diff --git a/src/main/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/NetflixOssStrategies.groovy b/src/main/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/NetflixOssStrategies.groovy
index fc5fa0a..e8239de 100644
--- a/src/main/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/NetflixOssStrategies.groovy
+++ b/src/main/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/NetflixOssStrategies.groovy
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import org.gradle.api.Project
 
 import java.util.regex.Pattern
 
+import static org.ajoberstar.gradle.git.release.semver.StrategyUtil.all
 import static org.ajoberstar.gradle.git.release.semver.StrategyUtil.incrementNormalFromScope
 import static org.ajoberstar.gradle.git.release.semver.StrategyUtil.parseIntOrZero
 
@@ -47,18 +48,36 @@ class NetflixOssStrategies {
     static final class BuildMetadata {
         static ReleaseExtension nebulaReleaseExtension
 
-        static final PartialSemVerStrategy DEVELOPMENT_METADATA_STRATEGY = { state ->
+        static final PartialSemVerStrategy BRANCH_METADATA_STRATEGY = { state ->
             boolean needsBranchMetadata = true
             nebulaReleaseExtension.releaseBranchPatterns.each {
                 if (state.currentBranch.name =~ it) {
                     needsBranchMetadata = false
                 }
             }
-            String shortenedBranch = (state.currentBranch.name =~ nebulaReleaseExtension.shortenedBranchPattern)[0][1]
+
+            if (!needsBranchMetadata) {
+                return state
+            }
+
+            def match = state.currentBranch.name =~
+                    nebulaReleaseExtension.shortenedBranchPattern
+            if (!match) {
+                return state
+            }
+            String shortenedBranch = match[0][1]
             shortenedBranch = shortenedBranch.replaceAll(/[_\/-]/, '.')
-            def metadata = needsBranchMetadata ? "${shortenedBranch}.${state.currentHead.abbreviatedId}" : state.currentHead.abbreviatedId
-            state.copyWith(inferredBuildMetadata: metadata)
+
+            def inferred = state.inferredBuildMetadata ?
+                    "${shortenedBranch}.${state.inferredBuildMetadata}" :
+                    shortenedBranch
+            state.copyWith(inferredBuildMetadata: inferred)
         }
+
+        static final PartialSemVerStrategy DEVELOPMENT_METADATA_STRATEGY = all(
+                Strategies.BuildMetadata.COMMIT_ABBREVIATED_ID,
+                BRANCH_METADATA_STRATEGY
+        )
     }
 
     static Project project
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/NetflixOssStrategiesSpec.groovy b/src/test/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/NetflixOssStrategiesSpec.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c248422
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/NetflixOssStrategiesSpec.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+package nebula.plugin.release
+
+import org.ajoberstar.gradle.git.release.opinion.Strategies
+import org.ajoberstar.gradle.git.release.semver.SemVerStrategyState
+import org.ajoberstar.grgit.Branch
+import org.ajoberstar.grgit.Commit
+import spock.lang.Specification
+
+import static org.ajoberstar.gradle.git.release.semver.StrategyUtil.all
+
+class NetflixOssStrategiesSpec extends Specification {
+    def setup() {
+        NetflixOssStrategies.BuildMetadata.nebulaReleaseExtension = new ReleaseExtension()
+    }
+
+    def 'BRANCH_METADATA_STRATEGY adds info extracted by shortenedBranchPattern'() {
+        given:
+        def initialState = new SemVerStrategyState(
+                currentBranch: new Branch(fullName: 'refs/heads/feature/some-cool-feat')
+        )
+
+        expect:
+        NetflixOssStrategies.BuildMetadata.BRANCH_METADATA_STRATEGY.infer(initialState) ==
+                initialState.copyWith(inferredBuildMetadata: 'some.cool.feat')
+    }
+
+    def 'BRANCH_METADATA_STRATEGY composes with COMMIT_ABBREVIATED_ID'() {
+        given:
+        def initialState = new SemVerStrategyState(
+                currentBranch: new Branch(fullName: 'refs/heads/feature/some-cool-feat'),
+                currentHead: new Commit(id: 'ac6a4b15e1a9b02970937f327cc6890226d80210')
+        )
+        def strategy = all(
+                Strategies.BuildMetadata.COMMIT_ABBREVIATED_ID,
+                NetflixOssStrategies.BuildMetadata.BRANCH_METADATA_STRATEGY
+        )
+
+        expect:
+        strategy.infer(initialState) == initialState.copyWith(
+                inferredBuildMetadata: 'some.cool.feat.ac6a4b1'
+        )
+    }
+
+    def 'BRANCH_METADATA_STRATEGY does nothing if branch excluded by releaseBranchPatterns'() {
+        given:
+        def initialState = stateWithBranch('master')
+
+        expect:
+        NetflixOssStrategies.BuildMetadata.BRANCH_METADATA_STRATEGY.
+                infer(initialState) == initialState
+    }
+
+    def 'BRANCH_METADATA_STRATEGY does nothing if branch does not match shortenedBranchPattern'() {
+        given:
+        NetflixOssStrategies.BuildMetadata.nebulaReleaseExtension.
+                shortenedBranchPattern = /(?:(?:bugfix|feature|hotfix|release)(?:-|\/))?(\d+)/
+        def initialState = stateWithBranch('feature/some-cool-feat')
+
+        expect:
+        NetflixOssStrategies.BuildMetadata.BRANCH_METADATA_STRATEGY.
+                infer(initialState) == initialState
+    }
+
+    private static SemVerStrategyState stateWithBranch(String name) {
+        new SemVerStrategyState(
+                currentBranch: new Branch(fullName: "refs/heads/${name}")
+        )
+    }
+}