diff --git a/config/initializers/1_settings.rb b/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
index 15f80808a0d7fba3439f2b8b20056246b8aab659..a0cdc301c2fec4c4ac1bfd7dccc0e2ff1d6cc362 100644
--- a/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
+++ b/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@
 Settings.gitlab['signin_enabled'] ||= true if Settings.gitlab['signin_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'] = '\b((?:[Cc]los(?:e[sd]?|ing)|\b[Ff]ix(?:e[sd]|ing)?|\b[Rr]esolv(?:e[sd]?|ing)|\b[Ii]mplement(?:s|ed|ing)?)(:?) +(?:(?:issues? +)?%{issue_ref}(?:(?: *,? +and +| *,? *)?)|([A-Z][A-Z0-9_]+-\d+))+)' if Settings.gitlab['issue_closing_pattern'].nil?
+Settings.gitlab['issue_closing_pattern'] = '\b((?:[Cc]los(?:e[sd]?|ing)|\b[Ff]ix(?:e[sd]|ing)?|\b[Rr]esolv(?:e[sd]?|ing)|\b[Ii]mplement(?:s|ed|ing)?)(?:: +| +)(?:(?:issues? +)?%{issue_ref}(?:(?: *,? +and +| *,? *)?)|([A-Z][A-Z0-9_]+-\d+))+)' if Settings.gitlab['issue_closing_pattern'].nil?
 Settings.gitlab['default_projects_features'] ||= {}
 Settings.gitlab['webhook_timeout'] ||= 10
 Settings.gitlab['graphql_timeout'] ||= 30