diff --git a/pkg/cmd/pr/create/create_test.go b/pkg/cmd/pr/create/create_test.go
index 6b79551bf..f3426702f 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/pr/create/create_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/pr/create/create_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
+	"os"
+	"path"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -314,7 +316,7 @@ func TestPRCreate_nonLegacyTemplate(t *testing.T) {
 
 	eq(t, reqBody.Variables.Input.RepositoryID, "REPOID")
 	eq(t, reqBody.Variables.Input.Title, "my title")
-	eq(t, reqBody.Variables.Input.Body, "Fixes a bug and Closes an issue")
+	eq(t, reqBody.Variables.Input.Body, "- commit 1\n- commit 0\n\nFixes a bug and Closes an issue")
 	eq(t, reqBody.Variables.Input.BaseRefName, "master")
 	eq(t, reqBody.Variables.Input.HeadRefName, "feature")
 
@@ -851,6 +853,77 @@ func TestPRCreate_survey_defaults_monocommit(t *testing.T) {
 	eq(t, output.String(), "https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/pull/12\n")
 }
 
+func TestPRCreate_survey_defaults_monocommit_template(t *testing.T) {
+	http := initFakeHTTP()
+	defer http.Verify(t)
+
+	http.Register(httpmock.GraphQL(`query RepositoryNetwork\b`), httpmock.StringResponse(httpmock.RepoNetworkStubResponse("OWNER", "REPO", "master", "WRITE")))
+	http.Register(httpmock.GraphQL(`query RepositoryFindFork\b`), httpmock.StringResponse(`
+		{ "data": { "repository": { "forks": { "nodes": [
+		] } } } }
+	`))
+	http.Register(httpmock.GraphQL(`query PullRequestForBranch\b`), httpmock.StringResponse(`
+		{ "data": { "repository": { "pullRequests": { "nodes" : [
+		] } } } }
+	`))
+	http.Register(httpmock.GraphQL(`mutation PullRequestCreate\b`), httpmock.GraphQLMutation(`
+		{ "data": { "createPullRequest": { "pullRequest": {
+			"URL": "https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/pull/12"
+		} } } }
+	`, func(inputs map[string]interface{}) {
+		eq(t, inputs["repositoryId"], "REPOID")
+		eq(t, inputs["title"], "the sky above the port")
+		eq(t, inputs["body"], "was the color of a television\n\n... turned to a dead channel")
+		eq(t, inputs["baseRefName"], "master")
+		eq(t, inputs["headRefName"], "feature")
+	}))
+
+	cs, cmdTeardown := test.InitCmdStubber()
+	defer cmdTeardown()
+
+	tmpdir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "gh-cli")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpdir)
+
+	templateFp := path.Join(tmpdir, ".github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md")
+	_ = os.MkdirAll(path.Dir(templateFp), 0700)
+	_ = ioutil.WriteFile(templateFp, []byte("... turned to a dead channel"), 0700)
+
+	cs.Stub("")                                  // git config --get-regexp (determineTrackingBranch)
+	cs.Stub("")                                  // git show-ref --verify   (determineTrackingBranch)
+	cs.Stub("")                                  // git status
+	cs.Stub("1234567890,the sky above the port") // git log
+	cs.Stub("was the color of a television")     // git show
+	cs.Stub(tmpdir)                              // git rev-parse
+	cs.Stub("")                                  // git push
+
+	as, surveyTeardown := prompt.InitAskStubber()
+	defer surveyTeardown()
+
+	as.Stub([]*prompt.QuestionStub{
+		{
+			Name:    "title",
+			Default: true,
+		},
+		{
+			Name:    "body",
+			Default: true,
+		},
+	})
+	as.Stub([]*prompt.QuestionStub{
+		{
+			Name:  "confirmation",
+			Value: 0,
+		},
+	})
+
+	output, err := runCommand(http, nil, "feature", true, ``)
+	eq(t, err, nil)
+	eq(t, output.String(), "https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/pull/12\n")
+}
+
 func TestPRCreate_survey_autofill_nontty(t *testing.T) {
 	http := initFakeHTTP()
 	defer http.Verify(t)
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/pr/shared/title_body_survey.go b/pkg/cmd/pr/shared/title_body_survey.go
index 3afeba803..83a50e0ff 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/pr/shared/title_body_survey.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/pr/shared/title_body_survey.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package shared
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/api"
@@ -154,18 +155,26 @@ func TitleBodySurvey(io *iostreams.IOStreams, editorCommand string, issueState *
 	templateContents := ""
 
 	if providedBody == "" {
+		issueState.Body = defs.Body
+
 		if len(nonLegacyTemplatePaths) > 0 {
 			var err error
 			templateContents, err = selectTemplate(nonLegacyTemplatePaths, legacyTemplatePath, issueState.Type)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			issueState.Body = templateContents
+
 		} else if legacyTemplatePath != nil {
 			templateContents = string(githubtemplate.ExtractContents(*legacyTemplatePath))
-			issueState.Body = templateContents
-		} else {
-			issueState.Body = defs.Body
+		}
+
+		if templateContents != "" {
+			if issueState.Body != "" {
+				// prevent excessive newlines between default body and template
+				issueState.Body = strings.TrimRight(issueState.Body, "\n")
+				issueState.Body += "\n\n"
+			}
+			issueState.Body += templateContents
 		}
 	}