diff --git a/lib/datasource/github-releases/__snapshots__/index.spec.ts.snap b/lib/datasource/github-releases/__snapshots__/index.spec.ts.snap
index 9eeabf0cc6cf4f9d7be65e98cb72376419eae3ee..b4544ba763a996daf23aebdcd7073233e4b03f8e 100644
--- a/lib/datasource/github-releases/__snapshots__/index.spec.ts.snap
+++ b/lib/datasource/github-releases/__snapshots__/index.spec.ts.snap
@@ -5,18 +5,22 @@ Object {
   "releases": Array [
     Object {
       "gitRef": "a",
+      "releaseTimestamp": "2020-03-09T13:00:00Z",
       "version": "a",
     },
     Object {
       "gitRef": "v",
+      "releaseTimestamp": "2020-03-09T12:00:00Z",
       "version": "v",
     },
     Object {
       "gitRef": "1.0.0",
+      "releaseTimestamp": "2020-03-09T11:00:00Z",
       "version": "1.0.0",
     },
     Object {
       "gitRef": "v1.1.0",
+      "releaseTimestamp": "2020-03-09T10:00:00Z",
       "version": "v1.1.0",
     },
   ],
diff --git a/lib/datasource/github-releases/index.spec.ts b/lib/datasource/github-releases/index.spec.ts
index 4213117cfd5ff66e50b525a927ce97e52dafaa0f..8e19d6e1c4721c0ff2eeacdcc5fe1a34decb32d9 100644
--- a/lib/datasource/github-releases/index.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/datasource/github-releases/index.spec.ts
@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@ describe('datasource/github-releases', () => {
     beforeAll(() => global.renovateCache.rmAll());
     it('returns releases', async () => {
       const body = [
-        { tag_name: 'a' },
-        { tag_name: 'v' },
-        { tag_name: '1.0.0' },
-        { tag_name: 'v1.1.0' },
+        { tag_name: 'a', published_at: '2020-03-09T13:00:00Z' },
+        { tag_name: 'v', published_at: '2020-03-09T12:00:00Z' },
+        { tag_name: '1.0.0', published_at: '2020-03-09T11:00:00Z' },
+        { tag_name: 'v1.1.0', published_at: '2020-03-09T10:00:00Z' },
       ];
       ghGot.mockReturnValueOnce({ headers: {}, body });
       const res = await github.getPkgReleases({
diff --git a/lib/datasource/github-releases/index.ts b/lib/datasource/github-releases/index.ts
index f57f0434b5c394d5f70b9c9db47bd5ce5b3de97a..02b192b992d55e44ff23e1b30e676a939eb632b0 100644
--- a/lib/datasource/github-releases/index.ts
+++ b/lib/datasource/github-releases/index.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ export const id = 'github-releases';
 
 const cacheNamespace = 'datasource-github-releases';
 
+type GithubRelease = {
+  tag_name: string;
+  published_at: string;
+};
+
 /**
  * github.getPkgReleases
  *
@@ -21,7 +26,7 @@ const cacheNamespace = 'datasource-github-releases';
 export async function getPkgReleases({
   lookupName: repo,
 }: GetReleasesConfig): Promise<ReleaseResult | null> {
-  let versions: string[];
+  let githubReleases: GithubRelease[];
   const cachedResult = await renovateCache.get<ReleaseResult>(
     cacheNamespace,
     repo
@@ -32,29 +37,25 @@ export async function getPkgReleases({
   }
   try {
     const url = `https://api.github.com/repos/${repo}/releases?per_page=100`;
-    type GitHubRelease = {
-      tag_name: string;
-    }[];
-
-    versions = (
-      await ghGot<GitHubRelease>(url, {
-        paginate: true,
-      })
-    ).body.map(o => o.tag_name);
+    const res = await ghGot<GithubRelease[]>(url, {
+      paginate: true,
+    });
+    githubReleases = res.body;
   } catch (err) /* istanbul ignore next */ {
     logger.debug({ repo, err }, 'Error retrieving from github');
   }
   // istanbul ignore if
-  if (!versions) {
+  if (!githubReleases) {
     return null;
   }
   const dependency: ReleaseResult = {
     sourceUrl: 'https://github.com/' + repo,
     releases: null,
   };
-  dependency.releases = versions.map(version => ({
-    version,
-    gitRef: version,
+  dependency.releases = githubReleases.map(({ tag_name, published_at }) => ({
+    version: tag_name,
+    gitRef: tag_name,
+    releaseTimestamp: published_at,
   }));
   const cacheMinutes = 10;
   await renovateCache.set(cacheNamespace, repo, dependency, cacheMinutes);