diff --git a/app/finders/issuable_finder.rb b/app/finders/issuable_finder.rb
index 1576fc80a6b..206c92fe82a 100644
--- a/app/finders/issuable_finder.rb
+++ b/app/finders/issuable_finder.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #     label_name: string
 #     sort: string
 #     non_archived: boolean
+#     iids: integer[]
 #
 class IssuableFinder
   NONE = '0'
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ class IssuableFinder
     items = by_label(items)
     items = by_due_date(items)
     items = by_non_archived(items)
+    items = by_iids(items)
     sort(items)
   end
 
@@ -266,16 +268,11 @@ class IssuableFinder
   end
 
   def by_search(items)
-    if search
-      items =
-        if search =~ iid_pattern
-          items.where(iid: $~[:iid])
-        else
-          items.full_search(search)
-        end
-    end
+    search ? items.full_search(search) : items
+  end
 
-    items
+  def by_iids(items)
+    params[:iids].present? ? items.where(iid: params[:iids]) : items
   end
 
   def sort(items)
diff --git a/app/finders/issues_finder.rb b/app/finders/issues_finder.rb
index 707eddd4d29..f542f72a386 100644
--- a/app/finders/issues_finder.rb
+++ b/app/finders/issues_finder.rb
@@ -26,10 +26,6 @@ class IssuesFinder < IssuableFinder
     IssuesFinder.not_restricted_by_confidentiality(current_user)
   end
 
-  def iid_pattern
-    @iid_pattern ||= %r{\A#{Regexp.escape(Issue.reference_prefix)}(?<iid>\d+)\z}
-  end
-
   def self.not_restricted_by_confidentiality(user)
     return Issue.where('issues.confidential IS NULL OR issues.confidential IS FALSE') if user.blank?
 
diff --git a/app/finders/merge_requests_finder.rb b/app/finders/merge_requests_finder.rb
index 8b82255445e..b76ca389f38 100644
--- a/app/finders/merge_requests_finder.rb
+++ b/app/finders/merge_requests_finder.rb
@@ -20,14 +20,4 @@ class MergeRequestsFinder < IssuableFinder
   def klass
     MergeRequest
   end
-
-  private
-
-  def iid_pattern
-    @iid_pattern ||= %r{\A[
-      #{Regexp.escape(MergeRequest.reference_prefix)}
-      #{Regexp.escape(Issue.reference_prefix)}
-      ](?<iid>\d+)\z
-    }x
-  end
 end
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/26379-iid-param.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/26379-iid-param.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ac743e68d6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/26379-iid-param.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+title: add :iids param to IssuableFinder (resolve technical dept)
+merge_request: 9222
+author: mhasbini
diff --git a/lib/api/v3/issues.rb b/lib/api/v3/issues.rb
index 081d45165e8..ba5b6fdbe52 100644
--- a/lib/api/v3/issues.rb
+++ b/lib/api/v3/issues.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ module API
           labels = args.delete(:labels)
           args[:label_name] = labels if match_all_labels
 
-          args[:search] = "#{Issue.reference_prefix}#{args.delete(:iid)}" if args.key?(:iid)
+          # IssuesFinder expects iids
+          args[:iids] = args.delete(:iid) if args.key?(:iid)
 
           issues = IssuesFinder.new(current_user, args).execute.inc_notes_with_associations
 
diff --git a/spec/finders/issues_finder_spec.rb b/spec/finders/issues_finder_spec.rb
index 12ab1d6dde8..2a008427478 100644
--- a/spec/finders/issues_finder_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/finders/issues_finder_spec.rb
@@ -136,10 +136,10 @@ describe IssuesFinder do
         end
       end
 
-      context 'filtering by issue iid' do
-        let(:params) { { search: issue3.to_reference } }
+      context 'filtering by issues iids' do
+        let(:params) { { iids: issue3.iid } }
 
-        it 'returns issue with iid match' do
+        it 'returns issues with iids match' do
           expect(issues).to contain_exactly(issue3)
         end
       end
diff --git a/spec/finders/merge_requests_finder_spec.rb b/spec/finders/merge_requests_finder_spec.rb
index 3dcd7781e5b..21ef94ac5d1 100644
--- a/spec/finders/merge_requests_finder_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/finders/merge_requests_finder_spec.rb
@@ -38,5 +38,13 @@ describe MergeRequestsFinder do
       merge_requests = MergeRequestsFinder.new(user, params).execute
       expect(merge_requests.size).to eq(3)
     end
+
+    it 'filters by iid' do
+      params = { project_id: project1.id, iids: merge_request1.iid }
+
+      merge_requests = MergeRequestsFinder.new(user, params).execute
+
+      expect(merge_requests).to contain_exactly(merge_request1)
+    end
   end
 end