diff --git a/lib/content/dependabot-yml.hbs b/lib/content/dependabot-yml.hbs
index 2b87781a..bac49f3e 100644
--- a/lib/content/dependabot-yml.hbs
+++ b/lib/content/dependabot-yml.hbs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ updates:
   - package-ecosystem: npm
     directory: /
     schedule:
-      interval: daily
+      interval: {{ interval }}
     target-branch: "{{ branch }}"
     allow:
       - dependency-type: direct
diff --git a/lib/content/index.js b/lib/content/index.js
index 678e9536..7f6cac44 100644
--- a/lib/content/index.js
+++ b/lib/content/index.js
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ module.exports = {
   esm: false,
   updateNpm: true,
   dependabot: 'increase-if-necessary',
+  dependabotInterval: 'daily',
   unwantedPackages: [
     'eslint',
     'eslint-plugin-node',
diff --git a/lib/util/dependabot.js b/lib/util/dependabot.js
index 5e0df40c..66d0fbb3 100644
--- a/lib/util/dependabot.js
+++ b/lib/util/dependabot.js
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ const { minimatch } = require('minimatch')
 const parseDependabotConfig = v => (typeof v === 'string' ? { strategy: v } : (v ?? {}))
 
 module.exports = (config, defaultConfig, branches) => {
-  const { dependabot } = config
-  const { dependabot: defaultDependabot } = defaultConfig
+  const { dependabot, dependabotInterval } = config
+  const { dependabot: defaultDependabot, dependabotInterval: defaultInterval } = defaultConfig
 
   if (!dependabot) {
     return false
@@ -15,8 +15,13 @@ module.exports = (config, defaultConfig, branches) => {
     .filter(b => dependabot[b] !== false)
     .map(branch => {
       const isReleaseBranch = minimatch(branch, config.releaseBranch)
+
+      // Determine the interval to use: branch-specific > package-specific > default
+      const interval = parseDependabotConfig(dependabot[branch]).interval || dependabotInterval || defaultInterval
+
       return {
         branch,
+        interval,
         allowNames: isReleaseBranch ? [NAME] : [],
         labels: isReleaseBranch ? ['Backport', branch] : [],
         ...parseDependabotConfig(defaultDependabot),
diff --git a/test/apply/dependabot.js b/test/apply/dependabot.js
index 6f44e04e..bb2e35a4 100644
--- a/test/apply/dependabot.js
+++ b/test/apply/dependabot.js
@@ -5,7 +5,11 @@ const setup = require('../setup.js')
 const setupDependabot = async (t, { branches = ['main'], ...config } = {}) => {
   const s = await setup(t, {
     package: {
-      templateOSS: config,
+      templateOSS: {
+        ...config,
+        // Include branches in the templateOSS config so they get processed
+        branches: branches.length > 1 ? branches : undefined,
+      },
     },
     mocks: {
       '@npmcli/git': {
@@ -101,3 +105,170 @@ t.test('no dependabot', async t => {
   t.equal(s.dependabot, false)
   t.equal(s.postDependabot, false)
 })
+
+t.test('custom interval', async t => {
+  const s = await setupDependabot(t, {
+    dependabotInterval: 'weekly',
+  })
+
+  t.match(s.dependabot[0], {
+    schedule: { interval: 'weekly' },
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('branch-specific interval', async t => {
+  const s = await setupDependabot(t, {
+    dependabot: {
+      main: { interval: 'monthly' },
+    },
+  })
+
+  t.match(s.dependabot[0], {
+    schedule: { interval: 'monthly' },
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('mixed interval configuration', async t => {
+  const s = await setupDependabot(t, {
+    branches: ['main', 'develop'],
+    dependabotInterval: 'weekly',
+    dependabot: {
+      main: { interval: 'monthly' },
+    },
+  })
+
+  t.equal(s.dependabot.length, 2)
+
+  // main branch should use branch-specific interval
+  const mainBranch = s.dependabot.find(d => d['target-branch'] === 'main')
+  t.match(mainBranch, {
+    schedule: { interval: 'monthly' },
+  })
+
+  // develop branch should use global interval
+  const developBranch = s.dependabot.find(d => d['target-branch'] === 'develop')
+  t.match(developBranch, {
+    schedule: { interval: 'weekly' },
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('branch-specific interval with strategy', async t => {
+  const s = await setupDependabot(t, {
+    dependabot: {
+      main: { interval: 'weekly', strategy: 'auto' },
+    },
+  })
+
+  t.match(s.dependabot[0], {
+    schedule: { interval: 'weekly' },
+    'versioning-strategy': 'auto',
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('global interval with branch-specific strategy only', async t => {
+  const s = await setupDependabot(t, {
+    dependabotInterval: 'monthly',
+    dependabot: {
+      main: { strategy: 'lockfile-only' },
+    },
+  })
+
+  t.match(s.dependabot[0], {
+    schedule: { interval: 'monthly' },
+    'versioning-strategy': 'lockfile-only',
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('fallback to daily when no interval specified', async t => {
+  const s = await setupDependabot(t, {
+    dependabot: 'increase-if-necessary',
+  })
+
+  t.match(s.dependabot[0], {
+    schedule: { interval: 'daily' },
+    'versioning-strategy': 'increase-if-necessary',
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('mixed branches with some having interval and some not', async t => {
+  const s = await setupDependabot(t, {
+    branches: ['main', 'develop', 'staging'],
+    dependabotInterval: 'weekly',
+    dependabot: {
+      main: { interval: 'monthly' },
+      develop: { strategy: 'auto' },
+      // staging gets global interval
+    },
+  })
+
+  t.equal(s.dependabot.length, 3)
+
+  const mainBranch = s.dependabot.find(d => d['target-branch'] === 'main')
+  t.match(mainBranch, {
+    schedule: { interval: 'monthly' },
+  })
+
+  const developBranch = s.dependabot.find(d => d['target-branch'] === 'develop')
+  t.match(developBranch, {
+    schedule: { interval: 'weekly' },
+    'versioning-strategy': 'auto',
+  })
+
+  const stagingBranch = s.dependabot.find(d => d['target-branch'] === 'staging')
+  t.match(stagingBranch, {
+    schedule: { interval: 'weekly' },
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('empty branch config falls back to global interval', async t => {
+  const s = await setupDependabot(t, {
+    dependabotInterval: 'monthly',
+    dependabot: {
+      main: {}, // empty object should fall back to global interval
+    },
+  })
+
+  t.match(s.dependabot[0], {
+    schedule: { interval: 'monthly' },
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('no package interval and no branch interval falls back to default', async t => {
+  const s = await setupDependabot(t, {
+    // no dependabotInterval at package level
+    dependabot: {
+      main: {}, // empty object, no interval
+    },
+  })
+
+  t.match(s.dependabot[0], {
+    schedule: { interval: 'daily' }, // should fall back to default
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('branch config as string without interval falls back properly', async t => {
+  const s = await setupDependabot(t, {
+    // no dependabotInterval at package level
+    dependabot: {
+      main: 'auto', // string config, no interval property
+    },
+  })
+
+  t.match(s.dependabot[0], {
+    schedule: { interval: 'daily' }, // should fall back to default
+    'versioning-strategy': 'auto',
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('falsy package interval and no branch interval falls back to default', async t => {
+  const s = await setupDependabot(t, {
+    dependabotInterval: null, // explicitly falsy
+    dependabot: {
+      main: {}, // empty object, no interval
+    },
+  })
+
+  t.match(s.dependabot[0], {
+    schedule: { interval: 'daily' }, // should fall back to default
+  })
+})