diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index 0554d624a..12e7af1c4 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ package client
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"os"
-	"os/exec"
 
 	"github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser/context"
 )
@@ -19,17 +18,7 @@ type Info struct {
 // Client interface
 type Client interface {
 	GetInfo(ctx *context.Context) (info Info, err error)
-	CreateRelease(ctx *context.Context) (releaseID int, err error)
+	CreateRelease(ctx *context.Context, body string) (releaseID int, err error)
 	CreateFile(ctx *context.Context, content bytes.Buffer, path string) (err error)
 	Upload(ctx *context.Context, releaseID int, name string, file *os.File) (err error)
 }
-
-func describeRelease(diff string) string {
-	result := "## Changelog\n" + diff + "\n\n--\nAutomated with @goreleaser"
-	cmd := exec.Command("go", "version")
-	bts, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
-	if err != nil {
-		return result
-	}
-	return result + "\nBuilt with " + string(bts)
-}
diff --git a/client/client_test.go b/client/client_test.go
index 102834726..47cd800bd 100644
--- a/client/client_test.go
+++ b/client/client_test.go
@@ -1,15 +1,10 @@
 package client
 
-import (
-	"testing"
-
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-)
-
-func TestDescription(t *testing.T) {
-	assert := assert.New(t)
-	desc := describeRelease("0abf342 some message")
-	assert.Contains(desc, "0abf342 some message")
-	assert.Contains(desc, "Automated with @goreleaser")
-	assert.Contains(desc, "go version go1.")
-}
+// TODO fix this
+// func TestDescription(t *testing.T) {
+// 	assert := assert.New(t)
+// 	desc := describeRelease("0abf342 some message")
+// 	assert.Contains(desc, "0abf342 some message")
+// 	assert.Contains(desc, "Automated with @goreleaser")
+// 	assert.Contains(desc, "go version go1.")
+// }
diff --git a/client/github.go b/client/github.go
index ce90260e1..5829becf4 100644
--- a/client/github.go
+++ b/client/github.go
@@ -88,11 +88,11 @@ func (c *githubClient) GetInfo(ctx *context.Context) (info Info, err error) {
 	return
 }
 
-func (c *githubClient) CreateRelease(ctx *context.Context) (releaseID int, err error) {
+func (c *githubClient) CreateRelease(ctx *context.Context, body string) (releaseID int, err error) {
 	data := &github.RepositoryRelease{
 		Name:    github.String(ctx.Git.CurrentTag),
 		TagName: github.String(ctx.Git.CurrentTag),
-		Body:    github.String(describeRelease(ctx.Git.Diff)),
+		Body:    github.String(body),
 	}
 	r, _, err := c.client.Repositories.GetReleaseByTag(
 		ctx,
diff --git a/context/context.go b/context/context.go
index 91be7f2c8..079aa76b0 100644
--- a/context/context.go
+++ b/context/context.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import (
 type GitInfo struct {
 	CurrentTag  string
 	PreviousTag string
-	Diff        string
 	Commit      string
 }
 
@@ -31,6 +30,7 @@ type Context struct {
 	Git       GitInfo
 	Archives  map[string]string
 	Artifacts []string
+	Changelog string
 	Version   string
 	Validate  bool
 	Publish   bool
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 04b7ff854..c110e2efa 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
 	"os"
 
@@ -52,6 +53,10 @@ func main() {
 			Usage: "Load configuration from `FILE`",
 			Value: "goreleaser.yml",
 		},
+		cli.StringFlag{
+			Name:  "release-notes",
+			Usage: "Define a file with custom release notes to be used instead of the git log between tags",
+		},
 		cli.BoolFlag{
 			Name:  "skip-validate",
 			Usage: "Skip all the validations against the release",
@@ -63,6 +68,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 	app.Action = func(c *cli.Context) (err error) {
 		var file = c.String("config")
+		var notes = c.String("release-notes")
 		cfg, err := config.Load(file)
 		if err != nil {
 			// Allow file not found errors if config file was not
@@ -75,6 +81,13 @@ func main() {
 		var ctx = context.New(cfg)
 		ctx.Validate = !c.Bool("skip-validate")
 		ctx.Publish = !c.Bool("skip-publish")
+		if notes != "" {
+			bts, err := ioutil.ReadFile(notes)
+			if err != nil {
+				return cli.NewExitError(err.Error(), 1)
+			}
+			ctx.Changelog = string(bts)
+		}
 		for _, pipe := range pipes {
 			log.Println(pipe.Description())
 			log.SetPrefix(" -> ")
diff --git a/pipeline/git/git.go b/pipeline/git/git.go
index 0255846e5..d07feef3c 100644
--- a/pipeline/git/git.go
+++ b/pipeline/git/git.go
@@ -47,16 +47,22 @@ func (Pipe) Description() string {
 
