diff --git a/cmd/krel/cmd/changelog.go b/cmd/krel/cmd/changelog.go
index b8efd3505cc..2e5fe8abb0b 100644
--- a/cmd/krel/cmd/changelog.go
+++ b/cmd/krel/cmd/changelog.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
-	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
@@ -327,23 +326,12 @@ func generateReleaseNotes(opts *changelogOptions, branch, startRev, endRev strin
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	gatherer, err := notes.NewGatherer(context.Background(), notesOptions)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "retrieving notes gatherer")
-	}
-
-	releaseNotes, history, err := gatherer.ListReleaseNotes()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "listing release notes")
-	}
-
-	// Create the markdown
-	doc, err := document.CreateDocument(releaseNotes, history)
+	doc, err := document.GatherReleaseNotesDocument(
+		notesOptions, startRev, opts.tag,
+	)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "creating release note document")
+		return "", err
 	}
-	doc.PreviousRevision = startRev
-	doc.CurrentRevision = opts.tag
 
 	markdown, err := doc.RenderMarkdownTemplate(
 		opts.bucket, opts.tars,
diff --git a/cmd/krel/cmd/release_notes.go b/cmd/krel/cmd/release_notes.go
index a99b7d7cec6..c3d093e3285 100644
--- a/cmd/krel/cmd/release_notes.go
+++ b/cmd/krel/cmd/release_notes.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
-	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -592,16 +591,14 @@ func releaseNotesJSON(tag string) (string, error) {
 	logrus.Infof("Using end tag %v", tag)
 
 	// Fetch the notes
-	gatherer, err := notes.NewGatherer(context.Background(), notesOptions)
+	releaseNotes, history, err := notes.GatherReleaseNotes(notesOptions)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "retrieving notes gatherer")
-	}
-	releaseNotes, history, err := gatherer.ListReleaseNotes()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "listing release notes")
+		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "gathering release notes")
 	}
 
-	doc, err := document.CreateDocument(releaseNotes, history)
+	doc, err := document.New(
+		releaseNotes, history, notesOptions.StartRev, notesOptions.EndRev,
+	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "creating release note document")
 	}
@@ -636,16 +633,14 @@ func releaseNotesFrom(startTag string) (*releaseNotesResult, error) {
 	logrus.Infof("Using end tag %v", releaseNotesOpts.tag)
 
 	// Fetch the notes
-	gatherer, err := notes.NewGatherer(context.Background(), notesOptions)
+	releaseNotes, history, err := notes.GatherReleaseNotes(notesOptions)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "retrieving notes gatherer")
-	}
-	releaseNotes, history, err := gatherer.ListReleaseNotes()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "listing release notes")
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "gathering release notes")
 	}
 
-	doc, err := document.CreateDocument(releaseNotes, history)
+	doc, err := document.New(
+		releaseNotes, history, notesOptions.StartRev, notesOptions.EndRev,
+	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "creating release note document")
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/release-notes/main.go b/cmd/release-notes/main.go
index ccb44849acb..7f14b7e80d5 100644
--- a/cmd/release-notes/main.go
+++ b/cmd/release-notes/main.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package main
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -223,21 +222,6 @@ func init() {
 	)
 }
 
-func GetReleaseNotes() (notes.ReleaseNotes, notes.ReleaseNotesHistory, error) {
-	logrus.Info("fetching all commits. This might take a while...")
-
-	gatherer, err := notes.NewGatherer(context.Background(), opts)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "retrieving notes gatherer")
-	}
-	releaseNotes, history, err := gatherer.ListReleaseNotes()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "listing release notes")
-	}
-
-	return releaseNotes, history, nil
-}
-
 func WriteReleaseNotes(releaseNotes notes.ReleaseNotes, history notes.ReleaseNotesHistory) (err error) {
 	logrus.Info("got the commits, performing rendering")
 
@@ -293,16 +277,11 @@ func WriteReleaseNotes(releaseNotes notes.ReleaseNotes, history notes.ReleaseNot
 			return errors.Wrapf(err, "encoding JSON output")
 		}
 	case strings.HasPrefix(format, options.GoTemplatePrefix):
-		doc, err := document.CreateDocument(releaseNotes, history)
+		doc, err := document.New(releaseNotes, history, opts.StartRev, opts.EndRev)
 		if err != nil {
 			return errors.Wrapf(err, "creating release note document")
 		}
 
