diff --git a/.schema/latest.json b/.schema/latest.json
index 8aa3e3e045..48bf0791de 100644
--- a/.schema/latest.json
+++ b/.schema/latest.json
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
         "publish_no_verify": null,
         "publish_timeout": null,
         "release": null,
+        "release_commits": null,
         "repo_url": null,
         "semver_check": null
       },
@@ -569,6 +570,14 @@
             "null"
           ]
         },
+        "release_commits": {
+          "title": "Release Commits",
+          "description": "Prepare release only if at least one commit respects this regex.",
+          "type": [
+            "string",
+            "null"
+          ]
+        },
         "repo_url": {
           "title": "Repo URL",
           "description": "GitHub/Gitea repository url where your project is hosted. It is used to generate the changelog release link. It defaults to the url of the default remote.",
diff --git a/crates/release_plz/src/args/update.rs b/crates/release_plz/src/args/update.rs
index 571ff80d54..8b30603256 100644
--- a/crates/release_plz/src/args/update.rs
+++ b/crates/release_plz/src/args/update.rs
@@ -161,6 +161,9 @@ impl Update {
         if let Some(registry) = &self.registry {
             update = update.with_registry(registry.clone());
         }
+        if let Some(release_commits) = config.workspace.release_commits {
+            update = update.with_release_commits(release_commits.clone())?;
+        }
 
         Ok(update)
     }
diff --git a/crates/release_plz/src/config.rs b/crates/release_plz/src/config.rs
index 9f0c45819c..4d435e03a9 100644
--- a/crates/release_plz/src/config.rs
+++ b/crates/release_plz/src/config.rs
@@ -123,6 +123,9 @@ pub struct Workspace {
     /// It is used to generate the changelog release link.
     /// It defaults to the url of the default remote.
     pub repo_url: Option<Url>,
+    /// # Release Commits
+    /// Prepare release only if at least one commit respects this regex.
+    pub release_commits: Option<String>,
 }
 
 impl Workspace {
@@ -361,6 +364,7 @@ mod tests {
         git_release_type = "prod"
         git_release_draft = false
         publish_timeout = "10m"
+        release_commits = "^feat:"
     "#;
 
     const BASE_PACKAGE_CONFIG: &str = r#"
@@ -387,6 +391,7 @@ mod tests {
                 pr_draft: false,
                 pr_labels: vec![],
                 publish_timeout: Some("10m".to_string()),
+                release_commits: Some("^feat:".to_string()),
             },
             package: [].into(),
         }
@@ -504,6 +509,7 @@ mod tests {
                     ..Default::default()
                 },
                 publish_timeout: Some("10m".to_string()),
+                release_commits: Some("^feat:".to_string()),
             },
             package: [PackageSpecificConfigWithName {
                 name: "crate1".to_string(),
@@ -536,6 +542,7 @@ mod tests {
             pr_labels = ["label1"]
             publish_timeout = "10m"
             repo_url = "https://github.com/MarcoIeni/release-plz"
+            release_commits = "^feat:"
 
             [changelog]
 
diff --git a/crates/release_plz/tests/all/changelog.rs b/crates/release_plz/tests/all/changelog.rs
index 71e7b91976..a6ed930410 100644
--- a/crates/release_plz/tests/all/changelog.rs
+++ b/crates/release_plz/tests/all/changelog.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,32 @@
 use crate::helpers::{test_context::TestContext, TEST_REGISTRY};
 
+#[tokio::test]
+#[cfg_attr(not(feature = "docker-tests"), ignore)]
+async fn release_plz_does_not_open_release_pr_if_there_are_no_release_commits() {
+    let context = TestContext::new().await;
+
+    let config = r#"
+    [workspace]
+    release_commits = "^feat:"
+    "#;
+    context.write_release_plz_toml(config);
+
+    context.run_release_pr().success();
+
+    let opened_prs = context.opened_release_prs().await;
+    // no features are present in the commits, so release-plz doesn't open the release PR
+    assert_eq!(opened_prs.len(), 0);
+
+    std::fs::write(context.repo_dir().join("new.rs"), "// hi").unwrap();
+    context.repo.add_all_and_commit("feat: new file").unwrap();
+
+    context.run_release_pr().success();
+
+    // we added a feature, so release-plz opened the release PR
+    let opened_prs = context.opened_release_prs().await;
+    assert_eq!(opened_prs.len(), 1);
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 #[cfg_attr(not(feature = "docker-tests"), ignore)]
 async fn release_plz_adds_changelog_on_new_project() {
diff --git a/crates/release_plz_core/src/diff.rs b/crates/release_plz_core/src/diff.rs
index 40f4b0e83a..0fe173cec6 100644
--- a/crates/release_plz_core/src/diff.rs
+++ b/crates/release_plz_core/src/diff.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use git_cliff_core::commit::Commit;
+use regex::Regex;
 
 use crate::semver_check::SemverCheck;
 
