diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 434f2ef..6081b8b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+# v1.0.0-beta.6
+## Add --defaultBranch flag
+
+- when the `--defaultBranch` flag is passed, users can specify a different default branch other than master
+
 # v1.0.0-beta.5
 ## Log options when verbose
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 262520c..f3f59ce 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 A Node and CLI tool that makes deploying to GitHub pages **by branch** easy and automatic, best used as part of a CI process.
 
-On `master`, your directory will be deployed to your GitHub page root similarly to other libraries, such as the wonderful [`gh-pages`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/gh-pages).
+On `master` (or on your specified `defaultBranch`) your directory will be deployed to your GitHub page root similarly to other libraries, such as the wonderful [`gh-pages`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/gh-pages).
 On other branches, it'll be deployed under `/branch/${branchName}`, allowing your peers to QA your built docs/demos easily for better feedback.
 
 It also sends a status to a Pull request, if one exists:
@@ -33,19 +33,22 @@ deploy-to-github-pages [...options]
 ```javascript
 const deploy = require('deploy-to-github-pages');
 
-deploy(options).catch(err => { console.log(err); })
+deploy(options).catch(err => {
+  console.log(err);
+});
 ```
 
 ### Options
 
-| Option      | flag  | description                                        | default    | env variable   | required | required in CI |
-|-------------|------:|----------------------------------------------------|------------|----------------|---------:|---------------:|
-| `directory` |    -d | directory you wish to deploy                       | `'public'` |                |        * |              * |
-| `token`     |    -t | [GitHub token](https://github.com/settings/tokens) |            | `GITHUB_TOKEN` |        * |              * |
-| `owner`     |    -o | GitHub repo owner/org                              |            |                |        * |                |
-| `repo`      |    -r | GitHub repo name                                   |            |                |        * |                |
-| `branch`    |    -b | branch name                                        | `'master'` |                |        * |                |
-| `buildUrl`  |    -u | link displayed when deployment fails               |            |                |          |                |
+| Option          | flag | description                                        | default    | env variable   | required | required in CI |
+| --------------- | ---: | -------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | -------------- | -------: | -------------: |
+| `directory`     |   -d | directory you wish to deploy                       | `'public'` |                |       \* |             \* |
+| `token`         |   -t | [GitHub token](https://github.com/settings/tokens) |            | `GITHUB_TOKEN` |       \* |             \* |
+| `owner`         |   -o | GitHub repo owner/org                              |            |                |       \* |                |
+| `repo`          |   -r | GitHub repo name                                   |            |                |       \* |                |
+| `branch`        |   -b | branch name                                        | `'master'` |                |       \* |                |
+| `buildUrl`      |   -u | link displayed when deployment fails               |            |                |          |                |
+| `defaultBranch` |      | Your github default branch                         | `'master'` |                |          |                |
 
 Therefore, if ran from CircleCI or GitHub Actions workflows with a `GITHUB_TOKEN` environment variable present and the directory to be deployed is named `public`, _no configuration options are needed_, so just the following is enough:
 
@@ -56,7 +59,9 @@ deploy-to-github-pages
 or
 
 ```javascript
-deploy().catch(err => { console.log(err); })
+deploy().catch(err => {
+  console.log(err);
+});
 ```
 
 ## Contributing
diff --git a/bin/deploy-to-github-pages.js b/bin/deploy-to-github-pages.js
index 161fd68..db4d2c4 100755
--- a/bin/deploy-to-github-pages.js
+++ b/bin/deploy-to-github-pages.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ async function main() {
     .option('-u, --build-url [build-url]', 'Link displayed when deployment fails')
     .option('--dotfiles', 'Include dotfiles')
     .option('--verbose', 'Log verbose information from gh-pages')
+    .option('--defaultBranch', 'Specify the default branch for your repo')
     .parse(process.argv);
 
   const options = cleanOptions({
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ async function main() {
     buildUrl: program.buildUrl,
     dotfiles: !!program.dotfiles,
     verbose: !!program.verbose,
+    defaulBranch: program.defaulBranch,
   });
 
   try {
diff --git a/lib/deployment/preparation/preparation.js b/lib/deployment/preparation/preparation.js
index 3701ce9..7997db3 100644
--- a/lib/deployment/preparation/preparation.js
+++ b/lib/deployment/preparation/preparation.js
@@ -7,28 +7,30 @@ shell.set('-e');
 
 module.exports = { prepareDeployDirectory };
 
-function prepareDeployDirectory(deployDirectory, { directory: sourceDirectory, branch }) {
-  createBranchDirectoryIfNeeded(deployDirectory, branch);
-
-  copyContentWithReplacement(sourceDirectory, getTargetDirectory(deployDirectory, branch));
+function prepareDeployDirectory(
+  deployDirectory,
+  { directory: sourceDirectory, branch, defaultBranch },
+) {
+  createBranchDirectoryIfNeeded(deployDirectory, branch, defaultBranch);
+
+  copyContentWithReplacement(
+    sourceDirectory,
+    getTargetDirectory(deployDirectory, branch, defaultBranch),
+  );
 }
 
