diff --git a/lib/publish.js b/lib/publish.js
index b96879e3..25c4fe5c 100644
--- a/lib/publish.js
+++ b/lib/publish.js
@@ -21,7 +21,15 @@ module.exports = async (pluginConfig, context) => {
   const {githubToken, githubUrl, githubApiPathPrefix, proxy, assets} = resolveConfig(pluginConfig, context);
   const {owner, repo} = parseGithubUrl(repositoryUrl);
   const github = getClient({githubToken, githubUrl, githubApiPathPrefix, proxy});
-  const release = {owner, repo, tag_name: gitTag, name, body: notes, prerelease: isPrerelease(branch)};
+  const release = {
+    owner,
+    repo,
+    tag_name: gitTag,
+    target_commitish: branch.name,
+    name,
+    body: notes,
+    prerelease: isPrerelease(branch),
+  };
 
   debug('release object: %O', release);
 
diff --git a/test/publish.test.js b/test/publish.test.js
index 2cff370c..a707e6b3 100644
--- a/test/publish.test.js
+++ b/test/publish.test.js
@@ -39,10 +39,12 @@ test.serial('Publish a release', async (t) => {
   const releaseId = 1;
   const uploadUri = `/api/uploads/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases/${releaseId}/assets`;
   const uploadUrl = `https://github.com${uploadUri}{?name,label}`;
+  const branch = 'test_branch';
 
   const github = authenticate(env)
     .post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases`, {
       tag_name: nextRelease.gitTag,
+      target_commitish: branch,
       name: nextRelease.name,
       body: nextRelease.notes,
       prerelease: false,
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ test.serial('Publish a release', async (t) => {
     cwd,
     env,
     options,
-    branch: {type: 'release', main: true},
+    branch: {name: branch, type: 'release', main: true},
     nextRelease,
     logger: t.context.logger,
   });
@@ -74,10 +76,12 @@ test.serial('Publish a release on a channel', async (t) => {
   const releaseId = 1;
   const uploadUri = `/api/uploads/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases/${releaseId}/assets`;
   const uploadUrl = `https://github.com${uploadUri}{?name,label}`;
+  const branch = 'test_branch';
 
   const github = authenticate(env)
     .post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases`, {
       tag_name: nextRelease.gitTag,
+      target_commitish: branch,
       name: nextRelease.name,
       body: nextRelease.notes,
       prerelease: true,
@@ -88,7 +92,7 @@ test.serial('Publish a release on a channel', async (t) => {
     cwd,
     env,
     options,
-    branch: {type: 'release', channel: 'next', main: false},
+    branch: {name: branch, type: 'release', channel: 'next', main: false},
     nextRelease,
     logger: t.context.logger,
   });
@@ -109,10 +113,12 @@ test.serial('Publish a prerelease', async (t) => {
   const releaseId = 1;
   const uploadUri = `/api/uploads/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases/${releaseId}/assets`;
   const uploadUrl = `https://github.com${uploadUri}{?name,label}`;
+  const branch = 'test_branch';
 
   const github = authenticate(env)
     .post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases`, {
       tag_name: nextRelease.gitTag,
+      target_commitish: branch,
       name: nextRelease.name,
       body: nextRelease.notes,
       prerelease: true,
@@ -123,7 +129,7 @@ test.serial('Publish a prerelease', async (t) => {
     cwd,
     env,
     options,
-    branch: {type: 'prerelease', channel: 'beta'},
+    branch: {name: branch, type: 'prerelease', channel: 'beta'},
     nextRelease,
     logger: t.context.logger,
   });
@@ -144,10 +150,12 @@ test.serial('Publish a maintenance release', async (t) => {
   const releaseId = 1;
   const uploadUri = `/api/uploads/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases/${releaseId}/assets`;
   const uploadUrl = `https://github.com${uploadUri}{?name,label}`;
+  const branch = 'test_branch';
 
   const github = authenticate(env)
     .post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases`, {
       tag_name: nextRelease.gitTag,
+      target_commitish: branch,
       name: nextRelease.name,
       body: nextRelease.notes,
       prerelease: false,
@@ -158,7 +166,7 @@ test.serial('Publish a maintenance release', async (t) => {
     cwd,
     env,
     options,
-    branch: {type: 'maintenance', channel: '1.x', main: false},
+    branch: {name: 'test_branch', type: 'maintenance', channel: '1.x', main: false},
     nextRelease,
     logger: t.context.logger,
   });
@@ -179,10 +187,12 @@ test.serial('Publish a release, retrying 4 times', async (t) => {
   const releaseId = 1;
   const uploadUri = `/api/uploads/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases/${releaseId}/assets`;
   const uploadUrl = `https://github.com${uploadUri}{?name,label}`;
+  const branch = 'test_branch';
 