 // Run the pipe
 func (Pipe) Run(ctx *context.Context) (err error) {
-	tag, prev, commit, log, err := getInfo()
+	tag, prev, commit, err := getInfo()
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 	ctx.Git = context.GitInfo{
 		CurrentTag:  tag,
 		PreviousTag: prev,
-		Diff:        log,
 		Commit:      commit,
 	}
+	if ctx.Changelog == "" {
+		log, err := git("log", "--pretty=oneline", "--abbrev-commit", prev+".."+tag)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		ctx.Changelog = log
+	}
 	// removes usual `v` prefix
 	ctx.Version = strings.TrimPrefix(tag, "v")
 	if !ctx.Validate {
@@ -81,7 +87,7 @@ func validate(commit, tag, version string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func getInfo() (tag, prev, commit, log string, err error) {
+func getInfo() (tag, prev, commit string, err error) {
 	tag, err = cleanGit("describe", "--tags", "--abbrev=0", "--always")
 	if err != nil {
 		return
@@ -90,10 +96,6 @@ func getInfo() (tag, prev, commit, log string, err error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
-	log, err = git("log", "--pretty=oneline", "--abbrev-commit", prev+".."+tag)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
 	commit, err = cleanGit("show", "--format='%H'", "HEAD")
 	return
 }
diff --git a/pipeline/release/body.go b/pipeline/release/body.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3a8d4da0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pipeline/release/body.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package release
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"html/template"
+	"os/exec"
+
+	"github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser/context"
+)
+
+const bodyTemplate = `## Changelog
+
+{{ .Changelog }}
+
+---
+Automated with @goreleaser
+Built with {{ .GoVersion }}
+`
+
+func buildBody(ctx *context.Context) (bytes.Buffer, error) {
+	var out bytes.Buffer
+	bts, err := exec.Command("go", "version").CombinedOutput()
+	if err != nil {
+		return out, err
+	}
+	var template = template.Must(template.New("release").Parse(bodyTemplate))
+	err = template.Execute(&out, struct {
+		Changelog, GoVersion string
+	}{
+		Changelog: ctx.Changelog,
+		GoVersion: string(bts),
+	})
+	return out, err
+}
diff --git a/pipeline/release/body_test.go b/pipeline/release/body_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2cdea8523
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pipeline/release/body_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package release
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser/context"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestBody(t *testing.T) {
+	var assert = assert.New(t)
+	var changelog = "\nfeature1: description\nfeature2: other description"
+	var ctx = &context.Context{
+		Changelog: changelog,
+	}
+	out, err := buildBody(ctx)
+	assert.NoError(err)
+	assert.Contains(out.String(), "## Changelog")
+	assert.Contains(out.String(), changelog)
+	assert.Contains(out.String(), "Automated with @goreleaser")
+	assert.Contains(out.String(), "Built with go version go1.8")
+}
+
+func TestGoVersionFails(t *testing.T) {
+	var assert = assert.New(t)
+	var path = os.Getenv("PATH")
+	defer func() {
+		assert.NoError(os.Setenv("PATH", path))
+	}()
+	os.Setenv("PATH", "")
+	var ctx = &context.Context{
+		Changelog: "changelog",
+	}
+	_, err := buildBody(ctx)
+	assert.Error(err)
+}
diff --git a/pipeline/release/release.go b/pipeline/release/release.go
index 09e407699..b04ae420e 100644
--- a/pipeline/release/release.go
+++ b/pipeline/release/release.go
@@ -30,7 +30,11 @@ func doRun(ctx *context.Context, client client.Client) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 	log.Println("Creating or updating release", ctx.Git.CurrentTag, "on", ctx.Config.Release.GitHub.String())
-	releaseID, err := client.CreateRelease(ctx)
+	body, err := buildBody(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	releaseID, err := client.CreateRelease(ctx, body.String())
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/pipeline/release/release_test.go b/pipeline/release/release_test.go
index 771deeb5b..4d9adb901 100644
--- a/pipeline/release/release_test.go
+++ b/pipeline/release/release_test.go
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func (client *DummyClient) GetInfo(ctx *context.Context) (info client.Info, err
 	return
 }
 
-func (client *DummyClient) CreateRelease(ctx *context.Context) (releaseID int, err error) {
+func (client *DummyClient) CreateRelease(ctx *context.Context, body string) (releaseID int, err error) {
 	if client.FailToCreateRelease {
 		return 0, errors.New("release failed")
 	}