diff --git a/plugins/github/resources/messages/GithubBundle.properties b/plugins/github/resources/messages/GithubBundle.properties
index 879685cd9f0d..c90a457a0374 100644
--- a/plugins/github/resources/messages/GithubBundle.properties
+++ b/plugins/github/resources/messages/GithubBundle.properties
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ pull.request.create.direction.save=Save
 pull.request.create.process.title=Creating a pull request...
 pull.request.create.title=Title
 pull.request.create.description=Description
+pull.request.create.loading.template=Loading template...
 pull.request.create.collect.diff.data.process.title=Collecting diff data
 pull.request.create.push.failed=Push failed:<br/>{0}
 pull.request.create.input.remote.branch.name=Remote branch name:
diff --git a/plugins/github/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/github/pullrequest/ui/toolwindow/create/GHPRCreateComponentFactory.kt b/plugins/github/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/github/pullrequest/ui/toolwindow/create/GHPRCreateComponentFactory.kt
index 9d9ff7737458..1390b7143836 100644
--- a/plugins/github/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/github/pullrequest/ui/toolwindow/create/GHPRCreateComponentFactory.kt
+++ b/plugins/github/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/github/pullrequest/ui/toolwindow/create/GHPRCreateComponentFactory.kt
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.i18n.GithubBundle
 import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.pullrequest.data.GHPRDataContext
 import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.pullrequest.ui.GHCompletableFutureLoadingModel
 import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.pullrequest.ui.toolwindow.GHPRToolWindowTabComponentController
+import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.ui.util.DisableableDocument
 import javax.swing.*
 import javax.swing.text.PlainDocument
 
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ internal class GHPRCreateComponentFactory(private val project: Project,
 
     val directionModel = GHPRCreateDirectionModelImpl(repositoryDataService.repositoryMapping)
     val titleDocument = PlainDocument()
-    val descriptionDocument = PlainDocument()
+    val descriptionDocument = DisableableDocument()
     val metadataModel = GHPRCreateMetadataModel(repositoryDataService, dataContext.securityService.currentUser)
     val createLoadingModel = GHCompletableFutureLoadingModel<GHPullRequestShort>(uiDisposable)
 
diff --git a/plugins/github/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/github/pullrequest/ui/toolwindow/create/GHPRCreateInfoComponentFactory.kt b/plugins/github/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/github/pullrequest/ui/toolwindow/create/GHPRCreateInfoComponentFactory.kt
index 0e3ba0592bba..0610d12f6a3a 100644
--- a/plugins/github/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/github/pullrequest/ui/toolwindow/create/GHPRCreateInfoComponentFactory.kt
+++ b/plugins/github/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/github/pullrequest/ui/toolwindow/create/GHPRCreateInfoComponentFactory.kt
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.pullrequest.ui.GHLoadingModel
 import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.pullrequest.ui.SimpleEventListener
 import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.pullrequest.ui.details.GHPRMetadataPanelFactory
 import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.pullrequest.ui.toolwindow.GHPRToolWindowTabComponentController
+import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.ui.util.DisableableDocument
 import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.util.*
 import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.util.GithubUtil.runInterruptable
 import java.awt.event.ActionEvent
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ internal class GHPRCreateInfoComponentFactory(private val project: Project,
 
   fun create(directionModel: GHPRCreateDirectionModel,
              titleDocument: Document,
-             descriptionDocument: Document,
+             descriptionDocument: DisableableDocument,
              metadataModel: GHPRCreateMetadataModel,
              createLoadingModel: GHCompletableFutureLoadingModel<GHPullRequestShort>): JComponent {
 
@@ -87,15 +88,12 @@ internal class GHPRCreateInfoComponentFactory(private val project: Project,
 
         progressIndicator.cancel()
         viewController.viewList()
-        directionModel.reset()
-        titleDocument.remove(0, titleDocument.length)
-        descriptionDocument.remove(0, descriptionDocument.length)
-        metadataModel.reset()
+        resetForm(directionModel, titleDocument, descriptionDocument, metadataModel)
         createLoadingModel.future = null
       }
     }
     InfoController(directionModel, createAction, createDraftAction)
-    directionModel.reset()
+    resetForm(directionModel, titleDocument, descriptionDocument, metadataModel)
 
     val directionSelector = GHPRCreateDirectionComponentFactory(repositoriesManager, directionModel).create().apply {
       border = BorderFactory.createCompoundBorder(IdeBorderFactory.createBorder(SideBorder.BOTTOM),
@@ -118,6 +116,10 @@ internal class GHPRCreateInfoComponentFactory(private val project: Project,
       emptyText.text = GithubBundle.message("pull.request.create.description")
       lineWrap = true
     }
+    descriptionDocument.addAndInvokeEnabledStateListener {
+      descriptionField.isEnabled = descriptionDocument.enabled
+    }
+
     val descriptionPane = JBScrollPane(descriptionField,
                                        ScrollPaneConstants.VERTICAL_SCROLLBAR_AS_NEEDED,
                                        ScrollPaneConstants.HORIZONTAL_SCROLLBAR_NEVER).apply {
@@ -203,7 +205,7 @@ internal class GHPRCreateInfoComponentFactory(private val project: Project,
   }
 
