diff --git a/components/git/release.js b/components/git/release.js
index 79609f3c..7d092012 100644
--- a/components/git/release.js
+++ b/components/git/release.js
@@ -85,29 +85,6 @@ async function main(state, argv, cli, dir) {
       }
     }
 
-    // Check the branch diff to determine if the releaser
-    // wants to backport any more commits before proceeding.
-    cli.startSpinner('Fetching branch-diff');
-    const raw = prep.getBranchDiff({ onlyNotableChanges: false });
-    const diff = raw.split('*');
-    cli.stopSpinner('Got branch diff');
-
-    const outstandingCommits = diff.length - 1;
-    if (outstandingCommits !== 0) {
-      const staging = `v${semver.major(prep.newVersion)}.x-staging`;
-      const proceed = await cli.prompt(
-        `There are ${outstandingCommits} commits that may be ` +
-        `backported to ${staging} - do you still want to proceed?`,
-        { defaultAnswer: false });
-
-      if (!proceed) {
-        const seeDiff = await cli.prompt(
-          'Do you want to see the branch diff?');
-        if (seeDiff) cli.log(raw);
-        return;
-      }
-    }
-
     return prep.prepare();
   } else if (state === PROMOTE) {
     // TODO(codebytere): implement release promotion.
diff --git a/lib/prepare_release.js b/lib/prepare_release.js
index 8be7bc2a..98d0b13a 100644
--- a/lib/prepare_release.js
+++ b/lib/prepare_release.js
@@ -55,6 +55,33 @@ class ReleasePreparation {
   async prepare() {
     const { cli, newVersion, versionComponents } = this;
 
+    // Check the branch diff to determine if the releaser
+    // wants to backport any more commits before proceeding.
+    cli.startSpinner('Fetching branch-diff');
+    const raw = this.getBranchDiff({
+      onlyNotableChanges: false,
+      comparisonBranch: newVersion
+    });
+
+    const diff = raw.split('*');
+    cli.stopSpinner('Got branch diff');
+
+    const outstandingCommits = diff.length - 1;
+    if (outstandingCommits !== 0) {
+      const staging = `v${semver.major(prep.newVersion)}.x-staging`;
+      const proceed = await cli.prompt(
+        `There are ${outstandingCommits} commits that may be ` +
+        `backported to ${staging} - do you still want to proceed?`,
+        { defaultAnswer: false });
+
+      if (!proceed) {
+        const seeDiff = await cli.prompt(
+          'Do you want to see the branch diff?');
+        if (seeDiff) cli.log(raw);
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+
     // Create new proposal branch.
     cli.startSpinner(`Creating new proposal branch for ${newVersion}`);
     await this.createProposalBranch();