diff --git a/lib/pr_checker.js b/lib/pr_checker.js
index e48170ac..d722b607 100644
--- a/lib/pr_checker.js
+++ b/lib/pr_checker.js
@@ -128,20 +128,26 @@ export default class PRChecker {
     }
   }
 
-  checkReviewsAndWait(now, checkComments) {
+  checkReviewsAndWait(now, checkComments, isReleaseProposal) {
     const {
       pr, cli, reviewers
     } = this;
     const { requestedChanges, approved } = reviewers;
+
+    const dateStr = new Date(pr.createdAt).toUTCString();
+    cli.info(`This PR was created on ${dateStr}`);
+    this.displayReviews(checkComments);
+
+    if (isReleaseProposal) {
+      cli.info('This PR is a release proposal');
+      return approved.length !== 0;
+    }
+
     const labels = pr.labels.nodes.map((l) => l.name);
 
     let isFastTracked = labels.includes('fast-track');
     const isCodeAndLearn = labels.includes('code-and-learn');
     const isSemverMajor = labels.includes('semver-major');
-
-    const dateStr = new Date(pr.createdAt).toUTCString();
-    cli.info(`This PR was created on ${dateStr}`);
-    this.displayReviews(checkComments);
     // NOTE: a semver-major PR with fast-track should have either one of
     // these labels removed because that doesn't make sense
     if (isFastTracked) {
diff --git a/lib/promote_release.js b/lib/promote_release.js
index bdddacbb..090cc521 100644
--- a/lib/promote_release.js
+++ b/lib/promote_release.js
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ export default class ReleasePromotion extends Session {
     const checker = new PRChecker(cli, data, { prid, owner, repo }, { maxCommits: 0 });
     const jenkinsReady = checker.checkJenkinsCI();
     const githubCIReady = checker.checkGitHubCI();
-    const isApproved = checker.checkReviewsAndWait(new Date(), false);
+    const isApproved = checker.checkReviewsAndWait(new Date(), false, true);
 
     return {
       githubCIReady,