diff --git a/scripts/performRelease/index.ts b/scripts/performRelease/index.ts
index b4051154a..8bf14b5b8 100644
--- a/scripts/performRelease/index.ts
+++ b/scripts/performRelease/index.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ async function performRelease() {
     commitsSinceTag.map(commit => commit.sha),
   );
 
-  const isPrelease = await performLernaRelease(prsSinceLastTag);
+  const isPreRelease = await performLernaRelease(prsSinceLastTag);
 
   const newTagsRequest = await fetchTags(client);
   const newTag = newTagsRequest.data[0];
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ async function performRelease() {
     process.exit(0);
   }
 
-  // update changelog
-  if (!isPrelease) {
+  // update changelog only for non-pre-releases
+  if (!isPreRelease) {
     await updateChangelog(prsSinceLastTag, newTag.name);
   }
 
diff --git a/scripts/performRelease/performLernaRelease.ts b/scripts/performRelease/performLernaRelease.ts
index 77d741c6d..114188d5f 100644
--- a/scripts/performRelease/performLernaRelease.ts
+++ b/scripts/performRelease/performLernaRelease.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ export default async function performLernaRelease(prsSinceLastTag: PR[]) {
 
   // run lerna based on the type of release
   const isPreRelease = releasePRsSinceLastTag.some(pr =>
+    // note that this logic requires that all alpha tags be removed from PRs
+    // in order to trigger a non-alpha release. git keeps tag history so
+    // preserving context should not be an issue
     pr.labels.some(label => label.name === ALPHA_RELEASE),
   );
   const isMinor = releasePRsSinceLastTag.some(pr =>