diff --git a/lib/gitlab/changelog/config.rb b/lib/gitlab/changelog/config.rb
index 0538fe68474224e4de0e483acd71beae874aa63a..d25094d9b372af56cdf56c5b3de520055e7002e8 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/changelog/config.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/changelog/config.rb
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def initialize(project)
       end
 
       def contributor?(user)
-        @project.team.contributor?(user)
+        @project.team.contributor?(user&.id)
       end
 
       def category(name)
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/changelog/config_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/changelog/config_spec.rb
index a464c1e57e5b1347ef2827c84c7c232c4996fb03..ff5a084bb867efac65a7b68a95b4ba5aeb795d62 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/changelog/config_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/changelog/config_spec.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe Gitlab::Changelog::Config do
+  include ProjectForksHelper
+
   let(:project) { build_stubbed(:project) }
 
   describe '.from_git' do
@@ -66,20 +68,33 @@
   end
 
   describe '#contributor?' do
-    it 'returns true if a user is a contributor' do
-      user = build_stubbed(:author)
-
-      allow(project.team).to receive(:contributor?).with(user).and_return(true)
+    let(:project) { create(:project, :public, :repository) }
 
-      expect(described_class.new(project).contributor?(user)).to eq(true)
-    end
+    context 'when user is a member of project' do
+      let(:user) { create(:user) }
 
-    it "returns true if a user isn't a contributor" do
-      user = build_stubbed(:author)
+      before do
+        project.add_developer(user)
+      end
 
-      allow(project.team).to receive(:contributor?).with(user).and_return(false)
+      it { expect(described_class.new(project).contributor?(user)).to eq(false) }
+    end
 
-      expect(described_class.new(project).contributor?(user)).to eq(false)
+    context 'when user has at least one merge request merged into default_branch' do
+      let(:contributor) { create(:user) }
+      let(:user_without_access) { create(:user) }
+      let(:user_fork) { fork_project(project, contributor, repository: true) }
+
+      before do
+        create(:merge_request, :merged,
+               author: contributor,
+               target_project: project,
+               source_project: user_fork,
+               target_branch: project.default_branch.to_s)
+      end
+
+      it { expect(described_class.new(project).contributor?(contributor)).to eq(true) }
+      it { expect(described_class.new(project).contributor?(user_without_access)).to eq(false) }
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/services/repositories/changelog_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/repositories/changelog_service_spec.rb
index 02d60f076ca85a4fd3d77951aabad3b1725750b5..b547ae17317b93d3327bf3cae357d42ccf196e62 100644
--- a/spec/services/repositories/changelog_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/repositories/changelog_service_spec.rb
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
       recorder = ActiveRecord::QueryRecorder.new { service.execute }
       changelog = project.repository.blob_at('master', 'CHANGELOG.md')&.data
 
-      expect(recorder.count).to eq(11)
+      expect(recorder.count).to eq(9)
       expect(changelog).to include('Title 1', 'Title 2')
     end