diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 90ac1e0998..907fe97622 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -106,28 +106,23 @@ jobs:
           # $CHANGE_TOKEN is generated via the GitHub web UI, and then securely stored within CircleCI web UI
           command: |
             mkdir ~/changelog_build
-            git status
-            if (git log -1 --pretty=%s | grep Merge*) && (! git log -1 --pretty=%b | grep REL:) ; then
-              github_changelog_generator \
-                --exclude-tags-regex "^(?!v).*?$" \
-                --user bids-standard \
-                --project bids-specification \
-                --token ${CHANGE_TOKEN} \
-                --output ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md \
-                --base ~/project/src/pregh-changes.md \
-                --header-label "# Changelog" \
-                --release-branch master \
-                --no-issues \
-                --no-filter-by-milestone \
-                --no-compare-link \
-                --pr-label "" \
-                --enhancement-label "" \
-                --bugs-label "" \
-                --exclude-labels "exclude-from-changelog"
-              cat ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
-            else
-              echo "Commit or Release, do nothing"
-            fi
+            github_changelog_generator \
+              --exclude-tags-regex "^(?!v).*?$" \
+              --user bids-standard \
+              --project bids-specification \
+              --token ${CHANGE_TOKEN} \
+              --output ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md \
+              --base ~/project/src/pregh-changes.md \
+              --header-label "# Changelog" \
+              --release-branch master \
+              --no-issues \
+              --no-filter-by-milestone \
+              --no-compare-link \
+              --pr-label "" \
+              --enhancement-label "" \
+              --bugs-label "" \
+              --exclude-labels "exclude-from-changelog"
+            cat ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
       - persist_to_workspace:
           # raw generated changelog in ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
           root: ~/.
@@ -151,24 +146,19 @@ jobs:
           name: remark on autogenerated CHANGES.md
           # format changelog, then use sed to change * to -, then lint changelog
           command: |
-            git status
-            if (git log -1 --pretty=%s | grep Merge*) && (! git log -1 --pretty=%b | grep REL:) ; then
-              head -n 100 ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
-              npx remark-cli ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md --rc-path ~/project/.remarkrc --output ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
-              head -n 100 ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
-              sed -i 's/*   /-   /' ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
-              head -n 100 ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
-              npx remark-cli ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md --frail --rc-path ~/project/.remarkrc
-            else
-              echo "Commit or Release, do nothing"
-            fi
+            head -n 100 ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
+            npx remark-cli ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md --rc-path ~/project/.remarkrc --output ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
+            head -n 100 ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
+            sed -i 's/*   /-   /' ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
+            head -n 100 ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
+            npx remark-cli ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md --frail --rc-path ~/project/.remarkrc
       - persist_to_workspace:
           # linted and fixed changelog in ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
           root: ~/.
           paths:
             - changelog_build
 
-  # Push built changelog to repo
+  # Push built changelog to repo (only if if last commit was a "Merge commit" on master)
   commit_generated_changelog:
     docker:
       - image: cimg/base:stable
@@ -194,7 +184,7 @@ jobs:
               git commit -m "[DOC] Auto-generate changelog entry for PR ${PR_number}"
               git push https://${CHANGE_TOKEN}@github.com/bids-standard/bids-specification.git master
             else
-              echo "Commit or Release, do nothing"
+              echo "Did not detect a "Merge commit" to master, or detected a Release ... doing nothing."
             fi
 
 workflows: