diff --git a/.github/pull_request-template.md b/.github/pull_request-template.md
index aafab279..6ada8a6e 100644
--- a/.github/pull_request-template.md
+++ b/.github/pull_request-template.md
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
-<!-- Please ensure your PR title is brief and descriptive for a good changelog entry -->
-<!-- Link to issue if there is one -->
+<!-- Ensure that your PR title is brief and descriptive. -->
+<!-- Start: issue fix section -->
+<!-- Link to issue if there is one, otherwise remove the "issue fix" section -->
 <!-- markdownlint-disable -->
 
 Fixes #
 
 <!-- markdownlint-restore -->
+<!-- End: issue fix section -->
 
 <!-- Describe what the changes are -->
 
@@ -17,8 +19,11 @@ Fixes #
 ## Readiness Checklist
 
 ### Author/Contributor
-- [ ] If documentation is needed for this change, has that been included in this pull request
+
+- [ ] I included all the needed documentation for this change.
+- [ ] I provided the necessary tests.
 
 ### Reviewing Maintainer
-- [ ] Label as `breaking` if this is a large fundamental change
-- [ ] Label as either `automation`, `bug`, `documentation`, `enhancement`, `infrastructure`, or `performance`
+
+- [ ] Label as `breaking` if this is a large, fundamental change.
+- [ ] Label as either: `automation`, `bug`, `documentation`, `enhancement`, `infrastructure`.
diff --git a/.github/release-drafter.yml b/.github/release-drafter.yml
index 3a7483a7..38a6aa91 100644
--- a/.github/release-drafter.yml
+++ b/.github/release-drafter.yml
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@ categories:
       - 'infrastructure'
       - 'automation'
       - 'documentation'
+      - 'performance'
+  - title: 'Dependency updates'
+    labels:
       - 'dependencies'
-  - title: '🏎 Performance'
-    label: 'performance'
 change-template: '- $TITLE @$AUTHOR (#$NUMBER)'
 version-resolver:
   major: