diff --git a/docs/usage/templates.md b/docs/usage/templates.md
index ab46b61a3046b9..558afa3c27c869 100644
--- a/docs/usage/templates.md
+++ b/docs/usage/templates.md
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ You can recognize templates when you see strings like `{{depName}}` in configura
 Below you can find lists of fields/values that you can use in templates.
 Some are configuration options passed through, while others are generated as part of Renovate's run.
 
+`logJSON` and `releases` are only allowed in `commitBody` template.
+
 ## Exposed config options
 
 <!-- Autogenerate in https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate -->
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/changelog/index.spec.ts b/lib/workers/repository/changelog/index.spec.ts
index 27eb29da452e8d..ad2a87d84a8428 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/changelog/index.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/changelog/index.spec.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,14 @@ describe('workers/repository/changelog/index', () => {
           commitBody: '{{#if logJSON.hasReleaseNotes}}has changelog{{/if}}',
         })
       )
+    ).toBeFalse();
+    expect(
+      needsChangelogs(
+        partial<BranchUpgradeConfig>({
+          commitBody: '{{#if logJSON.hasReleaseNotes}}has changelog{{/if}}',
+        }),
+        ['commitBody']
+      )
     ).toBeTrue();
   });
 });
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/changelog/index.ts b/lib/workers/repository/changelog/index.ts
index 7bc144ad910afa..9a141dc04810b2 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/changelog/index.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/changelog/index.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ import {
 import type { BranchUpgradeConfig } from '../../types';
 import { getChangeLogJSON } from '../update/pr/changelog';
 
-async function embedChangelog(upgrade: BranchUpgradeConfig): Promise<void> {
+export async function embedChangelog(
+  upgrade: BranchUpgradeConfig
+): Promise<void> {
   // getChangeLogJSON returns null on error, so don't try again
   if (upgrade.logJSON !== undefined) {
     return;
@@ -20,8 +22,12 @@ export async function embedChangelogs(
   await pMap(branches, embedChangelog, { concurrency: 10 });
 }
 
-export function needsChangelogs(upgrade: BranchUpgradeConfig): boolean {
-  for (const field of exposedConfigOptions) {
+export function needsChangelogs(
+  upgrade: BranchUpgradeConfig,
+  fields = exposedConfigOptions.filter((o) => o !== 'commitBody')
+): boolean {
+  // commitBody is now compiled when commit is done
+  for (const field of fields) {
     // fields set by `getChangeLogJSON`
     if (containsTemplates(upgrade[field], ['logJSON', 'releases'])) {
       return true;
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.spec.ts b/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.spec.ts
index a5417289605439..0209c71efd8b69 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.spec.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ jest.mock('./automerge');
 jest.mock('./commit');
 jest.mock('../pr');
 jest.mock('../pr/automerge');
+jest.mock('../../changelog');
 jest.mock('../../../../util/exec');
 jest.mock('../../../../util/merge-confidence');
 jest.mock('../../../../util/sanitize');
@@ -656,6 +657,7 @@ describe('workers/repository/update/branch/index', () => {
           ...config,
           ignoreTests: true,
           prCreation: 'not-pending',
+          commitBody: '[skip-ci]',
         })
       ).toEqual({
         branchExists: true,
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.ts b/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.ts
index 53f1ef2cf9f1e0..465934804f65e0 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.ts
@@ -40,8 +40,10 @@ import {
   isActiveConfidenceLevel,
   satisfiesConfidenceLevel,
 } from '../../../../util/merge-confidence';
+import * as template from '../../../../util/template';
 import { Limit, isLimitReached } from '../../../global/limits';
 import { BranchConfig, BranchResult, PrBlockedBy } from '../../../types';
+// import { embedChangelog, needsChangelogs } from '../../changelog';
 import { ensurePr, getPlatformPrOptions, updatePrDebugData } from '../pr';
 import { checkAutoMerge } from '../pr/automerge';
 import { getPrBody } from '../pr/body';
@@ -483,6 +485,25 @@ export async function processBranch(
       }
     }
 
