diff --git a/src/options/cliArgs.ts b/src/options/cliArgs.ts
index fd97ffa2..e32657a1 100644
--- a/src/options/cliArgs.ts
+++ b/src/options/cliArgs.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ export function getOptionsFromCliArgs(
       description: 'Backport to multiple branches',
       type: 'boolean'
     })
+    .option('prDescription', {
+      default: configOptions.prDescription,
+      description: 'Description to be added to pull request',
+      type: 'string'
+    })
     .option('sha', {
       description: 'Commit sha to backport',
       type: 'string',
@@ -73,6 +78,7 @@ export function getOptionsFromCliArgs(
     multiple: cliArgs.multiple,
     multipleBranches: cliArgs.multipleBranches || cliArgs.multiple,
     multipleCommits: cliArgs.multipleCommits || cliArgs.multiple,
+    prDescription: cliArgs.prDescription,
     sha: cliArgs.sha,
     upstream: cliArgs.upstream,
     username: cliArgs.username
diff --git a/src/options/config/globalConfig.ts b/src/options/config/globalConfig.ts
index fd1ccdd4..737ace4e 100644
--- a/src/options/config/globalConfig.ts
+++ b/src/options/config/globalConfig.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { getGlobalConfigPath, getReposPath } from '../../services/env';
 interface GlobalConfig {
   username?: string;
   accessToken?: string;
+  prDescription?: string;
 
   // the following are overwritable by project config:
   all?: boolean;
diff --git a/src/options/options.ts b/src/options/options.ts
index a2334b53..02c8889b 100644
--- a/src/options/options.ts
+++ b/src/options/options.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ export function validateOptions({
   multiple,
   multipleBranches,
   multipleCommits,
+  prDescription,
   sha,
   upstream,
   username
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ export function validateOptions({
     multiple,
     multipleBranches,
     multipleCommits,
+    prDescription,
     sha,
     upstream,
     username
diff --git a/src/steps/doBackportVersions.ts b/src/steps/doBackportVersions.ts
index 92723b34..5b0a3737 100644
--- a/src/steps/doBackportVersions.ts
+++ b/src/steps/doBackportVersions.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ export function doBackportVersions(
   commits: Commit[],
   branches: string[],
   username: string,
-  labels: string[]
+  labels: string[],
+  prDescription: string | undefined
 ) {
   return sequentially(branches, async branch => {
     try {
@@ -32,7 +33,8 @@ export function doBackportVersions(
         commits,
         branch,
         username,
-        labels
+        labels,
+        prDescription
       );
       log(`View pull request: ${pullRequest.html_url}`);
     } catch (e) {
@@ -52,7 +54,8 @@ export async function doBackportVersion(
   commits: Commit[],
   baseBranch: string,
   username: string,
-  labels: string[] = []
+  labels: string[] = [],
+  prDescription: string | undefined
 ) {
   const featureBranch = getFeatureBranchName(baseBranch, commits);
   const refValues = commits.map(commit => getReferenceLong(commit)).join(', ');
@@ -84,7 +87,12 @@ export async function doBackportVersion(
   );
 
   return withSpinner({ text: 'Creating pull request' }, async () => {
-    const payload = getPullRequestPayload(baseBranch, commits, username);
+    const payload = getPullRequestPayload(
+      baseBranch,
+      commits,
+      username,
+      prDescription
+    );
     const pullRequest = await createPullRequest(owner, repoName, payload);
     if (labels.length > 0) {
       await addLabelsToPullRequest(owner, repoName, pullRequest.number, labels);
@@ -178,7 +186,8 @@ function getPullRequestTitle(baseBranch: string, commits: Commit[]) {
 export function getPullRequestPayload(
   baseBranch: string,
   commits: Commit[],
-  username: string
+  username: string,
+  prDescription: string | undefined
 ) {
   const featureBranch = getFeatureBranchName(baseBranch, commits);
   const commitRefs = commits
@@ -188,9 +197,11 @@ export function getPullRequestPayload(
     })
     .join('\n');
 
