diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/openstack-stable-ordering-f5fd8801e105f13a.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/openstack-stable-ordering-f5fd8801e105f13a.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d9082c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/openstack-stable-ordering-f5fd8801e105f13a.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    The default sort order for branch names has been modified in order
+    to accomodate the way OpenStack stable branches are named. Branches
+    that match the pattern ``stable/[0-9].*`` will be sorted as
+    ``stable/zzz[0-9].*``. This ensures that the new numerical branch
+    names like ``stable/2023.1`` will be sorted after the older stable
+    branches like ``stable/zed``. Two new variables have been added to
+    control the behaviour, ``branch_sort_re`` and ``branch_sort_prefix``.
+    See their help text for more information.
+upgrade:
+  - |
+    The default sort order for branch names has been modified in order
+    to accomodate the way OpenStack stable branches are named. See the
+    "Features" section for more information.
diff --git a/reno/config.py b/reno/config.py
index 84c02ad..9448094 100644
--- a/reno/config.py
+++ b/reno/config.py
@@ -133,6 +133,23 @@ _OPTIONS = [
         to "stable/".
         """)),
 
+    Opt('branch_sort_re', 'stable/([0-9].*)',
+        textwrap.dedent("""\
+        By default branches are sorted alphabetically, except
+        for branches matching this pattern, those will be sorted
+        with branch_sort_prefix inserted in order to accomodate
+        the way OpenStack stable branches are named and sorted.
+        """)),
+
+    Opt('branch_sort_prefix', 'stable/zzz',
+        textwrap.dedent("""\
+        The prefix to add to names of branches matched
+        by branch_sort_re. This allows OpenStack branches
+        to be sorted according to the current release
+        naming scheme. Set to "stable/" in order to
+        restore plain alphabetic ordering.
+        """)),
+
     Opt('sections',
         [
             ['features', 'New Features'],
diff --git a/reno/scanner.py b/reno/scanner.py
index a4e88a8..c10f04d 100644
--- a/reno/scanner.py
+++ b/reno/scanner.py
@@ -527,6 +527,11 @@ class Scanner(object):
             self.conf.closed_branch_tag_re,
             flags=re.VERBOSE | re.UNICODE,
         )
+        self.branch_sort_prefix = self.conf.branch_sort_prefix
+        self.branch_sort_re = re.compile(
+            self.conf.branch_sort_re,
+            flags=re.VERBOSE | re.UNICODE,
+        )
         self._ignore_uids = set(
             _get_unique_id(fn)
             for fn in self.conf.ignore_notes
@@ -842,6 +847,12 @@ class Scanner(object):
         return bool(self.get_file_at_commit(filename, sha,
                                             encoding=self._encoding))
 
+    def _branch_sort_key(self, name):
+        match = self.branch_sort_re.search(name)
+        if match:
+            return self.branch_sort_prefix + match.group(1)
+        return name
+
     def get_series_branches(self):
         "Get branches matching the branch_name_re config option."
         refs = self._repo.get_refs()
@@ -868,7 +879,7 @@ class Scanner(object):
                 LOG.debug('closed branch tag %s becomes %s',
                           r.rpartition('/')[-1], name)
                 branch_names.add(name)
-        return list(sorted(branch_names))
+        return list(sorted(branch_names, key=self._branch_sort_key))
 
     def _get_earlier_branch(self, branch):
         "Return the name of the branch created before the given branch."