diff --git a/lib/workers/pr/index.js b/lib/workers/pr/index.js
index 7eba107767294da24be1e549f850fda659e5cd7f..bdfcd9cb58a6417d1ca1475360853388874b94c6 100644
--- a/lib/workers/pr/index.js
+++ b/lib/workers/pr/index.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ async function ensurePr(prConfig) {
 
   logger.trace({ config }, 'ensurePr');
   // If there is a group, it will use the config of the first upgrade in the array
-  const { branchName, upgrades } = config;
+  const { branchName, prTitle, upgrades } = config;
   // Check if existing PR exists
   const existingPr = await platform.getBranchPr(branchName);
   if (existingPr) {
@@ -188,7 +188,6 @@ async function ensurePr(prConfig) {
     }
   }
 
-  const prTitle = handlebars.compile(config.prTitle)(config);
   let prBody = handlebars.compile(config.prBody)(config);
   // istanbul ignore if
   if (config.global && config.global.prBanner) {
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/updates/branchify.js b/lib/workers/repository/updates/branchify.js
index ebea4b4ca45bfe055ff2c50daec61b7dd2c2ac76..8806e1d5c32402ac92fdef00d3128295126e0fc3 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/updates/branchify.js
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/updates/branchify.js
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ function branchifyUpgrades(config) {
       warnings.push(upgrade);
     } else {
       // Check whether to use a group name
-      let branchName;
       if (upgrade.groupName) {
         logger.debug('Using group branchName template');
         logger.debug(
@@ -30,13 +29,18 @@ function branchifyUpgrades(config) {
             .toString()
             .toLowerCase()
             .replace(/[^a-z0-9+]+/g, '-');
-        branchName = handlebars.compile(upgrade.group.branchName)(upgrade);
+        upgrade.branchName = handlebars.compile(upgrade.group.branchName)(
+          upgrade
+        );
       } else {
         logger.debug('Using regular branchName template');
-        branchName = handlebars.compile(upgrade.branchName)(upgrade);
+        upgrade.branchName = handlebars.compile(upgrade.branchName)(upgrade);
       }
-      branchUpgrades[branchName] = branchUpgrades[branchName] || [];
-      branchUpgrades[branchName] = [upgrade].concat(branchUpgrades[branchName]);
+      branchUpgrades[upgrade.branchName] =
+        branchUpgrades[upgrade.branchName] || [];
+      branchUpgrades[upgrade.branchName] = [upgrade].concat(
+        branchUpgrades[upgrade.branchName]
+      );
     }
   }
   logger.debug(`Returning ${Object.keys(branchUpgrades).length} branch(es)`);
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/updates/generate.js b/lib/workers/repository/updates/generate.js
index 869aee389f21171ed4e53b899fae316e2d7afd64..80e01a6c0e91f0bda2ecf0e1b4aa95a22a9a3e24 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/updates/generate.js
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/updates/generate.js
@@ -43,9 +43,8 @@ function generateBranchConfig(branchUpgrades) {
     // Use templates to generate strings
     logger.debug(
       { branchName: upgrade.branchName, prTitle: upgrade.prTitle },
-      'Compiling branchName and prTitle'
+      'Compiling prTitle'
     );
-    upgrade.branchName = handlebars.compile(upgrade.branchName)(upgrade);
     upgrade.prTitle +=
       upgrade.baseBranches && upgrade.baseBranches.length > 1
         ? ' ({{baseBranch}})'