diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Configuration/Config.cs b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Configuration/Config.cs
index 15083cc2..eee6d8ce 100644
--- a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Configuration/Config.cs
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Configuration/Config.cs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ public Config()
                 ShaSectionHeading = "SHA256 Hashes of the release artifacts",
                 ShaSectionLineFormat = "- `{1}\t{0}`",
                 AllowUpdateToPublishedRelease = false,
+                IncludeContributors = true,
             };
 
             Export = new ExportConfig
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Configuration/CreateConfig.cs b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Configuration/CreateConfig.cs
index 512e4a28..00baed7d 100644
--- a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Configuration/CreateConfig.cs
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Configuration/CreateConfig.cs
@@ -34,5 +34,8 @@ public class CreateConfig
 
         [YamlMember(Alias = "allow-update-to-published")]
         public bool AllowUpdateToPublishedRelease { get; set; }
+
+        [YamlMember(Alias = "include-contributors")]
+        public bool IncludeContributors { get; set; }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/ReleaseNotes/ReleaseNotesBuilder.cs b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/ReleaseNotes/ReleaseNotesBuilder.cs
index f9a220ec..304af73a 100644
--- a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/ReleaseNotes/ReleaseNotesBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/ReleaseNotes/ReleaseNotesBuilder.cs
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public async Task<string> BuildReleaseNotesAsync(string user, string repository,
                 issue.LinkedIssues = linkedIssues?.ToList().AsReadOnly() ?? Array.AsReadOnly(Array.Empty<Issue>());
             }
 
-            var contributors = GetContributors(distinctValidIssues);
+            var contributors = _configuration.Create.IncludeContributors ? GetContributors(distinctValidIssues) : Enumerable.Empty<User>();
 
