diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 398ce02..73bdbd2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 # Changelog
 <!--
     Placeholder for the next version (at the beginning of the line):
-    ## __WORK IN PROGRESS__
+    ## **WORK IN PROGRESS**
 -->
+## **WORK IN PROGRESS**
+* Support both `**WORK IN PROGRESS**` and `__WORK IN PROGRESS__` as placeholders
 
 ## 1.9.0 (2021-04-23)
 * Allow defining different remotes than origin by using `r` flag, e.g. `-r upstream/master`
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fcd7168..049c631 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Together with the corresponding **Github Actions** workflow (more on that below)
     ## Changelog
     <!--
     	Placeholder for the next version (at the beginning of the line):
-    	### __WORK IN PROGRESS__
+    	### **WORK IN PROGRESS**
     -->
     ```
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ Together with the corresponding **Github Actions** workflow (more on that below)
     # Changelog
     <!--
     	Placeholder for the next version (at the beginning of the line):
-    	## __WORK IN PROGRESS__
+    	## **WORK IN PROGRESS**
     -->
     ```
 
@@ -50,10 +50,10 @@ In order to use this script, you need to maintain the changelog in either `READM
 # Changelog
 <!--
     Placeholder for the next version (at the beginning of the line):
-    ## __WORK IN PROGRESS__
+    ## **WORK IN PROGRESS**
 -->
 
-## __WORK IN PROGRESS__
+## **WORK IN PROGRESS**
 * Did some changes
 * Did some more changes
 
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ If you are using `README.md`, the script can automatically move old changelog en
 ### Add free text in the changelog entry headline
 Starting with `v1.8.0`, you can add free text after the placeholder:
 ```md
-## __WORK IN PROGRESS__ - 2020 Doomsday release
+## **WORK IN PROGRESS** - 2020 Doomsday release
 ```
 will be turned into
 ```md
diff --git a/build/release.js b/build/release.js
index a636328..935f998 100644
--- a/build/release.js
+++ b/build/release.js
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@
     npx AlCalzone/release-script#v1.0.0 -- <version> [--dry]
 
     PLACEHOLDER for next version in CHANGELOG.md:
-    ## __WORK IN PROGRESS__
+    ## **WORK IN PROGRESS**
 
     PLACEHOLDER for next version in README.md:
-    ### __WORK IN PROGRESS__
+    ### **WORK IN PROGRESS**
 
 */
 var __createBinding = (this && this.__createBinding) || (Object.create ? (function(o, m, k, k2) {
@@ -124,10 +124,11 @@ else {
 // CHANGELOG_OLD is only used if the main changelog is in the readme
 const changelogOldPath = path.join(rootDir, "CHANGELOG_OLD.md");
 const hasChangelogOld = isChangelogInReadme && fs.existsSync(changelogOldPath);
-const CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER = CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER_PREFIX + " __WORK IN PROGRESS__";
+const CHANGELOG_MARKERS = ["**WORK IN PROGRESS**", "__WORK IN PROGRESS__"];
+const CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER = `${CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER_PREFIX} ${CHANGELOG_MARKERS[0]}`;
 // The regex for the placeholder includes an optional free text at the end, e.g.
 // ### __WORK IN PROGRESS__ "2020 Doomsday release"
-const CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER_REGEX = new RegExp("^" + CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER + "(.*?)$", "gm");
+const CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER_REGEX = new RegExp(`^${CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER_PREFIX} (?:${CHANGELOG_MARKERS.map(m => m.replace(/\*/g, "\\*")).join("|")})(.*?)$`, "gm");
 // check if the changelog contains exactly 1 occurence of the changelog placeholder
 switch ((changelog.match(CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER_REGEX) || []).length) {
     case 0:
@@ -310,6 +311,7 @@ ${newChangelog}`);
         ? [
             `git add -A -- ":(exclude).commitmessage"`,
             `git commit -F ".commitmessage" --no-verify`,
+            // lerna does the rest for us
         ]
         : [
             isYarn ? `yarn install` : `npm install`,
diff --git a/src/release.ts b/src/release.ts
index 23563a3..08844dd 100644
--- a/src/release.ts
+++ b/src/release.ts
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@
 	npx AlCalzone/release-script#v1.0.0 -- <version> [--dry]
 
 	PLACEHOLDER for next version in CHANGELOG.md:
-	## __WORK IN PROGRESS__
+	## **WORK IN PROGRESS**
 
 	PLACEHOLDER for next version in README.md:
-	### __WORK IN PROGRESS__
+	### **WORK IN PROGRESS**
 
 */
 
@@ -113,12 +113,13 @@ if (!fs.existsSync(changelogPath)) {
 const changelogOldPath = path.join(rootDir, "CHANGELOG_OLD.md");
 const hasChangelogOld = isChangelogInReadme && fs.existsSync(changelogOldPath);
 
+const CHANGELOG_MARKERS = ["**WORK IN PROGRESS**", "__WORK IN PROGRESS__"] as const;
 const CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER =
-	CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER_PREFIX + " __WORK IN PROGRESS__";
+	`${CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER_PREFIX} ${CHANGELOG_MARKERS[0]}`;
 // The regex for the placeholder includes an optional free text at the end, e.g.
 // ### __WORK IN PROGRESS__ "2020 Doomsday release"
 const CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER_REGEX = new RegExp(
-	"^" + CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER + "(.*?)$",
+	`^${CHANGELOG_PLACEHOLDER_PREFIX} (?:${CHANGELOG_MARKERS.map(m => m.replace(/\*/g, "\\*")).join("|")})(.*?)$`,
 	"gm",
 );