diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/changelog/release-notes.spec.ts b/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/changelog/release-notes.spec.ts
index 1b493fca5f19f2..e073ea22662b6c 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/changelog/release-notes.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/changelog/release-notes.spec.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   getReleaseNotes,
   getReleaseNotesMd,
   releaseNotesCacheMinutes,
+  shouldSkipChangelogMd,
 } from './release-notes';
 import type {
   ChangeLogNotes,
@@ -1340,6 +1341,20 @@ describe('workers/repository/update/pr/changelog/release-notes', () => {
         });
       });
 
+      it('handles skipped packages', async () => {
+        const res = await getReleaseNotesMd(
+          {
+            ...githubProject,
+            repository: 'facebook/react-native',
+          },
+          partial<ChangeLogRelease>({
+            version: '0.72.3',
+            gitRef: '0.72.3',
+          })
+        );
+        expect(res).toBeNull();
+      });
+
       it('isUrl', () => {
         expect(versionOneNotes).not.toMatchObject(versionTwoNotes);
       });
@@ -1348,5 +1363,15 @@ describe('workers/repository/update/pr/changelog/release-notes', () => {
         expect(versionOneNotes).not.toMatchObject(versionTwoNotes);
       });
     });
+
+    describe('shouldSkipChangelogMd', () => {
+      it('should skip for flagged repository', () => {
+        expect(shouldSkipChangelogMd('facebook/react-native')).toBeTrue();
+      });
+
+      it('should continue for other repository', () => {
+        expect(shouldSkipChangelogMd('some/repo')).toBeFalse();
+      });
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/changelog/release-notes.ts b/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/changelog/release-notes.ts
index 1e3518e64a78a9..588cc1a47cd183 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/changelog/release-notes.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/changelog/release-notes.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ import type {
 const markdown = new MarkdownIt('zero');
 markdown.enable(['heading', 'lheading']);
 
+const repositoriesToSkipMdFetching = ['facebook/react-native'];
+
 export async function getReleaseList(
   project: ChangeLogProject,
   release: ChangeLogRelease
@@ -302,11 +304,11 @@ export async function getReleaseNotesMd(
   const { baseUrl, repository } = project;
   const version = release.version;
   logger.trace(`getReleaseNotesMd(${repository}, ${version})`);
-  const skippedRepos = ['facebook/react-native'];
-  // istanbul ignore if
-  if (skippedRepos.includes(repository)) {
+
+  if (shouldSkipChangelogMd(repository)) {
     return null;
   }
+
   const changelog = await getReleaseNotesMdFile(project);
   if (!changelog) {
     return null;
@@ -445,3 +447,11 @@ export async function addReleaseNotes(
   }
   return output;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Skip fetching changelog/release-notes markdown files.
+ * Will force a fallback to using GitHub release notes
+ */
+export function shouldSkipChangelogMd(repository: string): boolean {
+  return repositoriesToSkipMdFetching.includes(repository);
+}