diff --git a/doc/source/user/packagers.rst b/doc/source/user/packagers.rst
index 74af8ac1..2e705b05 100644
--- a/doc/source/user/packagers.rst
+++ b/doc/source/user/packagers.rst
@@ -103,3 +103,20 @@ skipped. Similarly setting ``SKIP_WRITE_GIT_CHANGELOG``
 
 will cause logic around generating ``ChangeLog`` file using *git*
 information to be skipped.
+
+.. _packaging-releasenotes:
+
+Release Notes
+-------------
+
+*pbr* generates a release notes file, typically called ``RELEASENOTES.rst``,
+if `reno`_ is present and configured. You may wish to disable this
+functionality. If that is the case setting ``SKIP_GENERATE_RENO``
+
+::
+
+   export SKIP_GENERATE_RENO
+
+will disable this feature.
+
+.. _reno: https://docs.openstack.org/reno/latest/
diff --git a/doc/source/user/using.rst b/doc/source/user/using.rst
index 0104640c..2e58fee4 100644
--- a/doc/source/user/using.rst
+++ b/doc/source/user/using.rst
@@ -230,6 +230,13 @@ The ``pbr`` section controls *pbr*-specific options and behaviours.
   This can also be configured using the ``SKIP_GENERATE_AUTHORS`` environment
   variable, as described :ref:`here <packaging-authors-changelog>`
 
+``skip_reno``
+  If enabled, *pbr* will not generate a ``RELEASENOTES.txt`` file if `reno`_ is
+  present and configured.
+
+  This can also be configured using the ``SKIP_GENERATE_RENO`` environment
+  variable, as described :ref:`here <packaging-releasenotes>`.
+
 ``autodoc_tree_index_modules``
   A boolean option controlling whether *pbr* should generate an index of
   modules using ``sphinx-apidoc``. By default, all files except ``setup.py``
@@ -487,3 +494,4 @@ this file.
 
 .. _setuptools: http://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/stable/setuptools.html
 .. _sphinxcontrib-apidoc: https://pypi.org/project/sphinxcontrib-apidoc/
+.. _reno: https://docs.openstack.org/reno/latest/
diff --git a/pbr/packaging.py b/pbr/packaging.py
index d8d37372..77a4b226 100644
--- a/pbr/packaging.py
+++ b/pbr/packaging.py
@@ -577,6 +577,13 @@ class LocalSDist(sdist.sdist):
         if hasattr(self, '_has_reno'):
             return self._has_reno
 
+        option_dict = self.distribution.get_option_dict('pbr')
+        should_skip = options.get_boolean_option(option_dict, 'skip_reno',
+                                                 'SKIP_GENERATE_RENO')
+        if should_skip:
+            self._has_reno = False
+            return False
+
         try:
             # versions of reno witout this module will not have the required
             # feature, hence the import