diff --git a/lib/workers/branch/index.spec.ts b/lib/workers/branch/index.spec.ts
index 17b546a9bbbe145f05f988c48775ac9f593315ab..28fa8400d3397ff1a980cb1221bce873e161ec23 100644
--- a/lib/workers/branch/index.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/branch/index.spec.ts
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ describe(getName(__filename), () => {
       } as EnsurePrResult);
       prAutomerge.checkAutoMerge.mockResolvedValueOnce(true);
       commit.commitFilesToBranch.mockResolvedValueOnce(null);
-      await branchWorker.processBranch(config);
+      await branchWorker.processBranch({ ...config, automerge: true });
       expect(prWorker.ensurePr).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
       expect(platform.ensureCommentRemoval).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
       expect(prAutomerge.checkAutoMerge).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
diff --git a/lib/workers/branch/index.ts b/lib/workers/branch/index.ts
index 10bf5edfea956dbdbf2ee6fa363099f1de810c18..cccad4d0501baffb085699140681c07eed288e8b 100644
--- a/lib/workers/branch/index.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/branch/index.ts
@@ -599,12 +599,15 @@ export async function processBranch(
             });
           }
         }
-      } else {
+      } else if (config.automerge) {
+        logger.debug('PR is configured for automerge');
         const prAutomerged = await checkAutoMerge(pr, config);
         if (prAutomerged && config.automergeType !== 'pr-comment') {
           await deleteBranchSilently(config.branchName);
           return ProcessBranchResult.Automerged;
         }
+      } else {
+        logger.debug('PR is not configured for automerge');
       }
     }
   } catch (err) /* istanbul ignore next */ {
diff --git a/lib/workers/pr/automerge.spec.ts b/lib/workers/pr/automerge.spec.ts
index f6deec360d525d51de9f938002122f78898772ae..546751c711667c12d1716c5e2120dd541aa9affd 100644
--- a/lib/workers/pr/automerge.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/pr/automerge.spec.ts
@@ -24,10 +24,6 @@ describe(getName(__filename), () => {
     afterEach(() => {
       jest.clearAllMocks();
     });
-    it('should not automerge if not configured', async () => {
-      await prAutomerge.checkAutoMerge(pr, config);
-      expect(platform.mergePr).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
-    });
     it('should automerge if enabled and pr is mergeable', async () => {
       config.automerge = true;
       platform.getBranchStatus.mockResolvedValueOnce(BranchStatus.green);
diff --git a/lib/workers/pr/automerge.ts b/lib/workers/pr/automerge.ts
index 38507fc208449b60151fd50f02deacd44fbc1c45..1348f0eca3aa43bcf1620f4a14b88d299650efc5 100644
--- a/lib/workers/pr/automerge.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/pr/automerge.ts
@@ -12,17 +12,11 @@ export async function checkAutoMerge(
   logger.trace({ config }, 'checkAutoMerge');
   const {
     branchName,
-    automerge,
     automergeType,
     automergeComment,
     requiredStatusChecks,
     rebaseRequested,
   } = config;
-  if (!automerge) {
-    logger.debug('No automerge');
-    return false;
-  }
-  logger.debug('PR is configured for automerge');
   // Return if PR not ready for automerge
   if (pr.isConflicted) {
     logger.debug('PR is conflicted');