diff --git a/modules/repofiles/action.go b/modules/repofiles/action.go
index 07bc1b875b..3be6509bc2 100644
--- a/modules/repofiles/action.go
+++ b/modules/repofiles/action.go
@@ -138,9 +138,11 @@ func UpdateIssuesCommit(doer *models.User, repo *models.Repository, commits []*r
 					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 b38c2e72f2..7aec7cef3e 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
+			}
 		}
 	}