diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
index a7db53bb9..d80e8d0f3 100644
--- a/.release-please-manifest.json
+++ b/.release-please-manifest.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  ".": "17.4.0"
+  ".": "17.4.1"
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ad56f40c0..342a0dad2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@
 
 [1]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/release-please?activeTab=versions
 
+## [17.4.1](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/compare/v17.4.0...v17.4.1) (2026-04-08)
+
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* do not attempt to create pull request when no changes detected ([#2722](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/issues/2722)) ([9ecabc4](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/commit/9ecabc40a724e1ba64158844fc9b27ee5d6ed0a2))
+
 ## [17.4.0](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/compare/v17.3.0...v17.4.0) (2026-04-06)
 
 
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 691a80936..831f3d916 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "release-please",
-  "version": "17.4.0",
+  "version": "17.4.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "release-please",
-      "version": "17.4.0",
+      "version": "17.4.1",
       "license": "Apache-2.0",
       "dependencies": {
         "@conventional-commits/parser": "^0.4.1",
@@ -3627,9 +3627,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/lodash": {
-      "version": "4.17.23",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/lodash/-/lodash-4.17.23.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-LgVTMpQtIopCi79SJeDiP0TfWi5CNEc/L/aRdTh3yIvmZXTnheWpKjSZhnvMl8iXbC1tFg9gdHHDMLoV7CnG+w==",
+      "version": "4.18.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/lodash/-/lodash-4.18.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-dMInicTPVE8d1e5otfwmmjlxkZoUpiVLwyeTdUsi/Caj/gfzzblBcCE5sRHV/AsjuCmxWrte2TNGSYuCeCq+0Q==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT"
     },
@@ -4781,9 +4781,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/serialize-javascript": {
-      "version": "7.0.4",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/serialize-javascript/-/serialize-javascript-7.0.4.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-DuGdB+Po43Q5Jxwpzt1lhyFSYKryqoNjQSA9M92tyw0lyHIOur+XCalOUe0KTJpyqzT8+fQ5A0Jf7vCx/NKmIg==",
+      "version": "7.0.5",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/serialize-javascript/-/serialize-javascript-7.0.5.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-F4LcB0UqUl1zErq+1nYEEzSHJnIwb3AF2XWB94b+afhrekOUijwooAYqFyRbjYkm2PAKBabx6oYv/xDxNi8IBw==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "BSD-3-Clause",
       "engines": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a4100f601..cc71ce57c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "release-please",
-  "version": "17.4.0",
+  "version": "17.4.1",
   "description": "generate release PRs based on the conventionalcommits.org spec",
   "main": "./build/src/index.js",
   "bin": "./build/src/bin/release-please.js",
@@ -103,6 +103,6 @@
   },
   "overrides": {
     "tmp": "0.2.5",
-    "serialize-javascript": "^7.0.4"
+    "serialize-javascript": "^7.0.5"
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/github.ts b/src/github.ts
index d99e61b16..29f1d52b4 100644
--- a/src/github.ts
+++ b/src/github.ts
@@ -1169,6 +1169,20 @@ export class GitHub {
         draft: !!options?.draft,
         labels: pullRequest.labels,
       });
+      if (prNumber === 0) {
+        this.logger.warn(
+          'no code changes detected, skipping pull request creation'
+        );
+        return {
+          headBranchName: pullRequest.headBranchName,
+          baseBranchName: targetBranch,
+          number: 0,
+          title: pullRequest.title,
+          body: pullRequest.body,
+          labels: pullRequest.labels,
+          files: [],
+        };
+      }
       return await this.getPullRequest(prNumber);
     }
   );
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 5ad9d61d3..ea2347186 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -63,5 +63,5 @@ export const configSchema = require('../../schemas/config.json');
 export const manifestSchema = require('../../schemas/manifest.json');
 
 // x-release-please-start-version
-export const VERSION = '17.4.0';
+export const VERSION = '17.4.1';
 // x-release-please-end
diff --git a/test/github.ts b/test/github.ts
index 5bb64d62d..242bf17b8 100644
--- a/test/github.ts
+++ b/test/github.ts
@@ -1142,6 +1142,33 @@ describe('GitHub', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('createPullRequest', () => {
+    it('should not call getPullRequest when no code changes detected', async () => {
+      const createPullRequestStub = sandbox
+        .stub(codeSuggester, 'createPullRequest')
+        .resolves(0);
+      const getPullRequestStub = sandbox.stub(github, 'getPullRequest');
+
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+      const pullRequest = await (github as any).createPullRequest(
+        {
+          headBranchName: 'release-please--branches--main',
+          baseBranchName: 'main',
+          title: 'Release v1.0.0',
+          body: 'Release body',
+          labels: ['release-please'],
+        },
+        'main',
+        'commit message',
+        []
+      );
+
+      expect(pullRequest.number).to.eql(0);
+      sinon.assert.calledOnce(createPullRequestStub);
+      sinon.assert.notCalled(getPullRequestStub);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('buildChangeSet', () => {
     it('should merge updates for the same file', async () => {
       const manifestPath = '.release-please-manifest.json';