-		// TODO: Not sure these options are guaranteed to be set but we need
-		// them in rendering. Perhaps these should be set in CreateDocument()?
-		doc.PreviousRevision = opts.StartRev
-		doc.CurrentRevision = opts.EndRev
-
 		markdown, err := doc.RenderMarkdownTemplate(opts.ReleaseBucket, opts.ReleaseTars, opts.Format)
 		if err != nil {
 			return errors.Wrapf(err, "rendering release note document with template")
@@ -332,9 +311,9 @@ func WriteReleaseNotes(releaseNotes notes.ReleaseNotes, history notes.ReleaseNot
 }
 
 func run(*cobra.Command, []string) error {
-	releaseNotes, history, err := GetReleaseNotes()
+	releaseNotes, history, err := notes.GatherReleaseNotes(opts)
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "retrieving release notes")
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "gathering release notes")
 	}
 
 	return WriteReleaseNotes(releaseNotes, history)
diff --git a/pkg/notes/document/document.go b/pkg/notes/document/document.go
index 864ccab1022..500ef03bbaa 100644
--- a/pkg/notes/document/document.go
+++ b/pkg/notes/document/document.go
@@ -201,12 +201,35 @@ var kindMap = map[Kind]Kind{
 	KindFlake:      KindOther,
 }
 
-// CreateDocument assembles an organized document from an unorganized set of
-// release notes
-func CreateDocument(releaseNotes notes.ReleaseNotes, history notes.ReleaseNotesHistory) (*Document, error) {
+// GatherReleaseNotesDocument creates a new gatherer and collects the release
+// notes into a fresh document
+func GatherReleaseNotesDocument(
+	opts *options.Options, previousRev, currentRev string,
+) (*Document, error) {
+	releaseNotes, history, err := notes.GatherReleaseNotes(opts)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "gathering release notes")
+	}
+
+	doc, err := New(releaseNotes, history, previousRev, currentRev)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "creating release note document")
+	}
+
+	return doc, nil
+}
+
+// New assembles an organized document from an unorganized set of release notes
+func New(
+	releaseNotes notes.ReleaseNotes,
+	history notes.ReleaseNotesHistory,
+	previousRev, currentRev string,
+) (*Document, error) {
 	doc := &Document{
 		NotesWithActionRequired: Notes{},
 		Notes:                   NoteCollection{},
+		CurrentRevision:         currentRev,
+		PreviousRevision:        previousRev,
 	}
 
 	stripRE := regexp.MustCompile(`^([-\*]+\s+)`)
diff --git a/pkg/notes/document/document_test.go b/pkg/notes/document/document_test.go
index 6a931cf2d9a..9d3fbb6e191 100644
--- a/pkg/notes/document/document_test.go
+++ b/pkg/notes/document/document_test.go
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ func setupTestDir(t *testing.T, dir string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestCreateDocument(t *testing.T) {
+func TestNew(t *testing.T) {
 	type args struct {
 		releaseNotes notes.ReleaseNotes
 		history      notes.ReleaseNotesHistory
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ func TestCreateDocument(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			got, err := CreateDocument(tt.args.releaseNotes, tt.args.history)
+			got, err := New(tt.args.releaseNotes, tt.args.history, "", "")
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 			require.Equal(t, got, tt.want, "Unexpected return.")
 		})
@@ -488,10 +488,8 @@ func TestDocument_RenderMarkdownTemplate(t *testing.T) {
 			testNotes[11] = duplicate
 			testNotes[12] = actionNeeded
 
-			doc, err := CreateDocument(testNotes, makeReleaseNoteHistory(testNotes))
+			doc, err := New(testNotes, makeReleaseNoteHistory(testNotes), "v1.16.0", "v1.16.1")
 			require.NoError(t, err, "Creating test document.")
-			doc.PreviousRevision = "v1.16.0"
-			doc.CurrentRevision = "v1.16.1"
 
 			templateSpec := tt.templateSpec
 			var dir string
diff --git a/pkg/notes/notes.go b/pkg/notes/notes.go
index dda797a19fa..ce62aad5044 100644
--- a/pkg/notes/notes.go
+++ b/pkg/notes/notes.go
@@ -166,6 +166,24 @@ func NewGathererWithClient(ctx context.Context, c github.Client) *Gatherer {
 	}
 }
 
+// GatherReleaseNotes creates a new gatherer and collects the release notes
+// afterwards
+func GatherReleaseNotes(opts *options.Options) (ReleaseNotes, ReleaseNotesHistory, error) {
+	logrus.Info("Gathering release notes")
+	gatherer, err := NewGatherer(context.Background(), opts)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "retrieving notes gatherer")
+	}
+
+	releaseNotes, history, err := gatherer.ListReleaseNotes()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "listing release notes")
+	}
+
+	return releaseNotes, history, nil
+}
+
 // ListReleaseNotes produces a list of fully contextualized release notes
 // starting from a given commit SHA and ending at starting a given commit SHA.
 func (g *Gatherer) ListReleaseNotes() (ReleaseNotes, ReleaseNotesHistory, error) {