@@ -45,4 +46,41 @@ impl<'a> Diff<'a> {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    /// Return `true` if any commit message matches the given pattern.
+    pub fn any_commit_matches(&self, pattern: &Regex) -> bool {
+        self.commits
+            .iter()
+            .any(|commit| pattern.is_match(&commit.message))
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    pub fn create_diff() -> Diff<'static> {
+        let mut diff = Diff::new(false);
+        diff.add_commits(&vec![Commit::new(
+            "1e6903d".to_string(),
+            "feature release".to_string(),
+        )]);
+        diff
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_is_commit_message_matched() {
+        let diff = create_diff();
+        let pattern = Regex::new(r"^feat").unwrap();
+        let present = diff.any_commit_matches(&pattern);
+        assert!(present);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_is_commit_message_not_matched() {
+        let diff = create_diff();
+        let pattern = Regex::new(r"mismatch").unwrap();
+        let present = diff.any_commit_matches(&pattern);
+        assert!(!present);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/release_plz_core/src/next_ver.rs b/crates/release_plz_core/src/next_ver.rs
index 83daf986f2..2ab3f8c2b1 100644
--- a/crates/release_plz_core/src/next_ver.rs
+++ b/crates/release_plz_core/src/next_ver.rs
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ pub struct UpdateRequest {
     repo_url: Option<RepoUrl>,
     /// Package-specific configurations.
     packages_config: PackagesConfig,
+    /// Release Commits
+    /// Prepare release only if at least one commit respects a regex.
+    release_commits: Option<Regex>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Default)]
@@ -213,6 +216,7 @@ impl UpdateRequest {
             allow_dirty: false,
             repo_url: None,
             packages_config: PackagesConfig::default(),
+            release_commits: None,
         })
     }
 
@@ -296,6 +300,16 @@ impl UpdateRequest {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn with_release_commits(self, release_commits: String) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
+        let regex =
+            Regex::new(&release_commits).context("invalid release_commits regex pattern")?;
+
+        Ok(Self {
+            release_commits: Some(regex),
+            ..self
+        })
+    }
+
     pub fn local_manifest_dir(&self) -> anyhow::Result<&Path> {
         self.local_manifest
             .parent()
@@ -649,6 +663,11 @@ impl Updater<'_> {
         }
 
         for (p, diff) in packages_diffs {
+            if let Some(ref release_commits_regex) = self.req.release_commits {
+                if !diff.any_commit_matches(release_commits_regex) {
+                    continue;
+                };
+            }
             // Calculate next version without taking into account workspace version
             let next_version = if let Some(max_workspace_version) = &new_workspace_version {
                 if workspace_version_pkgs.contains(p.name.as_str()) {
diff --git a/website/docs/config.md b/website/docs/config.md
index 4de8aaab9a..4b283b714f 100644
--- a/website/docs/config.md
+++ b/website/docs/config.md
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ pr_labels = ["release"] # add the `release` label to the release Pull Request
 publish_allow_dirty = true # add `--allow-dirty` to `cargo publish`
 semver_check = false # disable API breaking changes checks
 publish_timeout = "10m" # set a timeout for `cargo publish`
+release_commits = "^feat:" # prepare release only if at least one commit matches a regex
 
 [[package]] # the double square brackets define a TOML table array
 name = "package_a"
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ the following sections:
   - [`publish_no_verify`](#the-publish_no_verify-field) — Don't verify package build.
   - [`publish_timeout`](#the-publish_timeout-field) — `cargo publish` timeout.
   - [`release`](#the-release-field) - Enable the processing of the packages.
+  - [`release_commits`](#the-release_commits-field) - Customize which commits trigger a release.
   - [`repo_url`](#the-repo_url-field) — Repository URL.
   - [`semver_check`](#the-semver_check-field) — Run [cargo-semver-checks].
 - [`[[package]]`](#the-package-section) — Package-specific configurations.
@@ -332,6 +334,25 @@ Example:
 release = false
 ```
 
+#### The `release_commits` field
+
+In `release-plz update` and `release-plz release-pr`, `release-plz` bumps the version and updates the changelog
+of the package only if at least one of the commits matches the `release_commits` regex.
+
+You can use this if you think it is too noisy to raise PRs on every commit.
+
+Examples:
+
+- With `release_commits = "^feat:"`, release-plz will update the package only if there's a new feature.
+- With `release_commits = "^(feat:|docs:)"`, release-plz will update the package only if there's a new feature or a documentation change.
+
+By default, release-plz updates the package on every commit.
+
+:::warning
+The filtered commits are still included in the changelog.
+To exclude certain commits from the changelog, use the [commit_parsers](#the-commit_parsers-field) field.
+:::
+
 #### The `repo_url` field
 
 GitHub/Gitea repository URL where your project is hosted.