diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 336e211d6f..ebc5731da6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -365,16 +365,8 @@ There are no changes between 1.0.0 and the previous 0.33.0 version.
 
 * fix(sdk-web): parse url with relative url string [#2972](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/pull/2972) @legendecas
 
-### :books: (Refine Doc)
-
-### :house: (Internal)
-
 ## 1.2.0
 
-### :boom: Breaking Change
-
-### :rocket: (Enhancement)
-
 ### :bug: (Bug Fix)
 
 * fix: sanitize attributes inputs [#2881](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/pull/2881) @legendecas
@@ -2290,7 +2282,9 @@ Released 2020-03-19
 
 Released 2020-03-16
 
-### This is a first official beta release, which provides almost fully complete metrics, tracing, and context propagation functionality but makes no promises around breaking changes
+### First official beta release
+
+* provides almost fully complete metrics, tracing, and context propagation functionality but makes **no promises** around breaking changes
 
 ### :boom: Breaking Change
 
diff --git a/experimental/CHANGELOG.md b/experimental/CHANGELOG.md
index b9935e26c5..52fb1a7ab2 100644
--- a/experimental/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/experimental/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,10 +14,6 @@ All notable changes to experimental packages in this project will be documented
 * fix(instrumentation-fetch): only access navigator if it is defined [#4063](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/pull/4063)
   * allows for experimental usage of this instrumentation with non-browser runtimes
 
-### :books: (Refine Doc)
-
-### :house: (Internal)
-
 ## 0.45.1
 
 ### :bug: (Bug Fix)
@@ -183,8 +179,6 @@ All notable changes to experimental packages in this project will be documented
 
 * doc(instrumentation): add limitiations section to readme [#3786](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/pull/3786) @flarna
 
-### :house: (Internal)
-
 ## 0.38.0
 
 ### :boom: Breaking Change
@@ -401,10 +395,6 @@ All notable changes to experimental packages in this project will be documented
 * fix(histogram): fix maximum when only values < -1 are provided [#3086](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/pull/3086) @pichlermarc
 * fix(instrumentation-grpc): always set grpc semcov status code attribute with numeric value [#3076](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/pull/3076) @blumamir
 
-### :books: (Refine Doc)
-
-### :house: (Internal)
-
 ## 0.30.0
 
 ### :boom: Breaking Change
@@ -479,10 +469,6 @@ All notable changes to experimental packages in this project will be documented
 * fix(metrics): specification compliant default metric unit [#2983](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/pull/2983) @andyfleming
 * fix(opentelemetry-instrumentation): use all provided patches for the same file [#2963](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/pull/2963) @Ugzuzg
 
-### :books: (Refine Doc)
-
-### :house: (Internal)
-
 ## 0.28.0
 
 ### :boom: Breaking Change
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4ea5fa489a..a2d3828583 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -37,11 +37,11 @@
 
     "comment_prepare_1": "echo scripts in this section automatically prepare releases. Intended for use by maintainers only.",
     "comment_prepare_2": "echo experimental preparation scripts only prepare experimental packages",
-    "prepare_release:experimental:patch": "npm run _check:no_changes && npm run _backup:package-json && npm run _lerna:remove_api && npm run _lerna:remove_stable && npm run _lerna:version_patch && npm run _restore:package-json",
-    "prepare_release:experimental:minor": "npm run _check:no_changes && npm run _backup:package-json && npm run _lerna:remove_api && npm run _lerna:remove_stable && npm run _lerna:version_minor && npm run _restore:package-json",
+    "prepare_release:experimental:patch": "npm run _check:no_changes && npm run _backup:package-json && npm run _lerna:remove_api && npm run _lerna:remove_stable && npm run _lerna:version_patch && npm run _restore:package-json && npm run _changelog:prepare_experimental",
+    "prepare_release:experimental:minor": "npm run _check:no_changes && npm run _backup:package-json && npm run _lerna:remove_api && npm run _lerna:remove_stable && npm run _lerna:version_minor && npm run _restore:package-json && npm run _changelog:prepare_experimental",
     "comment_prepare_3": "echo sdk preparation scripts prepare all stable and experimental packages",
-    "prepare_release:sdk:patch": "npm run _check:no_changes && npm run _backup:package-json && npm run _lerna:remove_api && npm run _lerna:version_patch && npm run _restore:package-json",
-    "prepare_release:sdk:minor": "npm run _check:no_changes && npm run _backup:package-json && npm run _lerna:remove_api && npm run _lerna:version_minor && npm run _restore:package-json",
+    "prepare_release:sdk:patch": "npm run _check:no_changes && npm run _backup:package-json && npm run _lerna:remove_api && npm run _lerna:version_patch && npm run _restore:package-json && npm run _changelog:prepare_experimental && npm run _changelog:prepare_stable",
+    "prepare_release:sdk:minor": "npm run _check:no_changes && npm run _backup:package-json && npm run _lerna:remove_api && npm run _lerna:version_minor && npm run _restore:package-json && npm run _changelog:prepare_experimental && npm run _changelog:prepare_stable",
     "release:publish": "lerna publish from-package --no-push --no-private --no-git-tag-version --no-verify-access",
 
