diff --git a/modules/repofiles/action.go b/modules/repofiles/action.go
index d207247114..5fe9333591 100644
--- a/modules/repofiles/action.go
+++ b/modules/repofiles/action.go
@@ -137,9 +137,11 @@ func UpdateIssuesCommit(doer *models.User, repo *models.Repository, commits []*m
 					continue
 				}
 			}
-
-			if err := changeIssueStatus(refRepo, refIssue, doer, ref.Action == references.XRefActionCloses); err != nil {
-				return err
+			close := (ref.Action == references.XRefActionCloses)
+			if close != refIssue.IsClosed {
+				if err := changeIssueStatus(refRepo, refIssue, doer, close); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/services/pull/merge.go b/services/pull/merge.go
index 8aa38bf11e..65a781e54c 100644
--- a/services/pull/merge.go
+++ b/services/pull/merge.go
@@ -374,8 +374,10 @@ func Merge(pr *models.PullRequest, doer *models.User, baseGitRepo *git.Repositor
 			return err
 		}
 		close := (ref.RefAction == references.XRefActionCloses)
-		if err = issue_service.ChangeStatus(ref.Issue, doer, close); err != nil {
-			return err
+		if close != ref.Issue.IsClosed {
+			if err = issue_service.ChangeStatus(ref.Issue, doer, close); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 		}
 	}