diff --git a/renovate/dependencyDashboard.js b/renovate/dependencyDashboard.js
index 6773b64..3c36ebc 100644
--- a/renovate/dependencyDashboard.js
+++ b/renovate/dependencyDashboard.js
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@ export class Dependency {
 // Matches CR LF or CR or LF.
 const LINE_SEPARATOR_REGEX = /\r?\n|\r|\n/g;
 
+// Matches the part of the Dependency Dashboard body text between the header and the horizontal rule,
+// without capturing the header or the horizontal rule itself.
+//
+// This will prevent false positives from being detected in the preamble.
+const DETECTED_DEPENDENCIES_SECTION_REGEX = /(?<=## Detected dependencies)(.*)(?=---)/s;
+
 // Matches text in backticks separated by a space.
 // Group 1 is interpreted as the name, and group 2 the version.
 // Examples:
@@ -27,11 +33,20 @@ const DEPENDENCY_NAME_AND_VERSION_REGEX = /`(\S+?) (.*)`/;
 
 const issueIsRenovateDependencyDashboard = (issue) => issue.user.login === "renovate[bot]" && issue.pull_request === undefined;
 
-const parseDependenciesFromDashboard = (issue) => issue
-  .body
-  .split(LINE_SEPARATOR_REGEX)
-  .map(parseDependencyFromLine)
-  .filter((dependency) => dependency !== null);
+const getDetectedDependencies = (issue) => {
+  const match = issue.body.match(DETECTED_DEPENDENCIES_SECTION_REGEX);
+
+  if (match === null) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  return match[0];
+}
+
+const parseDependenciesFromDashboard = (issue) => getDetectedDependencies(issue)
+  ?.split(LINE_SEPARATOR_REGEX)
+  ?.map(parseDependencyFromLine)
+  ?.filter((dependency) => dependency !== null);
 
 const parseDependencyFromLine = (line) => {
   const match = line.match(DEPENDENCY_NAME_AND_VERSION_REGEX);
@@ -50,7 +65,7 @@ export const handleIssuesApiResponse = (response) => {
     return [];
   }
 
-  return parseDependenciesFromDashboard(dependencyDashboardIssue);
+  return parseDependenciesFromDashboard(dependencyDashboardIssue) ?? [];
 }
 export const getDependenciesForRepo = ({ octokit, repository }) => {
   return octokit.request(repository.issues_url).then(handleIssuesApiResponse);
diff --git a/renovate/dependencyDashboard.test.js b/renovate/dependencyDashboard.test.js
index 5d17d1f..d3a9749 100644
--- a/renovate/dependencyDashboard.test.js
+++ b/renovate/dependencyDashboard.test.js
@@ -24,7 +24,17 @@ describe("handleIssuesApiResponse", () => {
           user: {
             login: "renovate[bot]",
           },
-          body: "# Dependency Dashboard\nList of dependencies:\n- `libquux v4.1.1.rc4`\n- `@xyzzy/utils \"~> 22.04 Questing Quokka\"`\n\nHere's some more:\n- `baz-framework ^0.1`",
+          body: "# Dependency Dashboard\n"
+            + "Here's some things in the preamble that should not be picked up:\n"
+            + "`fake-dependency`, `another-fake-dependency`\n"
+            + "\n"
+            + "## Detected dependencies\n"
+            + "- `libquux v4.1.1.rc4`\n"
+            + "- `@xyzzy/utils \"~> 22.04 Questing Quokka\"`\n"
+            + "\n"
+            + "Here's some more:\n"
+            + "- `baz-framework ^0.1`\n"
+            + "---",
         }
       ]
     };