diff --git a/src/Bodhi.hs b/src/Bodhi.hs
index eaf25100..e2743ed5 100644
--- a/src/Bodhi.hs
+++ b/src/Bodhi.hs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ module Bodhi (
   checkAutoBodhiUpdate,
   UpdateType(..),
   UpdateSeverity(..),
+  UpdateNotes(..),
   bodhiUpdate,
   bodhiBuildExists
   )
@@ -102,12 +103,14 @@ bodhiTestingRepo Rawhide = return Nothing
 bodhiTestingRepo br =
   releaseTestingRepo <$> branchRelease br
 
+data UpdateNotes = NotesChangelog | NotesText String
+
 -- FIXME support --no-close-bugs
 -- push comma separated list of builds for a package to bodhi
 bodhiUpdate :: Bool -> (Maybe UpdateType, UpdateSeverity) -> Maybe BugId
-            -> Bool -> FilePath -> String -> IO ()
+            -> Maybe UpdateNotes -> FilePath -> String -> IO ()
 bodhiUpdate _ _ _ _ _ [] = putStrLn "no package to push"
-bodhiUpdate dryrun (mupdate,severity) mreview usechangelog spec nvrs = do
+bodhiUpdate dryrun (mupdate,severity) mreview mnotes spec nvrs = do
   case mupdate of
     Nothing -> return ()
     Just updateType ->
@@ -124,11 +127,14 @@ bodhiUpdate dryrun (mupdate,severity) mreview usechangelog spec nvrs = do
               changelog <- if isJust mreview
                            then getSummaryURL spec
                            else
-                             if usechangelog
-                             then cleanChangelog True spec
-                             else
-                               -- FIXME list open bugs
-                               changeLogPrompt ChangeBodhi spec
+                             case mnotes of
+                               Just NotesChangelog ->
+                                 cleanChangelog True spec
+                               Just (NotesText notes) ->
+                                 return notes
+                               Nothing ->
+                                 -- FIXME list open bugs
+                                 changeLogPrompt ChangeBodhi spec
               if trim (lower changelog) `elem` ["no","n"]
                 then return False
                 else do
@@ -156,7 +162,7 @@ bodhiUpdate dryrun (mupdate,severity) mreview usechangelog spec nvrs = do
             then do
             putStrLn $ "bodhi submission failed for" +-+ nvrs
             promptEnter "Press Enter to resubmit to Bodhi"
-            bodhiUpdate dryrun (mupdate,severity) mreview usechangelog spec nvrs
+            bodhiUpdate dryrun (mupdate,severity) mreview mnotes spec nvrs
             else
             forM_ updates $ \update ->
             case lookupKey "url" update of
diff --git a/src/Cmd/Build.hs b/src/Cmd/Build.hs
index d629a53a..b79912bb 100644
--- a/src/Cmd/Build.hs
+++ b/src/Cmd/Build.hs
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ data BuildOpts = BuildOpts
   , buildoptDryrun :: Bool
   , buildoptSkipFetch :: Bool
   , buildoptUpdate :: (Maybe UpdateType, UpdateSeverity)
-  , buildoptUseChangelog :: Bool
+  , buildoptNotes :: Maybe UpdateNotes
   , buildoptByPackage :: Bool
   , buildoptStash :: Bool
   }
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ buildBranch mlastpkg opts pkg rbr@(RelBranch br) = do
                 then putStrLn "update exists"
                 else do
                 mbug <- bzReviewAnon
-                bodhiUpdate dryrun (buildoptUpdate opts) mbug (buildoptUseChangelog opts) spec $ showNVR nvr
+                bodhiUpdate dryrun (buildoptUpdate opts) mbug (buildoptNotes opts) spec $ showNVR nvr
               whenJust moverride $ \days -> do
                 tags <- maybeTimeout 30 $ kojiNVRTags nvr
                 unless (any (`elem` tags) [showBranch br, showBranch br ++ "-updates", showBranch br ++ "-override"]) $
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ buildBranch mlastpkg opts pkg rbr@(RelBranch br) = do
                     whenJust (fmap fst mBugSess) $
                       \bid -> putStr "review bug: " >> putBugId bid
                     -- FIXME diff previous changelog?
-                    bodhiUpdate dryrun (buildoptUpdate opts) (fmap fst mBugSess) (buildoptUseChangelog opts) spec $ showNVR nvr
+                    bodhiUpdate dryrun (buildoptUpdate opts) (fmap fst mBugSess) (buildoptNotes opts) spec $ showNVR nvr
                     -- FIXME prompt for override note
                     whenJust moverride $ \days ->
                       bodhiCreateOverride dryrun (Just days) nvr
diff --git a/src/Cmd/Parallel.hs b/src/Cmd/Parallel.hs
index b30b8644..9738530a 100644
--- a/src/Cmd/Parallel.hs
+++ b/src/Cmd/Parallel.hs
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ parallelBuildCmd dryrun mmerge firstlayer msidetagTarget mustpush delay mupdate
         unless okay $ error' "Quitting"
       when (isNothing msidetagTarget) $ do
         let spec = packageSpec pkg
-        bodhiUpdate dryrun mupdate Nothing False spec $
+        bodhiUpdate dryrun mupdate Nothing Nothing spec $
           intercalate "," . map (showNVR . jobNvr) $
           filter ((/= Rawhide) . jobBranch) nvrclogs
       where
diff --git a/src/Main.hs b/src/Main.hs
index 97a5526f..825128b5 100644
--- a/src/Main.hs
+++ b/src/Main.hs
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ import Cmd.Update
 import Cmd.UpdateReview
 import Cmd.WaitRepo
 
-import Bodhi (UpdateType(..),UpdateSeverity(..))
+import Bodhi (UpdateType(..), UpdateSeverity(..), UpdateNotes(..))
 import Branches
 import Common.System
 import Git (CommitOpt(..))
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ main = do
       <*> dryrunOpt "Dry run: do not merge/push/build"
       <*> skipFetchOpt
       <*> updateOpt
-      <*> useChangelogOpt
+      <*> optional notesOpt
       <*> switchWith 'p' "by-package" "Build by each package across brs"
       <*> switchLongWith "stash" "git stash before fetching and building"
       where
@@ -557,8 +557,9 @@ main = do
         waitrepoOpt =
           optional (flagWith' True 'w' "waitrepo" "Waitrepo for each build" <|>
                     flagWith' False 'W' "no-waitrepo" "Do not waitrepo for each build")
-        useChangelogOpt =
-          switchWith 'c' "changelog-notes" "Use spec changelog for Bodhi notes"
+        notesOpt =
+          flagWith' NotesChangelog 'c' "changelog-notes" "Use spec changelog for Bodhi notes" <|>
+          NotesText <$> strOptionLongWith "notes" "NOTES" "Bodhi update notes"
 
 --    yesOpt = switchWith 'y' "yes" "Assume yes for questions"