diff --git a/lib/workers/pr/index.ts b/lib/workers/pr/index.ts
index 9ccac90650d8fb84b915ce3df505cfa5db114d00..57c88265612cf9bcd408ba95d73362085d3d9f87 100644
--- a/lib/workers/pr/index.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/pr/index.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ function noLeadingAtSymbol(input: string): string {
   return input.length && input.startsWith('@') ? input.slice(1) : input;
 }
 
-async function addAssigneesReviewers(config, pr: Pr): Promise<void> {
+export async function addAssigneesReviewers(config, pr: Pr): Promise<void> {
   if (config.assignees.length > 0) {
     try {
       let assignees = config.assignees.map(noLeadingAtSymbol);
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/pr/index.ts b/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/pr/index.ts
index 86004ab715917680f80f92093f9a41000cab7616..7f6ea08ee76fd64c7c2a6d2afe03b6725f5384c5 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/pr/index.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/pr/index.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { getPrList } from './pr-list';
 import { emojify } from '../../../../util/emoji';
 import { RenovateConfig } from '../../../../config';
 import { PackageFile } from '../../../../manager/common';
+import { addAssigneesReviewers } from '../../../pr';
 import { BranchConfig } from '../../../common';
 
 export async function ensureOnboardingPr(
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ If you need any further assistance then you can also [request help here](${confi
         useDefaultBranch,
       });
       logger.info({ pr: pr.displayNumber }, 'Onboarding PR created');
+      await addAssigneesReviewers(config, pr);
     }
   } catch (err) /* istanbul ignore next */ {
     if (