   private inner class CreateAction(private val directionModel: GHPRCreateDirectionModel,
-                                   private val titleDocument: Document, private val descriptionDocument: Document,
+                                   private val titleDocument: Document, private val descriptionDocument: DisableableDocument,
                                    private val metadataModel: GHPRCreateMetadataModel,
                                    private val draft: Boolean,
                                    private val loadingModel: GHCompletableFutureLoadingModel<GHPullRequestShort>,
@@ -240,17 +242,15 @@ internal class GHPRCreateInfoComponentFactory(private val project: Project,
                                                                       CollectionDelta(emptyList(), assignees))
               if (labels.isNotEmpty()) detailsData.adjustLabels(ProgressWrapper.wrap(progressIndicator),
                                                                 CollectionDelta(emptyList(), labels))
-            } finally {
+            }
+            finally {
               Disposer.dispose(disposable)
             }
             pullRequest
           }
       }.successOnEdt {
         viewController.viewPullRequest(it)
-        directionModel.reset()
-        titleDocument.remove(0, titleDocument.length)
-        descriptionDocument.remove(0, descriptionDocument.length)
-        metadataModel.reset()
+        resetForm(directionModel, titleDocument, descriptionDocument, metadataModel)
         it
       }
     }
@@ -304,7 +304,8 @@ internal class GHPRCreateInfoComponentFactory(private val project: Project,
                                                                      GithubBundle.message("pull.request.create.input.remote.branch.name"),
                                                                      GithubBundle.message("pull.request.create.input.remote.branch.title"),
                                                                      null, localBranch.name, null, null,
-                                                                     GithubBundle.message("pull.request.create.input.remote.branch.comment", localBranch.name, remote.name))
+                                                                     GithubBundle.message("pull.request.create.input.remote.branch.comment",
+                                                                                          localBranch.name, remote.name))
                        ?: return null
       //always set tracking
       return GitPushTarget(GitStandardRemoteBranch(remote, branchName), true)
@@ -343,6 +344,26 @@ internal class GHPRCreateInfoComponentFactory(private val project: Project,
     dialog.show()
   }
 
+  private fun resetForm(directionModel: GHPRCreateDirectionModel,
+                        titleDocument: Document,
+                        descriptionDocument: DisableableDocument,
+                        metadataModel: GHPRCreateMetadataModel) {
+    directionModel.reset()
+    titleDocument.remove(0, titleDocument.length)
+    descriptionDocument.remove(0, descriptionDocument.length)
+    descriptionDocument.enabled = false
+    descriptionDocument.insertString(0, GithubBundle.message("pull.request.create.loading.template"), null)
+    GHPRTemplateLoader.readTemplate(project).successOnEdt {
+      if (!descriptionDocument.enabled) {
+        descriptionDocument.remove(0, descriptionDocument.length)
+        descriptionDocument.insertString(0, it, null)
+      }
+    }.completionOnEdt {
+      if (!descriptionDocument.enabled) descriptionDocument.enabled = true
+    }
+    metadataModel.reset()
+  }
+
   companion object {
     private val Document.text: String get() = getText(0, length)
 
diff --git a/plugins/github/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/github/pullrequest/ui/toolwindow/create/GHPRTemplateLoader.kt b/plugins/github/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/github/pullrequest/ui/toolwindow/create/GHPRTemplateLoader.kt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d7b7072382b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/github/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/github/pullrequest/ui/toolwindow/create/GHPRTemplateLoader.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+// Copyright 2000-2021 JetBrains s.r.o. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+package org.jetbrains.plugins.github.pullrequest.ui.toolwindow.create
+
+import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.logger
+import com.intellij.openapi.progress.EmptyProgressIndicator
+import com.intellij.openapi.progress.ProgressManager
+import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project
+import com.intellij.util.TimeoutUtil
+import com.intellij.util.concurrency.annotations.RequiresBackgroundThread
+import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.util.submitIOTask
+import java.nio.file.Files
+import java.nio.file.Paths
+import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture
+
+object GHPRTemplateLoader {
+
+  private val LOG = logger<GHPRTemplateLoader>()
+
+  private val paths = listOf(
+    ".github/pull_request_template.md",
+    "pull_request_template.md",
+    "docs/pull_request_template.md"
+  )
+
+  fun readTemplate(project: Project): CompletableFuture<String?> {
+    return ProgressManager.getInstance().submitIOTask(EmptyProgressIndicator()) {
+      doLoad(project)
+    }
+  }
+
+  @RequiresBackgroundThread
+  private fun doLoad(project: Project): String? {
+    val basePath = project.basePath ?: return null
+    try {
+      val files = paths.map { Paths.get(basePath, it) }
+      val fileContent = files.find(Files::exists)?.let(Files::readString)
+      if (fileContent != null) return fileContent
+    }
+    catch (e: Exception) {
+      LOG.warn("Failed to read PR template", e)
+    }
+    return null
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/github/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/github/ui/util/DisableableDocument.kt b/plugins/github/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/github/ui/util/DisableableDocument.kt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9966ee979de2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/github/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/github/ui/util/DisableableDocument.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+// Copyright 2000-2021 JetBrains s.r.o. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+package org.jetbrains.plugins.github.ui.util
+
+import com.intellij.util.EventDispatcher
+import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.pullrequest.ui.SimpleEventListener
+import org.jetbrains.plugins.github.util.GithubUtil.Delegates.observableField
+import javax.swing.text.PlainDocument
+
+class DisableableDocument : PlainDocument() {
+
+  private val eventDispatcher = EventDispatcher.create(SimpleEventListener::class.java)
+
+  var enabled by observableField(true, eventDispatcher)
+
+  fun addAndInvokeEnabledStateListener(listener: () -> Unit) = SimpleEventListener.addAndInvokeListener(eventDispatcher, listener)
+}
\ No newline at end of file