             var milestoneQueryString = _vcsProvider.GetMilestoneQueryString();
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ public async Task<string> BuildReleaseNotesAsync(string user, string repository,
                 },
                 Contributors = new
                 {
-                    Count = contributors.Count,
+                    Count = contributors.Count(),
                     Items = contributors,
                 },
                 Commits = new
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/contributor-details.sbn b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/contributor-details.sbn
similarity index 100%
rename from src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/contributor-details.sbn
rename to src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/contributor-details.sbn
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/contributors.sbn b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/contributors.sbn
similarity index 100%
rename from src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/contributors.sbn
rename to src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/contributors.sbn
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/create/footer.sbn b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/create/footer.sbn
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b1b08303
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/create/footer.sbn
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{{ if config.create.include_footer }}
+
+### {{ config.create.footer_heading }}
+
+{{  if config.create.milestone_replace_text
+        replace_milestone_title config.create.footer_content config.create.milestone_replace_text milestone.target.title
+    else
+        config.create.footer_content
+    end
+end }}
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/index.sbn b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/index.sbn
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fe306967
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/index.sbn
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{{-
+    include 'release-info'
+    if milestone.target.description
+        include 'milestone'
+    end
+    include 'issues' | string.rstrip
+    if contributors.count > 0
+        include 'contributors'
+    end
+    if template_kind == "CREATE"
+        include 'create/footer'
+    end
+~}}
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/issue-details.sbn b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/issue-details.sbn
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..70183381
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/issue-details.sbn
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+
+__{{ issue_label }}__
+{{ for issue in issues.items[issue_label]
+    include 'issue-note'
+end }}
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/issue-note.sbn b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/issue-note.sbn
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ac7a11a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/issue-note.sbn
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+{{
+func IssueDescription
+    if $0.is_pull_request
+        $description = "[__!" + $0.public_number + "__]"
+    else
+        $description = "[__#" + $0.public_number + "__]"
+    end
+    $description = $description + "(" + $0.html_url + ")"
+    if $1
+        $description = $description + " " + $0.title
+    end
+    if $0.user
+        $description = $description + " by [" + $0.user.login + "](" + $0.user.html_url + ")"
+    end
+    if $0.linked_issues
+        $description = $description + LinkedIssuesDescription($0.linked_issues)
+    end
+    ret $description
+end
+func LinkedIssuesDescription
+    $countPRs = 0
+    $countIssues = 0
+    for linkedIssue in $0
+        if linkedIssue.is_pull_request
+            if $countPRs == 0
+                $resolvedBy = " resolved in "
+            else
+                $resolvedBy = $resolvedBy + ", "
+            end
+            $resolvedBy = $resolvedBy + IssueDescription(linkedIssue, false)
+            $countPRs = $countPRs + 1
+        else
+            if $countIssues == 0
+                $raisedIn = " raised in "
+            else
+                $raisedIn = $raisedIn + ", "
+            end
+            $raisedIn = $raisedIn + IssueDescription(linkedIssue, false)
+            $countIssues = $countIssues + 1
+        end
+    end
+    ret $raisedIn + $resolvedBy
+end
+}}
+- {{ IssueDescription(issue, true) }}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/issues.sbn b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/issues.sbn
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d8f323f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/issues.sbn
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{{ for issue_label in issue_labels
+    include 'issue-details'
+end }}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/milestone.sbn b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/milestone.sbn
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b3459681
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/milestone.sbn
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+
+{{ milestone.target.description }}
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/release-info.sbn b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/release-info.sbn
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c8f7e8e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/contributors/release-info.sbn
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{{
+    if issues.count > 0
+        if commits.count > 0
+}}As part of this release we had [{{ commits.count }} {{ commits.count | string.pluralize "commit" "commits" }}]({{ commits.html_url }}) which resulted in [{{ issues.count }} {{ issues.count | string.pluralize "issue" "issues" }}]({{ milestone.target.html_url }}?{{ milestone.query_string }}) being closed.
+{{      else
+}}As part of this release we had [{{ issues.count }} {{ issues.count | string.pluralize "issue" "issues" }}]({{ milestone.target.html_url }}?{{ milestone.query_string }}) closed.
+{{      end
+    else if commits.count > 0
+}}As part of this release we had [{{ commits.count }} {{ commits.count | string.pluralize "commit" "commits" }}]({{ commits.html_url }}).
+{{  end -}}
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/index.sbn b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/index.sbn
index fe306967..1a3856e2 100644
--- a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/index.sbn
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/index.sbn
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@
         include 'milestone'
     end
     include 'issues' | string.rstrip
-    if contributors.count > 0
-        include 'contributors'
-    end
     if template_kind == "CREATE"
         include 'create/footer'
     end
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/issue-details.sbn b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/issue-details.sbn
index 70183381..8e049a29 100644
--- a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/issue-details.sbn
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/issue-details.sbn
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-
 __{{ issue_label }}__
+
 {{ for issue in issues.items[issue_label]
     include 'issue-note'
 end }}
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/issue-note.sbn b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/issue-note.sbn
index ac7a11a1..218ae3cb 100644
--- a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/issue-note.sbn
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/issue-note.sbn
@@ -1,45 +1,6 @@
 {{
-func IssueDescription
-    if $0.is_pull_request
-        $description = "[__!" + $0.public_number + "__]"
-    else
-        $description = "[__#" + $0.public_number + "__]"
-    end
-    $description = $description + "(" + $0.html_url + ")"
-    if $1
-        $description = $description + " " + $0.title
-    end
-    if $0.user
-        $description = $description + " by [" + $0.user.login + "](" + $0.user.html_url + ")"
-    end
-    if $0.linked_issues
-        $description = $description + LinkedIssuesDescription($0.linked_issues)
-    end
-    ret $description
-end
-func LinkedIssuesDescription
-    $countPRs = 0
-    $countIssues = 0
-    for linkedIssue in $0
-        if linkedIssue.is_pull_request
-            if $countPRs == 0
-                $resolvedBy = " resolved in "
-            else
-                $resolvedBy = $resolvedBy + ", "
-            end
-            $resolvedBy = $resolvedBy + IssueDescription(linkedIssue, false)
-            $countPRs = $countPRs + 1
-        else
-            if $countIssues == 0
-                $raisedIn = " raised in "
-            else
-                $raisedIn = $raisedIn + ", "
-            end
-            $raisedIn = $raisedIn + IssueDescription(linkedIssue, false)
-            $countIssues = $countIssues + 1
-        end
-    end
-    ret $raisedIn + $resolvedBy
-end
-}}
-- {{ IssueDescription(issue, true) }}
\ No newline at end of file
+    if issue.is_pull_request
+}}- [__!{{ issue.public_number }}__]({{ issue.html_url }}) {{ issue.title }}
+{{  else
+}}- [__#{{ issue.public_number }}__]({{ issue.html_url }}) {{ issue.title }}
+{{  end -}}
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/issues.sbn b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/issues.sbn
index d8f323f4..307b6080 100644
--- a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/issues.sbn
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/Templates/default/issues.sbn
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+
 {{ for issue_label in issue_labels
     include 'issue-details'
-end }}
\ No newline at end of file
+end }}
diff --git a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/VcsService.cs b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/VcsService.cs
index 601a20b3..6f972a4c 100644
--- a/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/VcsService.cs
+++ b/src/GitReleaseManager.Core/VcsService.cs
@@ -46,7 +46,9 @@ public async Task<Release> CreateEmptyReleaseAsync(string owner, string reposito
 
         public async Task<Release> CreateReleaseFromMilestoneAsync(string owner, string repository, string milestone, string releaseName, string targetCommitish, IList<string> assets, bool prerelease, string templateFilePath)
         {
-            var templatePath = ReleaseTemplates.DEFAULT_NAME;
+            var templatePath = _configuration.Create.IncludeContributors
+                ? ReleaseTemplates.CONTRIBUTORS_NAME
+                : ReleaseTemplates.DEFAULT_NAME;
 
             if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(templateFilePath))
             {