Packit doesn't support %autorelease
See for example: https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/man-pages-l10n/pull-request/9#request_diff

`%autorelease` docs: https://docs.pagure.org/Fedora-Infra.rpmautospec/autorelease.html


diff --git a/packit/base_git.py b/packit/base_git.py
index 436d3299..3d3bb01d 100644
--- a/packit/base_git.py
+++ b/packit/base_git.py
@@ -423,6 +423,7 @@ class PackitRepositoryBase:
         if (
             previous_version != self.specfile.expanded_version
             and previous_release == self.specfile.release
+            and self.specfile.release != "%autorelease"
         ):
             # This may occur if the upstream forgets to reset release after
             # bumping the version, or if the specfile is not maintained in
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_base_git.py b/tests/unit/test_base_git.py
index 9b8a7830..9c5ae469 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_base_git.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_base_git.py
@@ -458,40 +458,48 @@ def test_set_spec_content(tmp_path):
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "up_release,reset",
+    "dg_raw_release,up_raw_release,expected_dg_release",
     [
-        ("2", True),
-        ("3", False),
+        ("2%{?dist}", "2%{?dist}", "1"),
+        ("2%{?dist}", "3%{?dist}", "3"),
+        ("%autorelease", "%autorelease", "%autorelease"),
     ],
 )
-def test_set_spec_content_reset_release(tmp_path, up_release, reset):
+def test_set_spec_content_reset_release(
+    tmp_path, dg_raw_release, up_raw_release, expected_dg_release
+):
+    def changelog(release):
+        # %autorelease implies %autochangelog
+        if release == "%autorelease":
+            return "%autochangelog\\n"
+        return (
+            "* Mon Mar 04 2019 Foo Bor <foo-bor@example.com> - 1.0-1\\n"
+            "- Initial package.\\n"
+        )
+
     distgit_spec_contents = (
         "Name: bring-me-to-the-life\\n"
         "Version: 1.0\\n"
-        "Release: 2%{?dist}\\n"
+        f"Release: {dg_raw_release}\\n"
         "Source0: foo.bar\\n"
         "License: GPLv3+\\n"
         "Summary: evanescence\\n"
         "%description\\n-\\n\\n"
         "%changelog\\n"
-        "* Mon Mar 04 2019 Foo Bor <foo-bor@example.com> - 1.0-1\\n"
-        "- Initial package.\\n"
-    )
+    ) + changelog(dg_raw_release)
     distgit_spec_path = tmp_path / "life.spec"
     distgit_spec_path.write_text(distgit_spec_contents)
 
     upstream_spec_contents = (
         "Name: bring-me-to-the-life\\n"
         "Version: 1.0\\n"
-        f"Release: {up_release}%{{?dist}}\\n"
+        f"Release: {up_raw_release}\\n"
         "Source0: foo.bor\\n"
         "License: MIT\\n"
         "Summary: evanescence, I was brought to life\\n"
         "%description\\n-\\n"
         "%changelog\\n"
-        "* Mon Mar 04 2019 Foo Bor <foo-bor@example.com> - 1.0-1\\n"
-        "- Initial package.\\n"
-    )
+    ) + changelog(up_raw_release)
     upstream_spec_path = tmp_path / "e-life.spec"
     upstream_spec_path.write_text(upstream_spec_contents)
     upstream_specfile = Specfile(upstream_spec_path, sourcedir=tmp_path, autosave=True)
@@ -500,14 +508,10 @@ def test_set_spec_content_reset_release(tmp_path, up_release, reset):
     dist_git._specfile_path = distgit_spec_path
 
     dist_git.set_specfile_content(upstream_specfile, "1.1", "1.1 upstream release")
-    if reset:
-        assert dist_git.specfile.release == "1"
-        assert dist_git.specfile.raw_release == "1%{?dist}"
+    assert dist_git.specfile.release == expected_dg_release
+    if not dist_git.specfile.has_autochangelog:
         with dist_git.specfile.sections() as sections:
-            assert "1.1-1" in sections.changelog[0]
-    else:
-        assert dist_git.specfile.release == up_release
-        assert dist_git.specfile.raw_release == f"{up_release}%{{?dist}}"
+            assert f"1.1-{expected_dg_release}" in sections.changelog[0]
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("changelog_section", ["\\n%changelog\\n", ""])
['tests/unit/test_base_git.py', 'packit/base_git.py']