   const github = authenticate(env)
     .post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases`, {
       tag_name: nextRelease.gitTag,
+      target_commitish: branch,
       name: nextRelease.gitTag,
       body: nextRelease.notes,
       prerelease: false,
@@ -191,6 +201,7 @@ test.serial('Publish a release, retrying 4 times', async (t) => {
     .reply(404)
     .post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases`, {
       tag_name: nextRelease.gitTag,
+      target_commitish: branch,
       name: nextRelease.name,
       body: nextRelease.notes,
       prerelease: false,
@@ -201,7 +212,7 @@ test.serial('Publish a release, retrying 4 times', async (t) => {
     cwd,
     env,
     options,
-    branch: {type: 'release', main: true},
+    branch: {name: branch, type: 'release', main: true},
     nextRelease,
     logger: t.context.logger,
   });
@@ -226,10 +237,12 @@ test.serial('Publish a release with one asset', async (t) => {
   const releaseId = 1;
   const uploadUri = `/api/uploads/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases/${releaseId}/assets`;
   const uploadUrl = `https://github.com${uploadUri}{?name,label}`;
+  const branch = 'test_branch';
 
   const github = authenticate(env)
     .post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases`, {
       tag_name: nextRelease.gitTag,
+      target_commitish: branch,
       name: nextRelease.name,
       body: nextRelease.notes,
       draft: true,
@@ -250,7 +263,7 @@ test.serial('Publish a release with one asset', async (t) => {
     cwd,
     env,
     options,
-    branch: {type: 'release', main: true},
+    branch: {name: branch, type: 'release', main: true},
     nextRelease,
     logger: t.context.logger,
   });
@@ -277,10 +290,12 @@ test.serial('Publish a release with one asset and custom github url', async (t)
   const releaseId = 1;
   const uploadUri = `/api/uploads/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases/${releaseId}/assets`;
   const uploadUrl = `${env.GH_URL}${uploadUri}{?name,label}`;
+  const branch = 'test_branch';
 
   const github = authenticate(env, {})
     .post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases`, {
       tag_name: nextRelease.gitTag,
+      target_commitish: branch,
       name: nextRelease.name,
       body: nextRelease.notes,
       draft: true,
@@ -301,7 +316,7 @@ test.serial('Publish a release with one asset and custom github url', async (t)
     cwd,
     env,
     options,
-    branch: {type: 'release', main: true},
+    branch: {name: branch, type: 'release', main: true},
     nextRelease,
     logger: t.context.logger,
   });
@@ -326,10 +341,12 @@ test.serial('Publish a release with an array of missing assets', async (t) => {
   const releaseId = 1;
   const uploadUri = `/api/uploads/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases/${releaseId}/assets`;
   const uploadUrl = `https://github.com${uploadUri}{?name,label}`;
+  const branch = 'test_branch';
 
   const github = authenticate(env)
     .post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases`, {
       tag_name: nextRelease.gitTag,
+      target_commitish: branch,
       name: nextRelease.name,
       body: nextRelease.notes,
       draft: true,
@@ -343,7 +360,7 @@ test.serial('Publish a release with an array of missing assets', async (t) => {
     cwd,
     env,
     options,
-    branch: {type: 'release', main: true},
+    branch: {name: branch, type: 'release', main: true},
     nextRelease,
     logger: t.context.logger,
   });
@@ -362,10 +379,12 @@ test.serial('Throw error without retries for 400 error', async (t) => {
   const pluginConfig = {};
   const nextRelease = {gitTag: 'v1.0.0', name: 'v1.0.0', notes: 'Test release note body'};
   const options = {repositoryUrl: `https://github.com/${owner}/${repo}.git`};
+  const branch = 'test_branch';
 
   const github = authenticate(env)
     .post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases`, {
       tag_name: nextRelease.gitTag,
+      target_commitish: branch,
       name: nextRelease.name,
       body: nextRelease.notes,
       prerelease: false,
@@ -373,6 +392,7 @@ test.serial('Throw error without retries for 400 error', async (t) => {
     .reply(404)
     .post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases`, {
       tag_name: nextRelease.gitTag,
+      target_commitish: branch,
       name: nextRelease.gitTag,
       body: nextRelease.notes,
       prerelease: false,
@@ -384,7 +404,7 @@ test.serial('Throw error without retries for 400 error', async (t) => {
       cwd,
       env,
       options,
-      branch: {type: 'release', main: true},
+      branch: {name: branch, type: 'release', main: true},
       nextRelease,
       logger: t.context.logger,
     })
@@ -411,10 +431,12 @@ test.serial(
     const releaseId = 1;
     const uploadUri = `/api/uploads/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases/${releaseId}/assets`;
     const uploadUrl = `https://github.com${uploadUri}{?name,label}`;
+    const branch = 'test_branch';
 
     const github = authenticate(env)
       .post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/releases`, {
         tag_name: nextRelease.gitTag,
+        target_commitish: branch,
         name: nextRelease.name,
         body: nextRelease.notes,
         prerelease: false,
@@ -425,7 +447,7 @@ test.serial(
       cwd,
       env,
       options,
-      branch: {type: 'release', main: true},
+      branch: {name: branch, type: 'release', main: true},
       nextRelease,
       logger: t.context.logger,
     });