+    // compile commit message with body, which maybe needs changelogs
+    if (config.commitBody) {
+      // TODO: defer fetching changelogs (#17020)
+      // if (config.fetchReleaseNotes && needsChangelogs(config, ['commitBody'])) {
+      //   await embedChangelog(config);
+      // }
+      // changelog is on first upgrade
+      config.commitMessage = `${config.commitMessage!}\n\n${template.compile(
+        config.commitBody,
+        {
+          ...config,
+          logJSON: config.upgrades[0].logJSON,
+          releases: config.upgrades[0].releases,
+        }
+      )}`;
+
+      logger.trace(`commitMessage: ` + JSON.stringify(config.commitMessage));
+    }
+
     const commitSha = await commitFilesToBranch(config);
     // istanbul ignore if
     if (branchPr && platform.refreshPr) {
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/index.spec.ts b/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/index.spec.ts
index acb1d94c1dbd67..072bf4f1d28890 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/index.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/index.spec.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import * as _participants from './participants';
 import { ensurePr } from '.';
 
 jest.mock('../../../../util/git');
+jest.mock('../../changelog');
 
 jest.mock('../../../global/limits');
 const limits = mocked(_limits);
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/index.ts b/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/index.ts
index 6f049390f09280..8f0cd8afa0342b 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/index.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/update/pr/index.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import type {
   BranchUpgradeConfig,
   PrBlockedBy,
 } from '../../../types';
+// import { embedChangelogs } from '../../changelog';
 import { resolveBranchStatus } from '../branch/status-checks';
 import { getPrBody } from './body';
 import { ChangeLogError } from './changelog/types';
@@ -194,6 +195,12 @@ export async function ensurePr(
     }`;
   }
 
+  // TODO: defer fetching changelogs (#17020)
+  // if (config.fetchReleaseNotes) {
+  //   // fetch changelogs when not already done;
+  //   await embedChangelogs(upgrades);
+  // }
+
   // Get changelog and then generate template strings
   for (const upgrade of upgrades) {
     // TODO: types (#7154)
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/updates/__snapshots__/generate.spec.ts.snap b/lib/workers/repository/updates/__snapshots__/generate.spec.ts.snap
index 59e1f8cdc8893f..3894797ee5f01f 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/updates/__snapshots__/generate.spec.ts.snap
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/updates/__snapshots__/generate.spec.ts.snap
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
-exports[`workers/repository/updates/generate generateBranchConfig() adds commit message body 1`] = `"Update dependency some-dep to v1.2.0\\n\\n[skip-ci]"`;
-
 exports[`workers/repository/updates/generate generateBranchConfig() handles @types specially (reversed) 1`] = `
 Object {
   "addLabels": Array [],
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/updates/branchify.ts b/lib/workers/repository/updates/branchify.ts
index 21efe11b7c4741..4401fb4341640d 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/updates/branchify.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/updates/branchify.ts
@@ -73,11 +73,16 @@ export async function branchifyUpgrades(
       .reverse();
 
     if (config.fetchReleaseNotes && config.repoIsOnboarded) {
-      const branches = branchUpgrades[branchName].filter(needsChangelogs);
+      const branches = branchUpgrades[branchName].filter((upg) =>
+        needsChangelogs(upg)
+      );
       if (branches.length) {
-        logger.info(
-          { branches: branches.map((b) => b.branchName) },
-          'Fetching changelogs early'
+        logger.warn(
+          {
+            branches: branches.map((b) => b.branchName),
+            docs: 'https://docs.renovatebot.com/templates/',
+          },
+          'Fetching changelogs early is deprecated. Remove `logJSON` and `releases` from config templates. They are only allowed in `commitBody` template. See template docs for allowed templates'
         );
         await embedChangelogs(branches);
       }
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/updates/generate.spec.ts b/lib/workers/repository/updates/generate.spec.ts
index 2b98079568ca63..baecdac8acff7f 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/updates/generate.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/updates/generate.spec.ts
@@ -679,8 +679,7 @@ describe('workers/repository/updates/generate', () => {
         } as BranchUpgradeConfig,
       ];
       const res = generateBranchConfig(branch);
-      expect(res.commitMessage).toMatchSnapshot();
-      expect(res.commitMessage).toContain('\n');
+      expect(res.commitMessage).toBe('Update dependency some-dep to v1.2.0');
     });
 
     it('supports manual prTitle', () => {
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/updates/generate.ts b/lib/workers/repository/updates/generate.ts
index 080914bc5d3273..20ebc0de9d4d71 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/updates/generate.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/updates/generate.ts
@@ -223,12 +223,7 @@ export function generateBranchConfig(
       splitMessage[0] = splitMessage[0].toLowerCase();
       upgrade.commitMessage = splitMessage.join('\n');
     }
-    if (upgrade.commitBody) {
-      upgrade.commitMessage = `${upgrade.commitMessage}\n\n${template.compile(
-        upgrade.commitBody,
-        upgrade
-      )}`;
-    }
+
     logger.trace(`commitMessage: ` + JSON.stringify(upgrade.commitMessage));
     if (upgrade.prTitle) {
       upgrade.prTitle = template.compile(upgrade.prTitle, upgrade);