I understand the frustration around GitHub’s PR ownership system, especially when multiple people contribute to a branch over time. PR ownership doesn’t always reflect the full picture of contribution, and GitHub’s current approach has limitations that companies and teams have to work around.

In many workflows, the person who opens the PR is not always the sole contributor. If a PR is left open for an extended period and others take over the work, it’s reasonable for those contributors to want recognition for their efforts. Unfortunately, GitHub’s squash merge feature attaches the final commit to the original PR opener, which can be misleading.

While some advocate for simply continuing to push to the existing PR, that doesn’t address the issue of visibility and proper attribution. In cases where a new lead takes over, closing the old PR and opening a new one ensures that the correct person is acknowledged as the driver of the work. This isn’t about erasing past contributions—it’s about accurately reflecting who saw the work through to completion.

If GitHub allowed PR ownership to be reassigned, this wouldn’t be a problem. Given the current system, reopening a PR under a new name can be the best way to provide clarity these situations.