+  const bodySuffix = prDescription ? `\n\n${prDescription}` : '';
+
   return {
     title: getPullRequestTitle(baseBranch, commits),
-    body: `Backports the following commits to ${baseBranch}:\n${commitRefs}`,
+    body: `Backports the following commits to ${baseBranch}:\n${commitRefs}${bodySuffix}`,
     head: `${username}:${featureBranch}`,
     base: `${baseBranch}`
   };
diff --git a/src/steps/steps.ts b/src/steps/steps.ts
index 2d6e145a..99dc8536 100755
--- a/src/steps/steps.ts
+++ b/src/steps/steps.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export async function initSteps(options: BackportOptions) {
     commits,
     branches,
     options.username,
-    options.labels
+    options.labels,
+    options.prDescription
   );
 }
diff --git a/test/options/options.test.ts b/test/options/options.test.ts
index 3921446f..c917d704 100644
--- a/test/options/options.test.ts
+++ b/test/options/options.test.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const validOptions = {
   multiple: false,
   multipleBranches: true,
   multipleCommits: false,
+  prDescription: undefined,
   sha: undefined,
   upstream: 'elastic/kibana',
   username: 'sqren'
diff --git a/test/steps/__snapshots__/steps.test.ts.snap b/test/steps/__snapshots__/steps.test.ts.snap
index 59042bfb..50403247 100644
--- a/test/steps/__snapshots__/steps.test.ts.snap
+++ b/test/steps/__snapshots__/steps.test.ts.snap
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ Object {
   "patch": Array [],
   "post": Array [
     Object {
-      "data": "{\\"title\\":\\"[6.2] myCommitMessage\\",\\"body\\":\\"Backports the following commits to 6.2:\\\\n - myCommitMessage (#myPullRequestNumber)\\",\\"head\\":\\"sqren:backport/6.2/pr-myPullRequestNumber\\",\\"base\\":\\"6.2\\"}",
+      "data": "{\\"title\\":\\"[6.2] myCommitMessage\\",\\"body\\":\\"Backports the following commits to 6.2:\\\\n - myCommitMessage (#myPullRequestNumber)\\\\n\\\\nmyPrDescription\\",\\"head\\":\\"sqren:backport/6.2/pr-myPullRequestNumber\\",\\"base\\":\\"6.2\\"}",
       "headers": Object {
         "Accept": "application/json, text/plain, */*",
         "Content-Type": "application/json;charset=utf-8",
diff --git a/test/steps/doBackportVersions.test.ts b/test/steps/doBackportVersions.test.ts
index 2f5a9381..ac773edf 100644
--- a/test/steps/doBackportVersions.test.ts
+++ b/test/steps/doBackportVersions.test.ts
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ describe('doBackportVersion', () => {
         commits,
         '6.x',
         'sqren',
-        ['backport']
+        ['backport'],
+        'myPrSuffix'
       );
     });
 
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ describe('doBackportVersion', () => {
         {
           title: '[6.x] myCommitMessage | myOtherCommitMessage',
           body:
-            'Backports the following commits to 6.x:\n - myCommitMessage (#1000)\n - myOtherCommitMessage (#2000)',
+            'Backports the following commits to 6.x:\n - myCommitMessage (#1000)\n - myOtherCommitMessage (#2000)\n\nmyPrSuffix',
           head: 'sqren:backport/6.x/pr-1000_pr-2000',
           base: '6.x'
         }
@@ -99,9 +100,15 @@ describe('doBackportVersion', () => {
         }
       ];
 
-      await doBackportVersion('elastic', 'kibana', commits, '6.x', 'sqren', [
-        'backport'
-      ]);
+      await doBackportVersion(
+        'elastic',
+        'kibana',
+        commits,
+        '6.x',
+        'sqren',
+        ['backport'],
+        undefined
+      );
     });
 
     it('should create pull request and add labels', () => {
@@ -160,7 +167,8 @@ describe('doBackportVersion', () => {
         commits,
         '6.x',
         'sqren',
-        ['backport']
+        ['backport'],
+        undefined
       );
 
       return { logSpy, execSpy, promise };
diff --git a/test/steps/steps.test.ts b/test/steps/steps.test.ts
index fc0975b0..af04eb6e 100644
--- a/test/steps/steps.test.ts
+++ b/test/steps/steps.test.ts
@@ -147,14 +147,9 @@ describe('run through steps', () => {
     });
 
     await initSteps({
-      username: 'sqren',
-      branches: [],
-      sha: undefined,
       accessToken: 'myAccessToken',
-      multiple: false,
-      multipleBranches: false,
-      multipleCommits: false,
-      upstream,
+      all: false,
+      branches: [],
       branchChoices: [
         { name: '6.x' },
         { name: '6.0' },
@@ -162,8 +157,14 @@ describe('run through steps', () => {
         { name: '5.5' },
         { name: '5.4' }
       ],
-      all: false,
-      labels: []
+      labels: [],
+      multiple: false,
+      multipleBranches: false,
+      multipleCommits: false,
+      prDescription: 'myPrDescription',
+      sha: undefined,
+      upstream,
+      username: 'sqren'
     });
   });
 
@@ -183,7 +184,7 @@ describe('run through steps', () => {
   it('createPullRequest should be called with correct args', () => {
     expect(github.createPullRequest).toHaveBeenCalledWith('elastic', 'kibana', {
       base: '6.2',
-      body: `Backports the following commits to 6.2:\n - myCommitMessage (#myPullRequestNumber)`,
+      body: `Backports the following commits to 6.2:\n - myCommitMessage (#myPullRequestNumber)\n\nmyPrDescription`,
       head: 'sqren:backport/6.2/pr-myPullRequestNumber',
       title: '[6.2] myCommitMessage'
     });