diff --git a/src/lib/get-commits.js b/src/lib/get-commits.js
index d5d139f2..920d1278 100644
--- a/src/lib/get-commits.js
+++ b/src/lib/get-commits.js
@@ -14,10 +14,9 @@ const getVersionHead = require('./get-version-head');
  * Retrieve the list of commits on the current branch since the last released version, or all the commits of the current branch if there is no last released version.
  * 
  * The commit correspoding to the last released version is determined as follow:
- * - Use `lastRelease.gitHead` is defined and present in `config.options.branch` history.
- * - Search for a tag named `v<version>` or `<version>` and it's associated commit sha if present in `config.options.branch` history.
- *
- * If a commit corresponding to the last released is not found, unshallow the repository (as most CI create a shallow clone with limited number of commits and no tags) and try again.
+ * - Use `lastRelease.gitHead` if defined and present in `config.options.branch` history.
+ * - If `lastRelease.gitHead` is not in the `config.options.branch` history, unshallow the repository and try again.
+ * -  If `lastRelease.gitHead` is still not in the `config.options.branch` history, search for a tag named `v<version>` or `<version>` and verify if it's associated commit sha is present in `config.options.branch` history.
  *
  * @param {Object} config
  * @param {Object} config.lastRelease The lastRelease object obtained from the getLastRelease plugin.
@@ -34,20 +33,12 @@ const getVersionHead = require('./get-version-head');
 module.exports = async ({lastRelease: {version, gitHead}, options: {branch}}) => {
   if (gitHead || version) {
     try {
-      gitHead = await getVersionHead(version, branch, gitHead);
-    } catch (err) {
-      // Unshallow the repository if the gitHead cannot be found and the branch for the last release version
-      await execa('git', ['fetch', '--unshallow', '--tags'], {reject: false});
-    }
-
-    // Try to find the gitHead on the branch again with an unshallowed repository
-    try {
-      gitHead = await getVersionHead(version, branch, gitHead);
+      gitHead = await getVersionHead(gitHead, version, branch);
     } catch (err) {
       if (err.code === 'ENOTINHISTORY') {
-        log.error('commits', notInHistoryMessage(gitHead, branch, version, err.branches));
-      } else if (err.code === 'ENOGITHEAD') {
-        log.error('commits', noGitHeadMessage());
+        log.error('commits', notInHistoryMessage(err.gitHead, branch, version));
+      } else {
+        log.error('commits', noGitHeadMessage(branch, version));
       }
       throw err;
     }
@@ -73,20 +64,24 @@ module.exports = async ({lastRelease: {version, gitHead}, options: {branch}}) =>
   }
 };
 
-function noGitHeadMessage(version) {
+function noGitHeadMessage(branch, version) {
   return `The commit the last release of this package was derived from cannot be determined from the release metadata not from the repository tags.
-  This means semantic-release can not extract the commits between now and then.
-  This is usually caused by releasing from outside the repository directory or with innaccessible git metadata.
-  You can recover from this error by publishing manually.`;
+This means semantic-release can not extract the commits between now and then.
+This is usually caused by releasing from outside the repository directory or with innaccessible git metadata.
+
+You can recover from this error by creating a tag for the version "${version}" on the commit corresponding to this release:
+$ git tag -f v${version} <commit sha1 corresponding to last release>
+$ git push -f --tags origin ${branch}
+`;
 }
 
