diff --git a/lib/plugin/GitBase.js b/lib/plugin/GitBase.js
index fd541782..291ded89 100644
--- a/lib/plugin/GitBase.js
+++ b/lib/plugin/GitBase.js
@@ -50,11 +50,24 @@ class GitBase extends Plugin {
     return !_.includes(remoteUrlOrName, '/');
   }
 
-  getRemoteUrl() {
-    const remoteNameOrUrl = this.options.pushRepo || 'origin';
+  async getRemoteUrl() {
+    const remoteNameOrUrl = this.options.pushRepo || (await this.getRemote()) || 'origin';
     return this.isRemoteName(remoteNameOrUrl)
       ? this.exec(`git config --get remote.${remoteNameOrUrl}.url`, { options }).catch(() => null)
-      : Promise.resolve(remoteNameOrUrl);
+      : remoteNameOrUrl;
+  }
+
+  async getRemote() {
+    const branchName = await this.getBranchName();
+    return branchName ? await this.getRemoteForBranch(branchName) : null;
+  }
+
+  getBranchName() {
+    return this.exec('git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD', { options }).catch(() => null);
+  }
+
+  getRemoteForBranch(branch) {
+    return this.exec(`git config --get branch.${branch}.remote`, { options }).catch(() => null);
   }
 
   fetch() {
diff --git a/lib/plugin/git/Git.js b/lib/plugin/git/Git.js
index 149f0a65..91c6c3dd 100644
--- a/lib/plugin/git/Git.js
+++ b/lib/plugin/git/Git.js
@@ -76,10 +76,6 @@ class Git extends GitBase {
     return Boolean(branch);
   }
 
-  getBranchName() {
-    return this.exec('git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD', { options }).catch(() => null);
-  }
-
   tagExists(tag) {
     return this.exec(`git show-ref --tags --quiet --verify -- refs/tags/${tag}`, { options }).then(
       () => true,
diff --git a/test/git.init.js b/test/git.init.js
index dc320cb2..1a4b3425 100644
--- a/test/git.init.js
+++ b/test/git.init.js
@@ -78,6 +78,13 @@ test.serial('should not throw if there are no tags', async t => {
   await t.notThrowsAsync(gitClient.init());
 });
 
+test.serial('should not throw if origin remote is renamed', async t => {
+  const options = { git };
+  const gitClient = factory(Git, { options });
+  sh.exec('git remote rename origin upstream');
+  await t.notThrowsAsync(gitClient.init());
+});
+
 test.serial('should get the latest tag after fetch', async t => {
   const log = new Log();
   const shell = new Shell({ container: { log } });
diff --git a/test/github.js b/test/github.js
index 7f8ce98f..50af0b6d 100644
--- a/test/github.js
+++ b/test/github.js
@@ -64,6 +64,27 @@ test('should release and upload assets', async t => {
   exec.restore();
 });
 
+test('should release to non-origin upstream', async t => {
+  const github = factory(GitHub, { options: { github: { tokenRef } } });
+  const exec = sinon.stub(github.shell, 'exec').callThrough();
+  exec.withArgs('git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD').resolves(`test`);
+  exec.withArgs('git config --get branch.test.remote').resolves(`upstream`);
+  exec.withArgs('git config --get remote.upstream.url').resolves(`https://github.example.org/user/repo`);
+  exec.withArgs('git describe --tags --abbrev=0').resolves(`1.0.0`);
+
+  const remote = { api: 'https://github.example.org/api/v3', host: 'github.example.org' };
+  interceptAuthentication(remote);
+  interceptCollaborator(remote);
+  interceptDraft(Object.assign({ body: { tag_name: '1.0.1', name: '', prerelease: false, draft: true } }, remote));
+  interceptPublish(Object.assign({ body: { draft: false, tag_name: '1.0.1' } }, remote));
+
+  await runTasks(github);
+
+  t.true(github.isReleased);
+  t.is(github.getReleaseUrl(), `https://github.example.org/user/repo/releases/tag/1.0.1`);
+  exec.restore();
+});
+
 test('should release to enterprise host', async t => {
   const github = factory(GitHub, { options: { github: { tokenRef } } });
   const exec = sinon.stub(github.shell, 'exec').callThrough();