     "comment_internal": "echo scripts below this line are for internal use",
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@
     "_lerna:remove_api": "node -e 'var fs=require(\"fs\");var p=require(\"./package.json\");p.workspaces=p.workspaces.filter(p=>p!==\"api\");fs.writeFileSync(\"package.json\",JSON.stringify(p,null,2))'",
     "_lerna:remove_stable": "node -e 'var fs=require(\"fs\");var p=require(\"./package.json\");p.workspaces=p.workspaces.filter(p=>p!==\"packages/*\");fs.writeFileSync(\"package.json\",JSON.stringify(p,null,2))'",
     "_lerna:version_patch": "npx lerna version patch --exact --no-git-tag-version --no-push --yes",
-    "_lerna:version_minor": "npx lerna version minor --exact --no-git-tag-version --no-push --yes"
+    "_lerna:version_minor": "npx lerna version minor --exact --no-git-tag-version --no-push --yes",
+    "_changelog:prepare_experimental": "node scripts/update-changelog.js ./experimental/CHANGELOG.md ./experimental/packages/",
+    "_changelog:prepare_stable": "node scripts/update-changelog.js ./CHANGELOG.md ./packages/"
   },
   "repository": "open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js",
   "keywords": [
diff --git a/scripts/update-changelog.js b/scripts/update-changelog.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f131afc0ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/update-changelog.js
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+/**
+ * This script updates changelogs after lerna has updated versions in the respective areas (packages/*, experimental/packages/*)
+ * - removes all empty subsections (bugs, enhancements, etc.) in the changelog.
+ * - replaces the "Unreleased"-header with the version from the first non-private package in the directory (versions are expected to be uniform across a changelog)
+ * - adds a new "Unreleased"-header with empty subsections at the top
+ *
+ * Usage (from project root):
+ * - node scripts/update-changelog.js [PATH TO CHANGELOG] [DIRECTORY CONTAINING ASSOCIATED PACKAGES]
+ * Examples:
+ * - node scripts/update-changelog.js ./CHANGELOG.md ./packages
+ * - node scripts/update-changelog.js ./experimental/CHANGELOG.md ./experimental/packages
+ */
+
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require("path");
+
+const EMPTY_UNRELEASED_SECTION = `## Unreleased
+
+### :boom: Breaking Change
+
+### :rocket: (Enhancement)
+
+### :bug: (Bug Fix)
+
+### :books: (Refine Doc)
+
+### :house: (Internal)
+
+`
+
+function findFirstPackageVersion(basePath){
+  const packageDirs = fs.readdirSync(basePath);
+  for(const packageDir of packageDirs){
+    const packageJsonPath = path.join(basePath, packageDir, 'package.json');
+    try {
+      const packageJson =  JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(packageJsonPath, 'utf-8'));
+
+      if(packageJson.private === true || packageJson.private === 'true'){
+        console.log('Skipping version from private package at', packageJsonPath);
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      if(packageJson.version != null){
+        return packageJson.version;
+      }
+
+      console.log('Version in', packageJsonPath, 'was null or undefined, skipping');
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.log('Could not get package JSON', packageJsonPath, err);
+    }
+  }
+  throw new Error('Unable to extract version from packages in ' + basePath);
+}
+
+// no special handling for bad args as this is only intended for use via predefined npm scripts.
+const changelogPath = path.resolve(process.argv[2]);
+const version = findFirstPackageVersion(path.resolve(process.argv[3]));
+
+const changelog = fs.readFileSync(changelogPath, 'utf8').toString()
+  // replace all empty sections
+  .replace(new RegExp('^###.*\n*(?=^##)', 'gm'), '')
+  // replace unreleased header with new unreleased section and a version header for the former unreleased section
+  .replace(RegExp('## Unreleased'), EMPTY_UNRELEASED_SECTION + '## ' + version);
+
+fs.writeFileSync(changelogPath, changelog);