diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/init/config.js b/lib/workers/repository/init/config.js
index 8bc2b5d2383b7041722907210011c2a295e6ce62..f9628deae92a30a90cf3360c8cfd182dfe7d1f5f 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/init/config.js
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/init/config.js
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ async function mergeRenovateConfig(config) {
   let configFile;
   if (fileList.includes('renovate.json')) {
     configFile = 'renovate.json';
+  } else if (fileList.includes('.github/renovate.json')) {
+    configFile = '.github/renovate.json';
   } else if (fileList.includes('.renovaterc')) {
     configFile = '.renovaterc';
   } else if (fileList.includes('.renovaterc.json')) {
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/branch/check.js b/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/branch/check.js
index d373acb96a610919452aa048dd2c399baf77ba56..19f9271fd660630672e488e83707ffc174a8d408 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/branch/check.js
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/branch/check.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const findFile = async fileName => {
 
 const renovateJsonExists = async () =>
   (await findFile('renovate.json')) ||
+  (await findFile('.github/renovate.json')) ||
   (await findFile('.renovaterc')) ||
   findFile('.renovaterc.json');
 
diff --git a/test/workers/repository/init/config.spec.js b/test/workers/repository/init/config.spec.js
index 1897a0c7ee8927842b55b7b026bd33479e9d9729..d2e8677a476aca46d5e0ce4ad45184e9a479e616 100644
--- a/test/workers/repository/init/config.spec.js
+++ b/test/workers/repository/init/config.spec.js
@@ -66,6 +66,14 @@ describe('workers/repository/init/config', () => {
       expect(e.validationError).toMatchSnapshot();
       expect(e.validationMessage).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
+    it('finds .github/renovate.json', async () => {
+      platform.getFileList.mockReturnValue([
+        'package.json',
+        '.github/renovate.json',
+      ]);
+      platform.getFile.mockReturnValue('{}');
+      await mergeRenovateConfig(config);
+    });
     it('finds .renovaterc.json', async () => {
       platform.getFileList.mockReturnValue([
         'package.json',