diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/branch/index.js b/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/branch/index.js
index 48e2a260d3f9a06f4e842848a869d5f7a295a58a..88a9b1db211dbf0434acc39d439d2e0743b953ca 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/branch/index.js
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/branch/index.js
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ async function checkOnboardingBranch(config) {
     logger.info('Need to create onboarding PR');
     await createOnboardingBranch(config);
   }
-  await platform.setBaseBranch(onboardingBranch);
+  if (!config.dryRun) {
+    await platform.setBaseBranch(onboardingBranch);
+  }
   const branchList = [onboardingBranch];
   return { ...config, repoIsOnboarded, branchList };
 }