diff --git a/script/release/notes/index.js b/script/release/notes/index.js
index 79d512218343..d40ed7086f86 100755
--- a/script/release/notes/index.js
+++ b/script/release/notes/index.js
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ const getPreviousPoint = async (point) => {
   }
 };
 
-async function getReleaseNotes (range, newVersion) {
+async function getReleaseNotes (range, newVersion, unique) {
   const rangeList = range.split('..') || ['HEAD'];
   const to = rangeList.pop();
   const from = rangeList.pop() || (await getPreviousPoint(to));
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ async function getReleaseNotes (range, newVersion) {
 
   const notes = await notesGenerator.get(from, to, newVersion);
   const ret = {
-    text: notesGenerator.render(notes)
+    text: notesGenerator.render(notes, unique)
   };
 
   if (notes.unknown.length) {
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ async function getReleaseNotes (range, newVersion) {
 
 async function main () {
   const opts = minimist(process.argv.slice(2), {
-    boolean: ['help'],
+    boolean: ['help', 'unique'],
     string: ['version']
   });
   opts.range = opts._.shift();
@@ -179,13 +179,14 @@ async function main () {
     console.log(`
 easy usage: ${name} version
 
-full usage: ${name} [begin..]end [--version version]
+full usage: ${name} [begin..]end [--version version] [--unique]
 
  * 'begin' and 'end' are two git references -- tags, branches, etc --
    from which the release notes are generated.
  * if omitted, 'begin' defaults to the previous tag in end's branch.
  * if omitted, 'version' defaults to 'end'. Specifying a version is
    useful if you're making notes on a new version that isn't tagged yet.
+ * '--unique' omits changes that also landed in other branches.
 
 For example, these invocations are equivalent:
   ${process.argv[1]} v4.0.1
@@ -194,7 +195,7 @@ For example, these invocations are equivalent:
     return 0;
   }
 
-  const notes = await getReleaseNotes(opts.range, opts.version);
+  const notes = await getReleaseNotes(opts.range, opts.version, opts.unique);
   console.log(notes.text);
   if (notes.warning) {
     throw new Error(notes.warning);
diff --git a/script/release/notes/notes.js b/script/release/notes/notes.js
index 08579c100991..20f72b071b77 100644
--- a/script/release/notes/notes.js
+++ b/script/release/notes/notes.js
@@ -596,10 +596,14 @@ function renderDescription (commit) {
 const renderNote = (commit, excludeBranch) =>
   `* ${renderDescription(commit)} ${renderLink(commit)} ${renderTrops(commit, excludeBranch)}\n`;
 
-const renderNotes = (notes) => {
+const renderNotes = (notes, unique = false) => {
   const rendered = [`# Release Notes for ${notes.name}\n\n`];
 
-  const renderSection = (title, commits) => {
+  const renderSection = (title, commits, unique) => {
+    if (unique) {
+      // omit changes that also landed in other branches
+      commits = commits.filter((commit) => renderTrops(commit, notes.toBranch).length === 0);
+    }
     if (commits.length > 0) {
       rendered.push(
         `## ${title}\n\n`,
@@ -608,17 +612,17 @@ const renderNotes = (notes) => {
     }
   };
 
-  renderSection('Breaking Changes', notes.breaking);
-  renderSection('Features', notes.feat);
-  renderSection('Fixes', notes.fix);
-  renderSection('Other Changes', notes.other);
+  renderSection('Breaking Changes', notes.breaking, unique);
+  renderSection('Features', notes.feat, unique);
+  renderSection('Fixes', notes.fix, unique);
+  renderSection('Other Changes', notes.other, unique);
 
   if (notes.docs.length) {
     const docs = notes.docs.map(commit => renderLink(commit)).sort();
     rendered.push('## Documentation\n\n', ` * Documentation changes: ${docs.join(', ')}\n`, '\n');
   }
 
-  renderSection('Unknown', notes.unknown);
+  renderSection('Unknown', notes.unknown, unique);
 
   return rendered.join('');
 };