diff --git a/lib/manager/pip_requirements/index.js b/lib/manager/pip_requirements/index.js
index 6c2175338acd7cdbe3cae38827a2577246481680..ef1eea7cd6720949886e064a13cada1e51520af8 100644
--- a/lib/manager/pip_requirements/index.js
+++ b/lib/manager/pip_requirements/index.js
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 const { extractPackageFile } = require('./extract');
 const { updateDependency } = require('./update');
+const { getRangeStrategy } = require('./range');
 
 const language = 'python';
 
 module.exports = {
   extractPackageFile,
+  getRangeStrategy,
   language,
   updateDependency,
 };
diff --git a/lib/manager/pip_requirements/range.js b/lib/manager/pip_requirements/range.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..06dcb2b9aec54d25166a44f8e5fb2a3200d17d53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/manager/pip_requirements/range.js
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+module.exports = {
+  getRangeStrategy,
+};
+
+function getRangeStrategy(config) {
+  if (config.rangeStrategy === 'auto') {
+    return 'pin';
+  }
+  return config.rangeStrategy;
+}
diff --git a/test/manager/pip_requirements/range.spec.js b/test/manager/pip_requirements/range.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..0c8fea1f6e0a04c14122f1d6624a7cd88c3a91ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/manager/pip_requirements/range.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+const { getRangeStrategy } = require('../../../lib/manager/pip_requirements');
+
+describe('getRangeStrategy', () => {
+  it('returns same if not auto', () => {
+    const config = { rangeStrategy: 'widen' };
+    expect(getRangeStrategy(config)).toEqual('widen');
+  });
+  it('pins if auto', () => {
+    const config = { rangeStrategy: 'auto' };
+    expect(getRangeStrategy(config)).toEqual('pin');
+  });
+});