diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index e65c1e8..c8a98c5 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@jno21/semantic-release-github-commit",
-  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "version": "1.0.1-beta.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@jno21/semantic-release-github-commit",
-      "version": "1.0.0",
+      "version": "1.0.1-beta.1",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@octokit/rest": "^22.0.0",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3725c98..c148681 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@jno21/semantic-release-github-commit",
-  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "version": "1.0.1-beta.1",
   "description": "Semantic-release plugin to commit files to GitHub using the REST API",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
   "types": "dist/index.d.ts",
diff --git a/src/prepare.ts b/src/prepare.ts
index c467bf2..b4168e9 100644
--- a/src/prepare.ts
+++ b/src/prepare.ts
@@ -101,7 +101,8 @@ export async function prepare(
     commitMessage = commitMessage
       .replace(/\$\{nextRelease\.version\}/g, nextRelease.version)
       .replace(/\$\{nextRelease\.gitTag\}/g, nextRelease.gitTag)
-      .replace(/\$\{nextRelease\.gitHead\}/g, nextRelease.gitHead);
+      .replace(/\$\{nextRelease\.gitHead\}/g, nextRelease.gitHead)
+      .replace(/\$\{nextRelease\.notes\}/g, nextRelease.notes);
   } else if (!nextRelease) {
     // Fallback if no nextRelease context
     commitMessage = commitMessage || "chore(release): update [skip ci]";
diff --git a/test/prepare.test.ts b/test/prepare.test.ts
index 2a90106..99d8e6b 100644
--- a/test/prepare.test.ts
+++ b/test/prepare.test.ts
@@ -261,7 +261,8 @@ describe("prepare", () => {
     const pluginConfig: PluginConfig = {
       files: ["dist/**"],
       commitMessage:
-        "release: ${nextRelease.version} tag: ${nextRelease.gitTag}",
+        `release: \${nextRelease.version} tag: \${nextRelease.gitTag}
+head: \${nextRelease.gitHead} notes: \${nextRelease.notes}`,
     };
     const context = createMockContext({
       nextRelease: {
@@ -285,7 +286,8 @@ describe("prepare", () => {
 
     expect(mockGitHubClient.createCommit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       expect.any(Object),
-      "release: 1.2.3 tag: v1.2.3",
+      `release: 1.2.3 tag: v1.2.3
+head: abc123 notes: Release notes`,
       expect.any(String),
       expect.any(Array),
       undefined,