diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/merge_requests/list/components/merge_requests_list_app.vue b/app/assets/javascripts/merge_requests/list/components/merge_requests_list_app.vue
index 9bcff8bab4adf1f3df940b8fc6053186a413ca1a..ef2504a0135a0578faa241a969593726653586ad 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/merge_requests/list/components/merge_requests_list_app.vue
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/merge_requests/list/components/merge_requests_list_app.vue
@@ -326,7 +326,6 @@ export default {
           title: TOKEN_TITLE_MILESTONE,
           icon: 'milestone',
           token: MilestoneToken,
-          operators: OPERATORS_IS,
           recentSuggestionsStorageKey: `${this.fullPath}-merge-requests-recent-tokens-milestone`,
           shouldSkipSort: true,
           fullPath: this.fullPath,
diff --git a/spec/features/merge_requests/user_filters_by_milestones_spec.rb b/spec/features/merge_requests/user_filters_by_milestones_spec.rb
index 3bbf77b361749f660b81b5185024e93cb78052ee..2ce1ee156378d761e1ac335f2e1484f19d76ae28 100644
--- a/spec/features/merge_requests/user_filters_by_milestones_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/merge_requests/user_filters_by_milestones_spec.rb
@@ -18,22 +18,32 @@
   end
 
   it 'filters by no milestone' do
-    select_tokens 'Milestone', 'None', submit: true
+    select_tokens 'Milestone', '=', 'None', submit: true
 
     expect(page).to have_issuable_counts(open: 1, closed: 0, all: 1)
     expect(page).to have_css('.merge-request', count: 1)
   end
 
   it 'filters by a specific milestone' do
-    select_tokens 'Milestone', milestone.title, submit: true
+    select_tokens 'Milestone', '=', milestone.title, submit: true
 
     expect(page).to have_issuable_counts(open: 1, closed: 0, all: 1)
     expect(page).to have_css('.merge-request', count: 1)
   end
 
+  it 'filters out a specific milestone' do
+    select_tokens 'Milestone', '!=', milestone.title, submit: true
+
+    expect(page).to have_issuable_counts(open: 1, closed: 0, all: 1)
+    expect(page).to have_css('.merge-request', count: 1)
+    page.within('.issuable-list') do
+      expect(page).not_to have_text(milestone.title)
+    end
+  end
+
   describe 'filters by upcoming milestone' do
     it 'does not show merge requests with no expiry' do
-      select_tokens 'Milestone', 'Upcoming', submit: true
+      select_tokens 'Milestone', '=', 'Upcoming', submit: true
 
       expect(page).to have_issuable_counts(open: 0, closed: 0, all: 0)
       expect(page).to have_css('.merge-request', count: 0)
@@ -43,7 +53,7 @@
       let(:milestone) { create(:milestone, project: project, due_date: Date.tomorrow) }
 
       it 'shows merge requests' do
-        select_tokens 'Milestone', 'Upcoming', submit: true
+        select_tokens 'Milestone', '=', 'Upcoming', submit: true
 
         expect(page).to have_issuable_counts(open: 1, closed: 0, all: 1)
         expect(page).to have_css('.merge-request', count: 1)
@@ -54,7 +64,7 @@
       let(:milestone) { create(:milestone, project: project, due_date: Date.yesterday) }
 
       it 'does not show any merge requests' do
-        select_tokens 'Milestone', 'Upcoming', submit: true
+        select_tokens 'Milestone', '=', 'Upcoming', submit: true
 
         expect(page).to have_issuable_counts(open: 0, closed: 0, all: 0)
         expect(page).to have_css('.merge-request', count: 0)
diff --git a/spec/features/merge_requests/user_filters_by_multiple_criteria_spec.rb b/spec/features/merge_requests/user_filters_by_multiple_criteria_spec.rb
index 54eef3370cfa216277729574b22c25869d1786b6..67c980e7c1a95c166300b08ea3735c6e75e8075e 100644
--- a/spec/features/merge_requests/user_filters_by_multiple_criteria_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/merge_requests/user_filters_by_multiple_criteria_spec.rb
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
   describe 'filtering by text, author, assignee, milestone, and label' do
     it 'filters by text, author, assignee, milestone, and label' do
-      select_tokens 'Author', '=', user.username, 'Assignee', '=', user.username, 'Milestone', milestone.title, 'Label', '=', wontfix.title
+      select_tokens 'Author', '=', user.username, 'Assignee', '=', user.username, 'Milestone', '=', milestone.title, 'Label', '=', wontfix.title
       send_keys 'Bug', :enter, :enter
 
       expect(page).to have_issuable_counts(open: 1, closed: 0, all: 1)