diff --git a/config/initializers/1_settings.rb b/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
index 62619241001..63d8ae17436 100644
--- a/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
+++ b/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ Settings.gitlab['signin_enabled'] ||= true if Settings.gitlab['signin_enabled'].
 Settings.gitlab['twitter_sharing_enabled'] ||= true if Settings.gitlab['twitter_sharing_enabled'].nil?
 Settings.gitlab['restricted_visibility_levels'] = Settings.send(:verify_constant_array, Gitlab::VisibilityLevel, Settings.gitlab['restricted_visibility_levels'], [])
 Settings.gitlab['username_changing_enabled'] = true if Settings.gitlab['username_changing_enabled'].nil?
-Settings.gitlab['issue_closing_pattern'] = '((?:[Cc]los(?:e[sd]?|ing)|[Ff]ix(?:e[sd]|ing)?|[Rr]esolv(?:e[sd]?|ing)) +(?:(?:issues? +)?#\d+(?:(?:, *| +and +)?))+)' if Settings.gitlab['issue_closing_pattern'].nil?
+Settings.gitlab['issue_closing_pattern'] = '((?:[Cc]los(?:e[sd]?|ing)|[Ff]ix(?:e[sd]|ing)?|[Rr]esolv(?:e[sd]?|ing)) +(?:(?:issues? +)?%{issue_ref}(?:(?:, *| +and +)?))+)' if Settings.gitlab['issue_closing_pattern'].nil?
 Settings.gitlab['default_projects_features'] ||= {}
 Settings.gitlab['webhook_timeout'] ||= 10
 Settings.gitlab['max_attachment_size'] ||= 10
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/closing_issue_extractor.rb b/lib/gitlab/closing_issue_extractor.rb
index aeec595782c..70b9943d7eb 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/closing_issue_extractor.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/closing_issue_extractor.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 module Gitlab
   class ClosingIssueExtractor
-    ISSUE_CLOSING_REGEX = Regexp.new(Gitlab.config.gitlab.issue_closing_pattern)
+    ISSUE_CLOSING_REGEX = begin
+      pattern = Gitlab.config.gitlab.issue_closing_pattern
+      pattern = pattern.sub('%{issue_ref}', "(?:#{Issue.reference_pattern})")
+      Regexp.new(pattern).freeze
+    end
 
     def initialize(project, current_user = nil)
       @extractor = Gitlab::ReferenceExtractor.new(project, current_user)
@@ -9,10 +13,12 @@ module Gitlab
     def closed_by_message(message)
       return [] if message.nil?
 
-      closing_statements = message.scan(ISSUE_CLOSING_REGEX).
-        map { |ref| ref[0] }.join(" ")
+      closing_statements = []
+      message.scan(ISSUE_CLOSING_REGEX) do
+        closing_statements << Regexp.last_match[0]
+      end
 
-      @extractor.analyze(closing_statements)
+      @extractor.analyze(closing_statements.join(" "))
 
       @extractor.issues
     end