ async function run() {
     changelogExists = false;
   }
 
-  let { url, tag, name, body } = getReleaseData(eventPath);
+  let { url, tag, name, body, releaseBranch } = getReleaseData(eventPath);
+
+  let branch = defaultBranch || releaseBranch;
 
   let newContents =
     `### [${name}](${url}) ${NEWLINE} **${tag}** ${NEWLINE} ${body}` + currentContents;
@@ -548,7 +550,7 @@ async function run() {
     owner,
     repo,
     path,
-    branch: defaultBranch,
+    branch,
     message: `Updated ${path} via Next Release action.`,
     content
   };
@@ -557,16 +559,31 @@ async function run() {
     options.sha = sha;
   }
 
+  let prBranch = core.getInput('branch_name') || `changelog-${tag}`;
+
   if (usePr) {
-    let branch = core.getInput('branch_name') || `changelog-${tag}`;
+    let refSha;
+    try {
+      let { data } = await octokit.git.getRef({
+        owner,
+        repo,
+        ref: `heads/${branch}`
+      });
+
+      refSha = data.object.sha;
+    } catch (e) {
+      core.error(`Error creating changelog PR ${e}`);
+      return;
+    }
+
     try {
       await octokit.git.createRef({
         owner,
         repo,
-        sha,
-        ref: `refs/heads/${branch}`
+        sha: refSha,
+        ref: `refs/heads/${prBranch}`
       });
-      options.branch = branch;
+      options.branch = prBranch;
     } catch (e) {
       core.error(`Failed creating changelog PR: ${e}`);
       return;
@@ -580,16 +597,30 @@ async function run() {
   }
 
   if (usePr) {
-    await octokit.repo.get();
+    await octokit.pulls.create({
+      owner,
+      repo,
+      head: prBranch,
+      base: branch,
+      title: `Update ${path}`,
+      maintainer_can_modify: true,
+      body: 'Automatically generated by Next Release Changelog Action'
+    });
   }
 }
 
 function getReleaseData(eventPath) {
   const event = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(eventPath, 'utf8'));
 
-  let { html_url: url, tag_name: tag, name, body } = event.release;
+  let {
+    html_url: url,
+    tag_name: tag,
+    name,
+    body,
+    target_commitish: releaseBranch
+  } = event.release;
 
-  return { url, tag, name, body };
+  return { url, tag, name, body, releaseBranch };
 }
 
 run();
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 2cae308..c3d1b21 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ async function run() {
     changelogExists = false;
   }
 
-  let { url, tag, name, body } = getReleaseData(eventPath);
+  let { url, tag, name, body, releaseBranch } = getReleaseData(eventPath);
+
+  let branch = defaultBranch || releaseBranch;
 
   let newContents =
     `### [${name}](${url}) ${NEWLINE} **${tag}** ${NEWLINE} ${body}` + currentContents;
@@ -54,7 +56,7 @@ async function run() {
     owner,
     repo,
     path,
-    branch: defaultBranch,
+    branch,
     message: `Updated ${path} via Next Release action.`,
     content
   };
@@ -63,16 +65,31 @@ async function run() {
     options.sha = sha;
   }
 
+  let prBranch = core.getInput('branch_name') || `changelog-${tag}`;
+
   if (usePr) {
-    let branch = core.getInput('branch_name') || `changelog-${tag}`;
+    let refSha;
+    try {
+      let { data } = await octokit.git.getRef({
+        owner,
+        repo,
+        ref: `heads/${branch}`
+      });
+
+      refSha = data.object.sha;
+    } catch (e) {
+      core.error(`Error creating changelog PR ${e}`);
+      return;
+    }
+
     try {
       await octokit.git.createRef({
         owner,
         repo,
-        sha,
-        ref: `refs/heads/${branch}`
+        sha: refSha,
+        ref: `refs/heads/${prBranch}`
       });
-      options.branch = branch;
+      options.branch = prBranch;
     } catch (e) {
       core.error(`Failed creating changelog PR: ${e}`);
       return;
@@ -86,16 +103,30 @@ async function run() {
   }
 
   if (usePr) {
-    await octokit.repo.get();
+    await octokit.pulls.create({
+      owner,
+      repo,
+      head: prBranch,
+      base: branch,
+      title: `Update ${path}`,
+      maintainer_can_modify: true,
+      body: 'Automatically generated by Next Release Changelog Action'
+    });
   }
 }
 
 function getReleaseData(eventPath) {
   const event = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(eventPath, 'utf8'));
 
-  let { html_url: url, tag_name: tag, name, body } = event.release;
+  let {
+    html_url: url,
+    tag_name: tag,
+    name,
+    body,
+    target_commitish: releaseBranch
+  } = event.release;
 
-  return { url, tag, name, body };
+  return { url, tag, name, body, releaseBranch };
 }
 
 run();
diff --git a/workflow.example.yml b/workflow.example.yml
index 95779b6..1f75c57 100644
--- a/workflow.example.yml
+++ b/workflow.example.yml
@@ -12,3 +12,4 @@ jobs:
         with:
           token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }} # Required
           changelog: 'CHANGELOG.md' # optional, default: CHANGELOG.md
+          use_pullrequest: false # default false, use true to create changelog in a PR