diff --git a/docs/usage/configuration-options.md b/docs/usage/configuration-options.md
index b82cf05f174de7..aaf2fd8b912372 100644
--- a/docs/usage/configuration-options.md
+++ b/docs/usage/configuration-options.md
@@ -1517,7 +1517,6 @@ For example to apply a special label for Major updates:
 ## patch
 
 Add to this object if you wish to define rules that apply only to patch updates.
-Only applies if `separateMinorPatch` is set to true.
 
 ## php
 
diff --git a/docs/usage/faq.md b/docs/usage/faq.md
index bcf253b27896bf..5c71756c2c5e31 100644
--- a/docs/usage/faq.md
+++ b/docs/usage/faq.md
@@ -208,10 +208,7 @@ To learn more read the section below.
 
 You can see in the example above that Renovate won't normally open a PR for the `snorgleborf` patch release.
 
-There are 2 ways to tell Renovate to open a separate PR for the patch release:
-
-- Set `separateMinorPatch` to `true`
-- Set `automerge` to the value: `"patch"`
+You can tell Renovate to open a separate PR for the patch release by setting `separateMinorPatch` to `true`.
 
 In both cases, Renovate will open 3 PRs:
 
diff --git a/lib/config/definitions.ts b/lib/config/definitions.ts
index 92b85aadaf02af..7ba77d22b16033 100644
--- a/lib/config/definitions.ts
+++ b/lib/config/definitions.ts
@@ -1077,8 +1077,7 @@ const options: RenovateOptions[] = [
   },
   {
     name: 'patch',
-    description:
-      'Configuration to apply when an update type is patch. Only applies if `separateMinorPatch` is set to true.',
+    description: 'Configuration to apply when an update type is patch.',
     stage: 'package',
     type: 'object',
     default: {},
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/process/lookup/__snapshots__/index.spec.ts.snap b/lib/workers/repository/process/lookup/__snapshots__/index.spec.ts.snap
index 35d60b78c71ea5..871c729a8f4b3a 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/process/lookup/__snapshots__/index.spec.ts.snap
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/process/lookup/__snapshots__/index.spec.ts.snap
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ Array [
     "newValue": "==0.9.7",
     "newVersion": "0.9.7",
     "releaseTimestamp": "2013-09-04T17:07:22.948Z",
-    "updateType": "minor",
+    "updateType": "patch",
   },
   Object {
     "bucket": "major",
@@ -446,30 +446,7 @@ Array [
     "newValue": "0.9.7",
     "newVersion": "0.9.7",
     "releaseTimestamp": "2013-09-04T17:07:22.948Z",
-    "updateType": "minor",
-  },
-  Object {
-    "bucket": "major",
-    "newMajor": 1,
-    "newMinor": 4,
-    "newValue": "1.4.1",
-    "newVersion": "1.4.1",
-    "releaseTimestamp": "2015-05-17T04:25:07.299Z",
-    "updateType": "major",
-  },
-]
-`;
-
-exports[`workers/repository/process/lookup/index .lookupUpdates() returns minor update if separate patches not configured 1`] = `
-Array [
-  Object {
-    "bucket": "non-major",
-    "newMajor": 0,
-    "newMinor": 9,
-    "newValue": "0.9.7",
-    "newVersion": "0.9.7",
-    "releaseTimestamp": "2013-09-04T17:07:22.948Z",
-    "updateType": "minor",
+    "updateType": "patch",
   },
   Object {
     "bucket": "major",
@@ -552,6 +529,29 @@ Array [
 ]
 `;
 
