diff --git a/lib/steps/changelog.js b/lib/steps/changelog.js
index a723197..6054b0c 100644
--- a/lib/steps/changelog.js
+++ b/lib/steps/changelog.js
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ function addPullRequestCommits(pkg, commits, pr) {
       href: info.user.html_url,
     };
     pr.href = info.html_url;
-    pr.title = info.title;
+    pr.title = info.title || info.header;
     var shas = pr.shas = _.map(prCommits, 'sha');
     pr.commits = commits.filter(function isPartOfPR(commit) {
       return shas.indexOf(commit.sha) !== -1;
@@ -134,9 +134,13 @@ function generateChangeLog(cwd, pkg, options) {
   }
 
   function formatCommit(commit) {
-    return getCommitLink(commit) +
-      ' **' + commit.type + ':** ' +
-      commit.subject +
+    var subject;
+    if (commit.type) {
+      subject = '**' + commit.type + ':** ' + commit.subject;
+    } else {
+      subject = commit.header;
+    }
+    return getCommitLink(commit) + ' ' + subject +
       formatReferences(commit.references);
   }
 
diff --git a/test/steps/changelog.test.js b/test/steps/changelog.test.js
index 9f40044..ab46537 100644
--- a/test/steps/changelog.test.js
+++ b/test/steps/changelog.test.js
@@ -289,8 +289,13 @@ describe('generateChangeLog', function () {
         pullId: '2',
       },
     ];
+    var sloppyCommits = commits.map(function (commit) {
+      if (commit.type === 'pr') return commit;
+      return { sha: commit.sha, header: commit.subject };
+    });
     var options = { commits: commits };
     var changelog = null;
+    var sloppyChangelog = null;
 
     before('generateChangeLog', function () {
       return generateChangeLog(null, pkg, options)
@@ -299,14 +304,26 @@ describe('generateChangeLog', function () {
         });
     });
 
+    before('generateSloppyChangeLog', function () {
+      return generateChangeLog(null, pkg, { commits: sloppyCommits })
+        .then(function (_changelog) {
+          sloppyChangelog = _changelog;
+        });
+    });
+
     it('calls out to github to get PR info', function () {
-      assert.equal(2, httpCalls.length);
+      assert.equal(4, httpCalls.length);
     });
 
     it('ignores the PR', function () {
       assert.notInclude('* PR #2 Title', changelog);
       assert.include('* [`1234567`]', changelog);
     });
+
+    it('handles poorly formatted commit messages too', function () {
+      assert.include(') Stop doing the wrong thing\n', sloppyChangelog);
+      assert.include(') Do more things', sloppyChangelog);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('with a missing PR', function () {