-function createBranchDirectoryIfNeeded(deployDirectory, branch) {
-  if (!isMaster(branch)) {
+function createBranchDirectoryIfNeeded(deployDirectory, branch, defaultBranch) {
+  if (branch !== defaultBranch) {
     shell.mkdir('-p', getBranchDirectory(deployDirectory));
   }
 }
 
-function isMaster(branch) {
-  return branch === 'master';
-}
-
 function getBranchDirectory(deployDirectory) {
   return path.join(deployDirectory, BRANCH_DIRECTORY_NAME);
 }
 
-function getTargetDirectory(deployDirectory, branch) {
-  return isMaster(branch)
+function getTargetDirectory(deployDirectory, branch, defaultBranch) {
+  return branch === defaultBranch
     ? deployDirectory
     : path.join(getBranchDirectory(deployDirectory), branch);
 }
diff --git a/lib/deployment/preparation/preparation.spec.js b/lib/deployment/preparation/preparation.spec.js
index 328a482..611e5ce 100644
--- a/lib/deployment/preparation/preparation.spec.js
+++ b/lib/deployment/preparation/preparation.spec.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ jest.mock('shelljs', () => ({
 }));
 jest.mock('path', () => ({ join: (...parts) => parts.join('/') }));
 
-const { prepareDeployDirectory } = require('./');
+const { prepareDeployDirectory } = require('.');
 
 describe('Preparation', () => {
   afterEach(jest.resetAllMocks);
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ describe('Preparation', () => {
   });
 
   describe('on master branch', () => {
-    const options = { directory: 'source', branch: 'master' };
+    const options = { directory: 'source', branch: 'master', defaultBranch: 'master' };
 
     it('does not create branch directory', () => {
       expect(shell.mkdir).not.toBeCalled();
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ describe('Preparation', () => {
     });
 
     it('removes deploy directory to allow copying with replacement', () => {
-      expect(shell.rm).not.toBeCalled();
       prepareDeployDirectory('deploy-directory', options);
       expect(shell.rm).toBeCalledWith('-rf', 'deploy-directory');
     });
diff --git a/lib/options/options.js b/lib/options/options.js
index f05604e..d31e747 100644
--- a/lib/options/options.js
+++ b/lib/options/options.js
@@ -17,7 +17,14 @@ function extendPassedOptions(options) {
 }
 
 function extendWithDefaultOptions(options) {
-  return { directory: 'public', branch: 'master', dotfiles: false, verbose: false, ...options };
+  return {
+    directory: 'public',
+    branch: 'master',
+    defaultBranch: 'master',
+    dotfiles: false,
+    verbose: false,
+    ...options,
+  };
 }
 
 function extendWithGithubTokenVariable(options) {
diff --git a/lib/options/options.spec.js b/lib/options/options.spec.js
index 5ad5564..7dcfa4b 100644
--- a/lib/options/options.spec.js
+++ b/lib/options/options.spec.js
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-const { createOptions } = require('./');
+const { createOptions } = require('.');
 
 describe('Options', () => {
   beforeEach(cleanEnvironmentVariables);
 
-  it('extends passed options with default directory to deploy, master branch, and no dotfiles', () => {
+  it('extends passed options with default directory to deploy, master branch, defaultBranch master, and no dotfiles', () => {
     const options = {
       token: 'a-token',
       owner: 'an-owner',
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ describe('Options', () => {
       ...options,
       directory: 'public',
       branch: 'master',
+      defaultBranch: 'master',
       dotfiles: false,
       verbose: false,
     });
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ describe('Options', () => {
       owner: 'an-owner',
       repo: 'a-repo',
       branch: 'a-branch',
+      defaultBranch: 'a-branch',
       directory: 'a-directory',
       dotfiles: true,
       verbose: true,
@@ -38,6 +40,7 @@ describe('Options', () => {
       owner: 'an-owner',
       repo: 'a-repo',
       branch: 'a-branch',
+      defaultBranch: 'a-branch',
       directory: 'a-directory',
       dotfiles: true,
       verbose: true,
@@ -52,13 +55,14 @@ describe('Options', () => {
     process.env.CIRCLE_BRANCH = 'a-branch';
     process.env.CIRCLE_BUILD_URL = '/a-build-url';
 
-    const options = { token: 'a-token', directory: 'a-directory' };
+    const options = { token: 'a-token', directory: 'a-directory', defaultBranch: 'a-branch' };
 
     expect(createOptions(options)).toEqual({
       token: 'a-token',
       owner: 'an-owner',
       repo: 'a-repo',
       branch: 'a-branch',
+      defaultBranch: 'a-branch',
       buildUrl: '/a-build-url',
       directory: 'a-directory',
       dotfiles: false,
@@ -89,6 +93,7 @@ describe('Options', () => {
       directory: 'a-directory',
       dotfiles: false,
       verbose: false,
+      defaultBranch: 'master',
     });
 
     delete process.env.GITHUB_WORKFLOW;
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e8ea433..daf10ad 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "deploy-to-github-pages",
-  "version": "1.0.0-beta.5",
+  "version": "1.0.0-beta.6",
   "description": "A Node library that makes deploying a directory on a branch to GitHub pages easy and automatic.",
   "bin": {
     "deploy-to-github-pages": "bin/deploy-to-github-pages.js"