diff --git a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
index 70c6c946d2..060d79039e 100644
--- a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
+++ b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
@@ -3,5 +3,7 @@ For Security Vulnerabilities, please use https://pivotal.io/security#reporting
 -->
 
 <!--
-Thanks for contributing to Spring Security. Please provide a brief description of your pull-request and reference any related issue numbers (prefix references with #).
+Before creating new features, we recommend creating an issue to discuss the feature. This ensures that everyone is on the same page before extensive work is done.
+
+Thanks for contributing to Spring Security. Please provide a brief description of your pull-request and reference any related issue numbers (prefix references with gh-).
 -->