+exports[`workers/repository/process/lookup/index .lookupUpdates() returns patch update even if separate patches not configured 1`] = `
+Array [
+  Object {
+    "bucket": "non-major",
+    "newMajor": 0,
+    "newMinor": 9,
+    "newValue": "0.9.7",
+    "newVersion": "0.9.7",
+    "releaseTimestamp": "2013-09-04T17:07:22.948Z",
+    "updateType": "patch",
+  },
+  Object {
+    "bucket": "major",
+    "newMajor": 1,
+    "newMinor": 4,
+    "newValue": "1.4.1",
+    "newVersion": "1.4.1",
+    "releaseTimestamp": "2015-05-17T04:25:07.299Z",
+    "updateType": "major",
+  },
+]
+`;
+
 exports[`workers/repository/process/lookup/index .lookupUpdates() returns patch update if separateMinorPatch 1`] = `
 Array [
   Object {
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ Array [
     "newValue": "3.1.0-dev.20180813",
     "newVersion": "3.1.0-dev.20180813",
     "releaseTimestamp": "2018-08-13T19:05:14.347Z",
-    "updateType": "minor",
+    "updateType": "patch",
   },
 ]
 `;
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@ Array [
     "newValue": "2.5.17-beta.0",
     "newVersion": "2.5.17-beta.0",
     "releaseTimestamp": "2018-03-23T23:29:13.819Z",
-    "updateType": "minor",
+    "updateType": "patch",
   },
 ]
 `;
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ Array [
     "newValue": "3.0.1-insiders.20180726",
     "newVersion": "3.0.1-insiders.20180726",
     "releaseTimestamp": "2018-07-26T18:20:51.679Z",
-    "updateType": "minor",
+    "updateType": "patch",
   },
 ]
 `;
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@ Array [
     "newValue": "3.0.1-insiders.20180726",
     "newVersion": "3.0.1-insiders.20180726",
     "releaseTimestamp": "2018-07-26T18:20:51.679Z",
-    "updateType": "minor",
+    "updateType": "patch",
   },
 ]
 `;
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@ Array [
     "newValue": "3.0.1",
     "newVersion": "3.0.1",
     "releaseTimestamp": "2018-07-30T16:21:13.150Z",
-    "updateType": "minor",
+    "updateType": "patch",
   },
 ]
 `;
@@ -723,7 +723,7 @@ Array [
     "newValue": "^0.0.35",
     "newVersion": "0.0.35",
     "releaseTimestamp": "2017-04-27T16:59:06.479Z",
-    "updateType": "minor",
+    "updateType": "patch",
   },
 ]
 `;
@@ -1503,7 +1503,7 @@ Array [
     "newValue": "1.0.1",
     "newVersion": "1.0.1",
     "releaseTimestamp": "2014-03-11T18:47:17.560Z",
-    "updateType": "minor",
+    "updateType": "patch",
   },
 ]
 `;
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/process/lookup/index.spec.ts b/lib/workers/repository/process/lookup/index.spec.ts
index 93413f8a63acdb..1edb6aa299597f 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/process/lookup/index.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/process/lookup/index.spec.ts
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ describe(getName(__filename), () => {
         Error(CONFIG_VALIDATION)
       );
     });
-    it('returns minor update if separate patches not configured', async () => {
+    it('returns patch update even if separate patches not configured', async () => {
       config.currentValue = '0.9.0';
       config.rangeStrategy = 'pin';
       config.depName = 'q';
@@ -195,8 +195,8 @@ describe(getName(__filename), () => {
       const res = await lookup.lookupUpdates(config);
       expect(res.updates).toMatchSnapshot();
       expect(res.updates).toHaveLength(2);
-      expect(res.updates[0].updateType).not.toEqual('patch');
-      expect(res.updates[1].updateType).not.toEqual('patch');
+      expect(res.updates[0].updateType).toEqual('patch');
+      expect(res.updates[1].updateType).toEqual('major');
     });
     it('returns minor update if automerging both patch and minor', async () => {
       config.patch = {
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ describe(getName(__filename), () => {
       nock('https://registry.npmjs.org').get('/q').reply(200, qJson);
       const res = await lookup.lookupUpdates(config);
       expect(res.updates).toMatchSnapshot();
-      expect(res.updates[0].updateType).toEqual('minor');
+      expect(res.updates[0].updateType).toEqual('patch');
     });
     it('returns patch update if separateMinorPatch', async () => {
       config.separateMinorPatch = true;
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/process/lookup/update-type.ts b/lib/workers/repository/process/lookup/update-type.ts
index 956d7b310a88ed..90768a16d11d3f 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/process/lookup/update-type.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/process/lookup/update-type.ts
@@ -19,8 +19,5 @@ export function getUpdateType(
   if (versioning.getMinor(newVersion) > versioning.getMinor(currentVersion)) {
     return 'minor';
   }
-  if (config.separateMinorPatch) {
-    return 'patch';
-  }
-  return 'minor';
+  return 'patch';
 }