diff --git a/dev/release/01-prepare.sh b/dev/release/01-prepare.sh
index b1e917390b4..c7f40924d40 100755
--- a/dev/release/01-prepare.sh
+++ b/dev/release/01-prepare.sh
@@ -54,11 +54,12 @@ fi
 if [ ${PREPARE_BRANCH} -gt 0 ]; then
   if [[ $(git branch -l "${release_candidate_branch}") ]]; then
     next_rc_number=$(($rc_number+1))
+    source "${SOURCE_DIR}/git-vars.sh"
     echo "Branch ${release_candidate_branch} already exists, so create a new release candidate:"
-    echo "1. Checkout the master branch for major releases and maint-<version> for patch releases."
+    echo "1. Checkout the default branch for major releases and maint-<version> for patch releases."
     echo "2. Execute the script again with bumped RC number."
     echo "Commands:"
-    echo "   git checkout master"
+    echo "   git checkout ${DEFAULT_BRANCH}"
     echo "   dev/release/01-prepare.sh ${version} ${next_version} ${next_rc_number}"
     exit 1
   fi
diff --git a/dev/release/git-vars.sh b/dev/release/git-vars.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7fe3255f0be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/release/git-vars.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
+# or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+# distributed with this work for additional information
+# regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
+# to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+# "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+# with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+# software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+# "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+# KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+# specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+DEFAULT_BRANCH="$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref origin/HEAD | sed s@origin/@@)"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dev/release/post-04-website.sh b/dev/release/post-04-website.sh
index 772a54d8c3d..d8a9df42493 100755
--- a/dev/release/post-04-website.sh
+++ b/dev/release/post-04-website.sh
@@ -38,9 +38,10 @@ announce_file="${release_dir}/${version}.md"
 versions_yml="${ARROW_SITE_DIR}/_data/versions.yml"
 
 pushd "${ARROW_SITE_DIR}"
+source "${SOURCE_DIR}/git-vars.sh"
 git fetch --all --prune --tags --force -j$(nproc)
-git checkout master
-git rebase apache/master
+git checkout ${DEFAULT_BRANCH}
+git rebase apache/${DEFAULT_BRANCH}
 git branch -D ${branch_name} || :
 git checkout -b ${branch_name}
 popd
diff --git a/dev/release/post-09-docs.sh b/dev/release/post-09-docs.sh
index 6099248f096..cc0edc06ac2 100755
--- a/dev/release/post-09-docs.sh
+++ b/dev/release/post-09-docs.sh
@@ -34,9 +34,10 @@ release_tag="apache-arrow-${version}"
 branch_name=release-docs-${version}
 
 pushd "${ARROW_SITE_DIR}"
+source "${SOURCE_DIR}/git-vars.sh"
 git fetch --all --prune --tags --force -j$(nproc)
 git checkout .
-git checkout master
+git checkout ${DEFAULT_BRANCH}
 git clean -d -f -x
 git branch -D asf-site || :
 git checkout -b asf-site origin/asf-site
diff --git a/dev/release/post-12-bump-versions.sh b/dev/release/post-12-bump-versions.sh
index 5a626b3592a..53b3d5a7dd1 100755
--- a/dev/release/post-12-bump-versions.sh
+++ b/dev/release/post-12-bump-versions.sh
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 set -ue
 
 SOURCE_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
+source "${SOURCE_DIR}/git-vars.sh"
 
 if [ "$#" -ne 2 ]; then
   echo "Usage: $0 <version> <next_version>"
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ if [ "$#" -ne 2 ]; then
 fi
 
 : ${BUMP_DEFAULT:=1}
-: ${BUMP_UPDATE_LOCAL_MASTER:=${BUMP_DEFAULT}}
+: ${BUMP_UPDATE_LOCAL_DEFAULT_BRANCH:=${BUMP_DEFAULT}}
 : ${BUMP_VERSION_POST_TAG:=${BUMP_DEFAULT}}
 : ${BUMP_DEB_PACKAGE_NAMES:=${BUMP_DEFAULT}}
 : ${BUMP_LINUX_PACKAGES:=${BUMP_DEFAULT}}
@@ -40,11 +41,11 @@ version=$1
 next_version=$2
 next_version_snapshot="${next_version}-SNAPSHOT"
 
-if [ ${BUMP_UPDATE_LOCAL_MASTER} -gt 0 ]; then
-  echo "Updating local master"
+if [ ${BUMP_UPDATE_LOCAL_DEFAULT_BRANCH} -gt 0 ]; then
+  echo "Updating local default branch"
   git fetch --all --prune --tags --force -j$(nproc)
-  git checkout master
-  git rebase apache/master
+  git checkout ${DEFAULT_BRANCH}
+  git rebase apache/${DEFAULT_BRANCH}
 fi
 
 if [ ${BUMP_VERSION_POST_TAG} -gt 0 ]; then
@@ -102,13 +103,13 @@ if [ ${BUMP_LINUX_PACKAGES} -gt 0 ]; then
 fi
 
 if [ ${BUMP_PUSH} -gt 0 ]; then
-  echo "Pushing changes to the master in apache/arrow"
-  git push apache master
+  echo "Pushing changes to the default branch in apache/arrow"
+  git push apache ${DEFAULT_BRANCH}
 fi
 
 if [ ${BUMP_TAG} -gt 0 ]; then
   dev_tag=apache-arrow-${next_version}.dev
   echo "Tagging ${dev_tag}"
-  git tag ${dev_tag} master
+  git tag ${dev_tag} ${DEFAULT_BRANCH}
   git push apache ${dev_tag}
 fi