diff --git a/roles/copy-release-tools-scripts/files/release-tools/add_release_note_page.sh b/roles/copy-release-tools-scripts/files/release-tools/add_release_note_page.sh
index 0f3650daba..f515c0e68f 100755
--- a/roles/copy-release-tools-scripts/files/release-tools/add_release_note_page.sh
+++ b/roles/copy-release-tools-scripts/files/release-tools/add_release_note_page.sh
@@ -36,7 +36,17 @@ cd $REPO
 
 NEW_BRANCH="stable/$SERIES"
 
-commit_msg="Update reno for $NEW_BRANCH"
+commit_msg="Update master for $NEW_BRANCH
+
+Add file to the reno documentation build to show release notes for
+$NEW_BRANCH.
+
+Use pbr instruction to increment the minor version number
+automatically so that master versions are higher than the versions on
+$NEW_BRANCH.
+
+Sem-Ver: feature
+"
 titlebranch=$(python -c "print('$SERIES'.title())")
 cat - > releasenotes/source/${SERIES}.rst <<EOF
 ===================================
diff --git a/roles/copy-release-tools-scripts/files/release-tools/make_branch.sh b/roles/copy-release-tools-scripts/files/release-tools/make_branch.sh
index a1880d97f7..c141a62dd3 100755
--- a/roles/copy-release-tools-scripts/files/release-tools/make_branch.sh
+++ b/roles/copy-release-tools-scripts/files/release-tools/make_branch.sh
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ if [[ $NEW_BRANCH =~ stable/ ]]; then
     series=$(echo $NEW_BRANCH | cut -f2 -d/)
     if [[ -d releasenotes/source ]]; then
         # Also update the reno settings, in master, to add the new
-        # series page.
-        echo "Updating reno"
+        # series page and bump the SemVer value for feature work.
+        echo "Updating reno and semver"
         git checkout master
         $TOOLSDIR/add_release_note_page.sh $series .
     else