-function notInHistoryMessage(gitHead, branch, version, branches) {
+function notInHistoryMessage(gitHead, branch, version) {
   return `The commit the last release of this package was derived from is not in the direct history of the "${branch}" branch.
-  This means semantic-release can not extract the commits between now and then.
-  This is usually caused by force pushing, releasing from an unrelated branch, or using an already existing package name.
-  You can recover from this error by publishing manually or restoring the commit "${gitHead}".
-  
-  ${branches && branches.length
-    ? `Here is a list of branches that still contain the commit in question: \n * ${branches.join('\n * ')}`
-    : ''}`;
+This means semantic-release can not extract the commits between now and then.
+This is usually caused by force pushing, releasing from an unrelated branch, or using an already existing package name.
+
+You can recover from this error by restoring the commit "${gitHead}" or by creating a tag for the version "${version}" on the commit corresponding to this release:
+$ git tag -f v${version || '<version>'} <commit sha1 corresponding to last release>
+$ git push -f --tags origin ${branch}
+`;
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/get-version-head.js b/src/lib/get-version-head.js
index 8fe77939..8954d5e8 100644
--- a/src/lib/get-version-head.js
+++ b/src/lib/get-version-head.js
@@ -17,51 +17,59 @@ async function gitTagHead(tagName) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Get the list of branches that contains the given commit.
- *
+ * Verify if the commist `sha` is in the direct history of the current branch.
+ * 
  * @param {string} sha The sha of the commit to look for.
  * 
- * @return {Array<string>} The list of branches that contains the commit sha in parameter.
+ * @return {boolean} `true` if the commit `sha` is in the history of the current branch, `false` otherwise.
  */
-async function getCommitBranches(sha) {
-  try {
-    return (await execa('git', ['branch', '--no-color', '--contains', sha])).stdout
-      .split('\n')
-      .map(branch => branch.replace('*', '').trim())
-      .filter(branch => !!branch);
-  } catch (err) {
-    return [];
-  }
+async function isCommitInHistory(sha) {
+  return (await execa('git', ['merge-base', '--is-ancestor', sha, 'HEAD'], {reject: false})).code === 0;
 }
 
 /**
- * Get the commit sha for a given version, if it is contained in the given branch.
+ * Get the commit sha for a given version, if it's contained in the given branch.
  *
+ * @param {string} gitHead The commit sha to look for.
  * @param {string} version The version corresponding to the commit sha to look for. Used to search in git tags.
- * @param {string} branch The branch that must have the commit in its direct history.
- * @param {string} gitHead The commit sha to verify.
  * 
- * @return {Promise<string>} A Promise that resolves to `gitHead` if defined and if present in branch direct history or the commit sha corresponding to `version`.
+ * @return {Promise<string>} A Promise that resolves to the commit sha of the version, either `gitHead` of the commit associated with the `version` tag.
  * 
- * @throws {SemanticReleaseError} with code `ENOTINHISTORY` if `gitHead` or the commit sha dereived from `version` is not in the direct history of `branch`. The Error will have a `branches` attributes with the list of branches containing the commit. 
+ * @throws {SemanticReleaseError} with code `ENOTINHISTORY` if `gitHead` or the commit sha dereived from `version` is not in the direct history of `branch`.
  * @throws {SemanticReleaseError} with code `ENOGITHEAD` if `gitHead` is undefined and no commit sha can be found for the `version`.
  */
-module.exports = async (version, branch, gitHead) => {
-  if (!gitHead && version) {
-    // Look for the version tag only if no gitHead exists
-    gitHead = (await gitTagHead(`v${version}`)) || (await gitTagHead(version));
+module.exports = async (gitHead, version) => {
+  // Check if gitHead is defined and exists in release branch
+  if (gitHead && (await isCommitInHistory(gitHead))) {
+    return gitHead;
   }
 
-  if (gitHead) {
-    // Retrieve the branches containing the gitHead and verify one of them is the branch in param
-    const branches = await getCommitBranches(gitHead);
-    if (!branches.includes(branch)) {
-      const error = new SemanticReleaseError('Commit not in history', 'ENOTINHISTORY');
-      error.branches = branches;
-      throw error;
-    }
-  } else {
-    throw new SemanticReleaseError('There is no commit associated with last release', 'ENOGITHEAD');
+  // Ushallow the repository
+  await execa('git', ['fetch', '--unshallow', '--tags'], {reject: false});
+
+  // Check if gitHead is defined and exists in release branch again
+  if (gitHead && (await isCommitInHistory(gitHead))) {
+    return gitHead;
   }
-  return gitHead;
+
+  let tagHead;
+  if (version) {
+    // If a version is defined search a corresponding tag
+    tagHead = (await gitTagHead(`v${version}`)) || (await gitTagHead(version));
+
+    // Check if tagHead is found and exists in release branch again
+    if (tagHead && (await isCommitInHistory(tagHead))) {
+      return tagHead;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Either gitHead is defined or a tagHead has been found but none is in the branch history
+  if (gitHead || tagHead) {
+    const error = new SemanticReleaseError('Commit not in history', 'ENOTINHISTORY');
+    error.gitHead = gitHead || tagHead;
+    throw error;
+  }
+
+  // There is no gitHead in the last release and there is no tags correponsing to the last release version
+  throw new SemanticReleaseError('There is no commit associated with last release', 'ENOGITHEAD');
 };
diff --git a/test/get-commits.test.js b/test/get-commits.test.js
index 15dda7f6..1d83dfae 100644
--- a/test/get-commits.test.js
+++ b/test/get-commits.test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 import test from 'ava';
-import {gitRepo, gitCommits, gitCheckout, gitTagVersion, gitShallowClone, gitTags, gitLog} from './helpers/git-utils';
+import {
+  gitRepo,
+  gitCommits,
+  gitCheckout,
+  gitTagVersion,
+  gitShallowClone,
+  gitTags,
+  gitLog,
+  gitDetachedHead,
+} from './helpers/git-utils';
 import proxyquire from 'proxyquire';
 import {stub} from 'sinon';
 import SemanticReleaseError from '@semantic-release/error';
@@ -25,7 +34,7 @@ test.serial('Get all commits when there is no last release', async t => {
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
   await gitRepo();
   // Add commits to the master branch
-  const commits = await gitCommits(['fix: First fix', 'feat: Second feature']);
+  const commits = await gitCommits(['First', 'Second']);
 
   // Retrieve the commits with the commits module
   const result = await getCommits({lastRelease: {}, options: {branch: 'master'}});
@@ -42,7 +51,7 @@ test.serial('Get all commits when there is no last release, including the ones n
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
   const repo = await gitRepo();
   // Add commits to the master branch
-  const commits = await gitCommits(['fix: First fix', 'feat: Second feature']);
+  const commits = await gitCommits(['First', 'Second']);
   // Create a shallow clone with only 1 commit
   await gitShallowClone(repo);
 
@@ -64,9 +73,9 @@ test.serial('Get all commits since gitHead (from lastRelease)', async t => {
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
   await gitRepo();
   // Add commits to the master branch
-  const commits = await gitCommits(['fix: First fix', 'feat: Second feature', 'feat: Third feature']);
+  const commits = await gitCommits(['First', 'Second', 'Third']);
 
-  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module
+  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module, since commit 'First'
   const result = await getCommits({
     lastRelease: {gitHead: commits[commits.length - 1].hash},
     options: {branch: 'master'},
@@ -80,18 +89,38 @@ test.serial('Get all commits since gitHead (from lastRelease)', async t => {
   t.is(result[1].message, commits[1].message);
 });
 
+test.serial('Get all commits since gitHead (from lastRelease) on a detached head repo', async t => {
+  // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
+  const repo = await gitRepo();
+  // Add commits to the master branch
+  const commits = await gitCommits(['First', 'Second', 'Third']);
+  // Create a detached head repo at commit 'feat: Second'
+  await gitDetachedHead(repo, commits[1].hash);
+
+  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module, since commit 'First'
+  const result = await getCommits({
+    lastRelease: {gitHead: commits[commits.length - 1].hash},
+    options: {branch: 'master'},
+  });
+
+  // Verify the module retrieved only the commit 'feat: Second' (included in the detached and after 'fix: First')
+  t.is(result.length, 1);
+  t.is(result[0].hash.substring(0, 7), commits[1].hash);
+  t.is(result[0].message, commits[1].message);
+});
+
 test.serial('Get all commits since gitHead (from tag) ', async t => {
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
   await gitRepo();
   // Add commits to the master branch
-  let commits = await gitCommits(['fix: First fix']);
+  let commits = await gitCommits(['First']);
   // Create the tag corresponding to version 1.0.0
   await gitTagVersion('1.0.0');
   // Add new commits to the master branch
-  commits = (await gitCommits(['feat: Second feature', 'feat: Third feature'])).concat(commits);
+  commits = (await gitCommits(['Second', 'Third'])).concat(commits);
 
-  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module
-  const result = await getCommits({lastRelease: {version: `1.0.0`}, options: {branch: 'master'}});
+  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module, since commit 'First' (associated with tag v1.0.0)
+  const result = await getCommits({lastRelease: {version: '1.0.0'}, options: {branch: 'master'}});
 
   // Verify the commits created and retrieved by the module are identical
   t.is(result.length, 2);
@@ -101,18 +130,82 @@ test.serial('Get all commits since gitHead (from tag) ', async t => {
   t.is(result[1].message, commits[1].message);
 });
 
+test.serial('Get all commits since gitHead (from tag) on a detached head repo', async t => {
+  // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
+  const repo = await gitRepo();
+  // Add commits to the master branch
+  let commits = await gitCommits(['First']);
+  // Create the tag corresponding to version 1.0.0
+  await gitTagVersion('1.0.0');
+  // Add new commits to the master branch
+  commits = (await gitCommits(['Second', 'Third'])).concat(commits);
+  // Create a detached head repo at commit 'feat: Second'
+  await gitDetachedHead(repo, commits[1].hash);
+
+  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module, since commit 'First' (associated with tag 1.0.0)
+  const result = await getCommits({lastRelease: {version: '1.0.0'}, options: {branch: 'master'}});
+
+  // Verify the module retrieved only the commit 'feat: Second' (included in the detached and after 'fix: First')
+  t.is(result.length, 1);
+  t.is(result[0].hash.substring(0, 7), commits[1].hash);
+  t.is(result[0].message, commits[1].message);
+});
+
 test.serial('Get all commits since gitHead (from tag formatted like v<version>) ', async t => {
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
   await gitRepo();
   // Add commits to the master branch
-  let commits = await gitCommits(['fix: First fix']);
+  let commits = await gitCommits(['First']);
   // Create the tag corresponding to version 1.0.0
   await gitTagVersion('v1.0.0');
   // Add new commits to the master branch
-  commits = (await gitCommits(['feat: Second feature', 'feat: Third feature'])).concat(commits);
+  commits = (await gitCommits(['Second', 'Third'])).concat(commits);
 
-  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module
-  const result = await getCommits({lastRelease: {version: `1.0.0`}, options: {branch: 'master'}});
+  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module, since commit 'First' (associated with tag v1.0.0)
+  const result = await getCommits({lastRelease: {version: '1.0.0'}, options: {branch: 'master'}});
+
+  // Verify the commits created and retrieved by the module are identical
+  t.is(result.length, 2);
+  t.is(result[0].hash.substring(0, 7), commits[0].hash);
+  t.is(result[0].message, commits[0].message);
+  t.is(result[1].hash.substring(0, 7), commits[1].hash);
+  t.is(result[1].message, commits[1].message);
+});
+
+test.serial('Get commits when last release gitHead is missing but a tag match the version', async t => {
+  // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
+  await gitRepo();
+  // Add commits to the master branch
+  let commits = await gitCommits(['First']);
+  // Create the tag corresponding to version 1.0.0
+  await gitTagVersion('v1.0.0');
+  // Add new commits to the master branch
+  commits = (await gitCommits(['Second', 'Third'])).concat(commits);
+
+  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module, since commit 'First' (associated with tag v1.0.0)
+  const result = await getCommits({lastRelease: {version: '1.0.0', gitHead: 'missing'}, options: {branch: 'master'}});
+
+  // Verify the commits created and retrieved by the module are identical
+  t.is(result.length, 2);
+  t.is(result[0].hash.substring(0, 7), commits[0].hash);
+  t.is(result[0].message, commits[0].message);
+  t.is(result[1].hash.substring(0, 7), commits[1].hash);
+  t.is(result[1].message, commits[1].message);
+});
+
+test.serial('Get all commits since gitHead, when gitHead are mising from the shallow clone', async t => {
+  // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
+  const repo = await gitRepo();
+  // Add commits to the master branch
+  const commits = await gitCommits(['First', 'Second', 'Third']);
+  // Create a shallow clone with only 1 commit and no tags
+  await gitShallowClone(repo);
+
+  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module, since commit 'First'
+  const result = await getCommits({
+    lastRelease: {version: '1.0.0', gitHead: commits[commits.length - 1].hash},
+    options: {branch: 'master'},
+  });
 
   // Verify the commits created and retrieved by the module are identical
   t.is(result.length, 2);
@@ -126,19 +219,19 @@ test.serial('Get all commits since gitHead from tag, when tags are mising from t
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
   const repo = await gitRepo();
   // Add commits to the master branch
-  let commits = await gitCommits(['fix: First fix']);
+  let commits = await gitCommits(['First']);
   // Create the tag corresponding to version 1.0.0
   await gitTagVersion('v1.0.0');
   // Add new commits to the master branch
-  commits = (await gitCommits(['feat: Second feature', 'feat: Third feature'])).concat(commits);
+  commits = (await gitCommits(['Second', 'Third'])).concat(commits);
   // Create a shallow clone with only 1 commit and no tags
   await gitShallowClone(repo);
 
   // Verify the shallow clone does not contains any tags
   t.is((await gitTags()).length, 0);
 
-  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module
-  const result = await getCommits({lastRelease: {version: `1.0.0`}, options: {branch: 'master'}});
+  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module, since commit 'First' (associated with tag v1.0.0)
+  const result = await getCommits({lastRelease: {version: '1.0.0'}, options: {branch: 'master'}});
 
   // Verify the commits created and retrieved by the module are identical
   t.is(result.length, 2);
@@ -148,20 +241,20 @@ test.serial('Get all commits since gitHead from tag, when tags are mising from t
   t.is(result[1].message, commits[1].message);
 });
 
-test.serial('Return empty array if there is no commits', async t => {
+test.serial('Return empty array if lastRelease.gitHead is the last commit', async t => {
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
   await gitRepo();
   // Add commits to the master branch
-  const commits = await gitCommits(['fix: First fix', 'feat: Second feature']);
+  const commits = await gitCommits(['First', 'Second']);
 
-  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module
+  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module, since commit 'Second' (therefore none)
   const result = await getCommits({lastRelease: {gitHead: commits[0].hash}, options: {branch: 'master'}});
 
   // Verify no commit is retrieved
   t.deepEqual(result, []);
 });
 
-test.serial('Return empty array if lastRelease.gitHead is the last commit', async t => {
+test.serial('Return empty array if there is no commits', async t => {
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
   await gitRepo();
 
@@ -176,7 +269,7 @@ test.serial('Throws ENOGITHEAD error if the gitHead of the last release cannot b
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
   await gitRepo();
   // Add commits to the master branch
-  await gitCommits(['fix: First fix', 'feat: Second feature']);
+  await gitCommits(['First', 'Second']);
 
   // Retrieve the commits with the commits module
   const error = await t.throws(getCommits({lastRelease: {version: '1.0.0'}, options: {branch: 'master'}}));
@@ -195,7 +288,7 @@ test.serial('Throws ENOTINHISTORY error if gitHead is not in history', async t =
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
   await gitRepo();
   // Add commits to the master branch
-  await gitCommits(['fix: First fix', 'feat: Second feature']);
+  await gitCommits(['First', 'Second']);
 
   // Retrieve the commits with the commits module
   const error = await t.throws(getCommits({lastRelease: {gitHead: 'notinhistory'}, options: {branch: 'master'}}));
@@ -218,8 +311,7 @@ test.serial('Throws ENOTINHISTORY error if gitHead is not in branch history but
   await gitCheckout('other-branch');
   // Add commits to the 'other-branch' branch
   const commitsBranch = await gitCommits(['Third', 'Fourth']);
-  // Create the new branch 'another-branch' from 'other-branch'
-  await gitCheckout('another-branch');
+  await gitCheckout('master', false);
 
   // Retrieve the commits with the commits module
   const error = await t.throws(
@@ -233,6 +325,59 @@ test.serial('Throws ENOTINHISTORY error if gitHead is not in branch history but
   t.regex(errorLog.firstCall.args[1], /history of the "master" branch/);
   // Verify the log function has been called with a message mentionning the missing gitHead
   t.regex(errorLog.firstCall.args[1], new RegExp(`restoring the commit "${commitsBranch[0].hash}"`));
-  // Verify the log function has been called with a message mentionning the branches that contains the gitHead
-  t.regex(errorLog.firstCall.args[1], /\* another-branch\s+\* other-branch/);
+});
+
+test.serial('Throws ENOTINHISTORY error if gitHead is not in detached head but present in other branch', async t => {
+  // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
+  const repo = await gitRepo();
+  // Add commit to the master branch
+  await gitCommits(['First']);
+  // Create the new branch 'other-branch' from master
+  await gitCheckout('other-branch');
+  // Add commits to the 'other-branch' branch
+  const commitsBranch = await gitCommits(['Second', 'Third']);
+  await gitCheckout('master', false);
+  // Add new commit to master branch
+  const commitsMaster = await gitCommits(['Fourth']);
+  // Create a detached head repo at commit 'Fourth'
+  await gitDetachedHead(repo, commitsMaster[0].hash);
+
+  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module, since commit 'Second'
+  const error = await t.throws(
+    getCommits({lastRelease: {version: '1.0.1', gitHead: commitsBranch[0].hash}, options: {branch: 'master'}})
+  );
+
+  // Verify error code and message
+  t.is(error.code, 'ENOTINHISTORY');
+  t.true(error instanceof SemanticReleaseError);
+  // Verify the log function has been called with a message mentionning the branch
+  t.regex(errorLog.firstCall.args[1], /history of the "master" branch/);
+  // Verify the log function has been called with a message mentionning the missing gitHead
+  t.regex(errorLog.firstCall.args[1], new RegExp(`restoring the commit "${commitsBranch[0].hash}"`));
+});
+
+test.serial('Throws ENOTINHISTORY error when a tag is not in branch history but present in others', async t => {
+  // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
+  await gitRepo();
+  // Add commits to the master branch
+  await gitCommits(['First', 'Second']);
+  // Create the new branch 'other-branch' from master
+  await gitCheckout('other-branch');
+  // Add commits to the 'other-branch' branch
+  await gitCommits(['Third']);
+  // Create the tag corresponding to version 1.0.0
+  const shaTag = await gitTagVersion('v1.0.0');
+  await gitCheckout('master', false);
+  // Add new commit to the master branch
+  await gitCommits(['Forth']);
+
+  // Retrieve the commits with the commits module
+  const error = await t.throws(getCommits({lastRelease: {version: '1.0.0'}, options: {branch: 'master'}}));
+  // Verify error code and message
+  t.is(error.code, 'ENOTINHISTORY');
+  t.true(error instanceof SemanticReleaseError);
+  // Verify the log function has been called with a message mentionning the branch
+  t.regex(errorLog.firstCall.args[1], /history of the "master" branch/);
+  // Verify the log function has been called with a message mentionning the missing gitHead
+  t.regex(errorLog.firstCall.args[1], new RegExp(`restoring the commit "${shaTag}"`));
 });
diff --git a/test/helpers/git-utils.js b/test/helpers/git-utils.js
index f2811e19..d01a0d38 100644
--- a/test/helpers/git-utils.js
+++ b/test/helpers/git-utils.js
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export async function gitRepo() {
  *
  * @param {Array<string>} messages commit messages.
  * 
- * @returns {Array<Commit>} commits the created commits, in reverse order (to match `git log` order).
+ * @returns {Array<Commit>} The created commits, in reverse order (to match `git log` order).
  */
 export async function gitCommits(messages) {
   return (await pMapSeries(messages, async msg => {
@@ -45,6 +45,19 @@ export async function gitCommits(messages) {
   })).reverse();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Amend a commit (rewriting the sha) on the current git repository.
+ *
+ * @param {string} messages commit message.
+ * 
+ * @returns {Array<Commit>} the created commits.
+ */
+export async function gitAmmendCommit(msg) {
+  const {stdout} = await execa('git', ['commit', '--amend', '-m', msg, '--allow-empty']);
+  const [, branch, hash, message] = /^\[(\w+)\(?.*?\)?(\w+)\] (.+)(.|\s)+$/.exec(stdout);
+  return {branch, hash, message};
+}
+
 /**
  * Checkout a branch on the current git repository.
  *
@@ -52,7 +65,7 @@ export async function gitCommits(messages) {
  * @param {boolean} create `true` to create the branche ans switch, `false` to only switch.
  */
 export async function gitCheckout(branch, create = true) {
-  await execa('git', ['checkout', create ? '-b' : null, branch]);
+  await execa('git', create ? ['checkout', '-b', branch] : ['checkout', branch]);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -66,9 +79,13 @@ export async function gitHead() {
  * Create a tag on the head commit in the current git repository.
  *
  * @param {string} tagName The tag name to create.
+ * @param {string} [sha] The commit on which to create the tag. If undefined the tag is created on the last commit.
+ *
+ * @return {string} The commit sha of the created tag.
  */
-export async function gitTagVersion(tagName) {
-  await execa('git', ['tag', tagName]);
+export async function gitTagVersion(tagName, sha) {
+  await execa('git', sha ? ['tag', '-f', tagName, sha] : ['tag', tagName]);
+  return (await execa('git', ['rev-list', '-1', '--tags', tagName])).stdout;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -93,11 +110,29 @@ export async function gitLog() {
  * @param {number} [depth=1] The number of commit to clone.
  * @return {string} The path of the cloned repository.
  */
-export async function gitShallowClone(origin, depth = 1) {
+export async function gitShallowClone(origin, branch = 'master', depth = 1) {
   const dir = tempy.directory();
 
   process.chdir(dir);
-  await execa('git', ['clone', '--no-hardlinks', '--no-tags', '--depth', depth, `file://${origin}`, dir]);
+  await execa('git', ['clone', '--no-hardlinks', '--no-tags', '-b', branch, '--depth', depth, `file://${origin}`, dir]);
+  return dir;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Create a git repo with a detached head from another git repository and change the current working directory to the new repository root.
+ * 
+ * @param {string} origin The path of the repository to clone.
+ * @param {number} head A commit sha of the origin repo that will become the detached head of the new one.
+ * @return {string} The path of the new repository.
+ */
+export async function gitDetachedHead(origin, head) {
+  const dir = tempy.directory();
+
+  process.chdir(dir);
+  await execa('git', ['init']);
+  await execa('git', ['remote', 'add', 'origin', origin]);
+  await execa('git', ['fetch']);
+  await execa('git', ['checkout', head]);
   return dir;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/integration.test.js b/test/integration.test.js
index 6d8b5e71..595a91e0 100644
--- a/test/integration.test.js
+++ b/test/integration.test.js
@@ -1,9 +1,18 @@
 import test from 'ava';
 import {writeJson, readJson} from 'fs-extra';
 import {start, stop, uri} from './helpers/registry';
-import {gitRepo, gitCommits, gitHead, gitTagVersion, gitPackRefs} from './helpers/git-utils';
+import {gitRepo, gitCommits, gitHead, gitTagVersion, gitPackRefs, gitAmmendCommit} from './helpers/git-utils';
 import execa from 'execa';
 
+// Environment variables used with cli
+const env = {
+  CI: true,
+  npm_config_registry: uri,
+  GH_TOKEN: 'github_token',
+  NPM_OLD_TOKEN: 'aW50ZWdyYXRpb246c3VjaHNlY3VyZQ==',
+  NPM_EMAIL: 'integration@test.com',
+};
+
 test.before(async t => {
   // Start the local NPM registry
   await start();
@@ -25,14 +34,6 @@ test.after.always(async t => {
 });
 
 test.serial('Release patch, minor and major versions', async t => {
-  // Environment variables used with cli
-  const env = {
-    CI: true,
-    npm_config_registry: uri,
-    GH_TOKEN: 'github_token',
-    NPM_OLD_TOKEN: 'aW50ZWdyYXRpb246c3VjaHNlY3VyZQ==',
-    NPM_EMAIL: 'integration@test.com',
-  };
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
   t.log('Create git repository');
   await gitRepo();
@@ -146,14 +147,6 @@ test.serial('Release patch, minor and major versions', async t => {
 });
 
 test.serial('Release versions from a packed git repository, using tags to determine last release gitHead', async t => {
-  // Environment variables used with cli
-  const env = {
-    CI: true,
-    npm_config_registry: uri,
-    GH_TOKEN: 'github_token',
-    NPM_OLD_TOKEN: 'aW50ZWdyYXRpb246c3VjaHNlY3VyZQ==',
-    NPM_EMAIL: 'integration@test.com',
-  };
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
   t.log('Create git repository');
   await gitRepo();
@@ -230,3 +223,82 @@ test.serial('Exit with 1 in a plugin is not found', async t => {
   const {code} = await t.throws(execa(require.resolve('../bin/semantic-release'), ['pre'], {env}));
   t.is(code, 1);
 });
+
+test.serial('Create a tag as a recovery solution for "ENOTINHISTORY" error', async t => {
+  // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
+  t.log('Create git repository');
+  await gitRepo();
+
+  // Create package.json in repository root
+  await writeJson('./package.json', {
+    name: 'test-module-4',
+    version: '0.0.0-dev',
+    repository: {url: 'git+https://github.com/semantic-release/test-module-2'},
+    release: {verifyConditions: require.resolve('../src/lib/plugin-noop')},
+  });
+
+  /** Minor release **/
+
+  t.log('Commit a feature');
+  await gitCommits(['feat: Initial commit']);
+  t.log('$ semantic-release pre');
+  let {stdout, stderr, code} = await execa(require.resolve('../bin/semantic-release'), ['pre'], {env});
+  // Verify package.json has been updated
+  t.is((await readJson('./package.json')).version, '1.0.0');
+  t.log('$ npm publish');
+  ({stdout, code} = await execa('npm', ['publish'], {env}));
+  // Verify output of npm publish
+  t.regex(stdout, /test-module-4@1.0.0/);
+  t.is(code, 0);
+  // Retrieve the published package from the registry and check version and gitHead
+  let [, version, releaseGitHead] = /^version = '(.+)'\s+gitHead = '(.+)'$/.exec(
+    (await execa('npm', ['show', 'test-module-4', 'version', 'gitHead'], {env})).stdout
+  );
+  const head = await gitHead();
+  t.is(releaseGitHead, head);
+  t.log(`+ released ${version}`);
+  t.is(version, '1.0.0');
+  // Create a tag version so the tag can be used later to determine the commit associated with the version
+  await gitTagVersion('v1.0.0');
+  t.log('Create git tag v1.0.0');
+
+  /** Rewrite sha of commit used for release **/
+
+  t.log('Amend release commit');
+  const {hash} = await gitAmmendCommit('feat: Initial commit');
+
+  /** Patch release **/
+
+  t.log('Commit a fix');
+  await gitCommits(['fix: bar']);
+  t.log('$ semantic-release pre');
+  ({stderr, stdout, code} = await execa(require.resolve('../bin/semantic-release'), ['pre'], {env, reject: false}));
+
+  t.log('Fail with "ENOTINHISTORY" error');
+  t.is(code, 1);
+  t.regex(
+    stderr,
+    new RegExp(
+      `You can recover from this error by restoring the commit "${head}" or by creating a tag for the version "1.0.0" on the commit corresponding to this release`
+    )
+  );
+
+  /** Create a tag to recover and redo release **/
+
+  t.log('Create git tag v1.0.0 to recover');
+  await gitTagVersion('v1.0.0', hash);
+
+  t.log('$ semantic-release pre');
+  ({stderr, stdout, code} = await execa(require.resolve('../bin/semantic-release'), ['pre'], {env}));
+  // Verify package.json has been updated
+  t.is((await readJson('./package.json')).version, '1.0.1');
+  t.log('$ npm publish');
+  ({stdout, code} = await execa('npm', ['publish'], {env}));
+  // Verify output of npm publish
+  t.regex(stdout, /test-module-4@1.0.1/);
+  t.is(code, 0);
+  // Retrieve the published package from the registry and check version and gitHead
+  version = (await execa('npm', ['show', 'test-module-4', 'version'], {env})).stdout;
+  t.is(version, '1.0.1');
+  t.log(`+ released ${version}`);
+});