diff --git a/script/release/notes/notes.js b/script/release/notes/notes.js
index 847918eddc6..5536ae4def3 100644
--- a/script/release/notes/notes.js
+++ b/script/release/notes/notes.js
@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ class GHKey {
     this.repo = repo;
     this.number = number;
   }
+  static NewFromPull (pull) {
+    const owner = pull.base.repo.owner.login;
+    const repo = pull.base.repo.name;
+    const number = pull.number;
+    return new GHKey(owner, repo, number);
+  }
 }
 
 class Commit {
@@ -289,9 +295,33 @@ async function runRetryable (fn, maxRetries) {
   if (lastError.status !== 404) throw lastError;
 }
 
+const getPullCacheFilename = ghKey => `${ghKey.owner}-${ghKey.repo}-pull-${ghKey.number}`;
+
+const getCommitPulls = async (owner, repo, hash) => {
+  const name = `${owner}-${repo}-commit-${hash}`;
+  const retryableFunc = () => octokit.repos.listPullRequestsAssociatedWithCommit({ owner, repo, commit_sha: hash });
+  const ret = await checkCache(name, () => runRetryable(retryableFunc, MAX_FAIL_COUNT));
+
+  // only merged pulls belong in release notes
+  if (ret && ret.data) {
+    ret.data = ret.data.filter(pull => pull.merged_at);
+  }
+
+  // cache the pulls
+  if (ret && ret.data) {
+    for (const pull of ret.data) {
+      const cachefile = getPullCacheFilename(GHKey.NewFromPull(pull));
+      const payload = { ...ret, data: pull };
+      await checkCache(cachefile, () => payload);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return ret;
+};
+
 const getPullRequest = async (ghKey) => {
   const { number, owner, repo } = ghKey;
-  const name = `${owner}-${repo}-pull-${number}`;
+  const name = getPullCacheFilename(ghKey);
   const retryableFunc = () => octokit.pulls.get({ pull_number: number, owner, repo });
   return checkCache(name, () => runRetryable(retryableFunc, MAX_FAIL_COUNT));
 };
@@ -306,10 +336,20 @@ const getComments = async (ghKey) => {
 const addRepoToPool = async (pool, repo, from, to) => {
   const commonAncestor = await getCommonAncestor(repo.dir, from, to);
 
-  // add the commits
-  const oldHashes = await getLocalCommitHashes(repo.dir, from);
-  oldHashes.forEach(hash => { pool.processedHashes.add(hash); });
+  // mark the old branch's commits as old news
+  for (const oldHash of await getLocalCommitHashes(repo.dir, from)) {
+    pool.processedHashes.add(oldHash);
+  }
+
+  // get the new branch's commits and the pulls associated with them
   const commits = await getLocalCommits(repo, commonAncestor, to);
+  for (const commit of commits) {
+    const { owner, repo, hash } = commit;
+    for (const pull of (await getCommitPulls(owner, repo, hash)).data) {
+      commit.prKeys.add(GHKey.NewFromPull(pull));
+    }
+  }
+
   pool.commits.push(...commits);
 
   // add the pulls
@@ -317,8 +357,7 @@ const addRepoToPool = async (pool, repo, from, to) => {
     let prKey;
     for (prKey of commit.prKeys.values()) {
       const pull = await getPullRequest(prKey);
-      if (!pull || !pull.data) break; // couldn't get it
-      if (pool.pulls[prKey.number]) break; // already have it
+      if (!pull || !pull.data) continue; // couldn't get it
       pool.pulls[prKey.number] = pull;
       parsePullText(pull, commit);
     }