diff --git a/cmd/krel/cmd/changelog.go b/cmd/krel/cmd/changelog.go
index 82f94c9faf1..e81a19e2460 100644
--- a/cmd/krel/cmd/changelog.go
+++ b/cmd/krel/cmd/changelog.go
@@ -524,8 +524,8 @@ func commitChanges(repo *git.Repo, branch string, tag semver.Version) error {
 			return errors.Wrapf(err, "checking out release branch %s", branch)
 		}
 
-		// Remove all other changelog files if we’re on the first RC
-		if len(tag.Pre) > 1 && tag.Pre[0].String() == "rc" && tag.Pre[1].String() == "1" {
+		// Remove all other changelog files if we’re on the the first official release
+		if tag.Patch == 0 && len(tag.Pre) == 0 {
 			pattern := filepath.Join(repoChangelogDir, "CHANGELOG-*.md")
 			logrus.Infof("Removing unnecessary %s files", pattern)
 			if err := repo.Rm(true, pattern); err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/krel/cmd/changelog_test.go b/cmd/krel/cmd/changelog_test.go
index 962897599d0..cc36ba968fc 100644
--- a/cmd/krel/cmd/changelog_test.go
+++ b/cmd/krel/cmd/changelog_test.go
@@ -144,11 +144,40 @@ func TestNewMinorRelease(t *testing.T) { // nolint: dupl
 	co := s.getChangelogOptions("v1.17.0")
 	co.branch = releaseBranch
 
+	// Prepare repo
+	changelogIter := func(callback func(string)) {
+		for i := 0; i < 6; i++ {
+			callback(filepath.Join(
+				repoChangelogDir, fmt.Sprintf("CHANGELOG-1.1%d.md", i),
+			))
+		}
+	}
+
+	require.Nil(t, s.repo.Checkout(releaseBranch))
+	changelogIter(func(filename string) {
+		require.Nil(t,
+			ioutil.WriteFile(
+				filepath.Join(s.repo.Dir(), filename),
+				[]byte("Some content"),
+				0644,
+			),
+		)
+		require.Nil(t, s.repo.Add(filename))
+	})
+	require.Nil(t, s.repo.Commit("Adding other changelog files"))
+	require.Nil(t, s.repo.Checkout(git.Master))
+
 	// When
 	require.Nil(t, newChangelog().run(co, ro))
 
 	// Then
 	// Verify local results
+	require.Nil(t, s.repo.Checkout(releaseBranch))
+	changelogIter(func(filename string) {
+		_, err := os.Stat(filename)
+		require.True(t, os.IsNotExist(err))
+	})
+
 	fileContains(t, "CHANGELOG-1.17.html", minorReleaseExpectedHTML)
 	require.Nil(t, os.RemoveAll("CHANGELOG-1.17.html"))
 	for _, x := range []struct {
@@ -188,39 +217,13 @@ func TestNewRCRelease(t *testing.T) {
 	co := s.getChangelogOptions("v1.16.0-rc.1")
 	co.branch = releaseBranch
 
-	// Prepare repo
-	changelogIter := func(callback func(string)) {
-		for i := 0; i < 6; i++ {
-			callback(filepath.Join(
-				repoChangelogDir, fmt.Sprintf("CHANGELOG-1.1%d.md", i),
-			))
-		}
-	}
-
-	require.Nil(t, s.repo.Checkout(releaseBranch))
-	changelogIter(func(filename string) {
-		require.Nil(t,
-			ioutil.WriteFile(
-				filepath.Join(s.repo.Dir(), filename),
-				[]byte("Some content"),
-				0644,
-			),
-		)
-		require.Nil(t, s.repo.Add(filename))
-	})
-	require.Nil(t, s.repo.Commit("Adding other changelog files"))
-	require.Nil(t, s.repo.Checkout(git.Master))
-
 	// When
 	require.Nil(t, newChangelog().run(co, ro))
 
 	// Then
 	// Verify local results
 	require.Nil(t, s.repo.Checkout(releaseBranch))
-	changelogIter(func(filename string) {
-		_, err := os.Stat(filename)
-		require.True(t, os.IsNotExist(err))
-	})
+
 	changelog, err := ioutil.ReadFile(
 		filepath.Join(s.repo.Dir(), repoChangelogDir, "CHANGELOG-1.16.md"),
 	)