diff --git a/pkg/cmd/issue/lock/lock.go b/pkg/cmd/issue/lock/lock.go
index 4e0dac058..2f332d21d 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/issue/lock/lock.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/issue/lock/lock.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/api"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/internal/gh"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/internal/ghrepo"
+	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmd/issue/shared"
 	issueShared "github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmd/issue/shared"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmdutil"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/iostreams"
@@ -99,20 +100,33 @@ type LockOptions struct {
 
 	ParentCmd   string
 	Reason      string
-	SelectorArg string
+	IssueNumber int
 	Interactive bool
 }
 
-func (opts *LockOptions) setCommonOptions(f *cmdutil.Factory, args []string) {
+func (opts *LockOptions) setCommonOptions(f *cmdutil.Factory, args []string) error {
 	opts.IO = f.IOStreams
 	opts.HttpClient = f.HttpClient
 	opts.Config = f.Config
 
-	// support `-R, --repo` override
-	opts.BaseRepo = f.BaseRepo
+	issueNumber, baseRepo, err := shared.ParseIssueFromArg(args[0])
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
-	opts.SelectorArg = args[0]
+	// If the args provided the base repo then use that directly.
+	if baseRepo, present := baseRepo.Value(); present {
+		opts.BaseRepo = func() (ghrepo.Interface, error) {
+			return baseRepo, nil
+		}
+	} else {
+		// support `-R, --repo` override
+		opts.BaseRepo = f.BaseRepo
+	}
 
+	opts.IssueNumber = issueNumber
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func NewCmdLock(f *cmdutil.Factory, parentName string, runF func(string, *LockOptions) error) *cobra.Command {
@@ -129,7 +143,9 @@ func NewCmdLock(f *cmdutil.Factory, parentName string, runF func(string, *LockOp
 		Short: short,
 		Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(1),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			opts.setCommonOptions(f, args)
+			if err := opts.setCommonOptions(f, args); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 
 			reasonProvided := cmd.Flags().Changed("reason")
 			if reasonProvided {
@@ -172,7 +188,9 @@ func NewCmdUnlock(f *cmdutil.Factory, parentName string, runF func(string, *Lock
 		Short: short,
 		Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(1),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			opts.setCommonOptions(f, args)
+			if err := opts.setCommonOptions(f, args); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 
 			if runF != nil {
 				return runF(Unlock, opts)
@@ -214,13 +232,18 @@ func lockRun(state string, opts *LockOptions) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	issuePr, baseRepo, err := issueShared.IssueFromArgWithFields(httpClient, opts.BaseRepo, opts.SelectorArg, fields())
-
-	parent := alias[opts.ParentCmd]
-
+	baseRepo, err := opts.BaseRepo()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
-	} else if parent.Typename != issuePr.Typename {
+	}
+
+	issuePr, err := issueShared.FindIssueOrPR(httpClient, baseRepo, opts.IssueNumber, fields())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	parent := alias[opts.ParentCmd]
+	if parent.Typename != issuePr.Typename {
 		currentType := alias[parent.Typename]
 		correctType := alias[issuePr.Typename]
 
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/issue/lock/lock_test.go b/pkg/cmd/issue/lock/lock_test.go
index f6dcb746d..1ca320f35 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/issue/lock/lock_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/issue/lock/lock_test.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func Test_NewCmdLock(t *testing.T) {
 			args: "--reason off_topic 451",
 			want: LockOptions{
 				Reason:      "off_topic",
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -41,9 +41,36 @@ func Test_NewCmdLock(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "no flags",
 			args: "451",
 			want: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "issue number argument",
+			args: "451 --repo owner/repo",
+			want: LockOptions{
+				IssueNumber: 451,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "argument is hash prefixed number",
+			// Escaping is required here to avoid what I think is shellex treating it as a comment.
+			args: "\\#451 --repo owner/repo",
+			want: LockOptions{
+				IssueNumber: 451,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "argument is a URL",
+			args: "https://github.com/cli/cli/issues/451",
+			want: LockOptions{
+				IssueNumber: 451,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "argument cannot be parsed to an issue",
+			args:    "unparseable",
+			wantErr: "invalid issue format: \"unparseable\"",
+		},
 		{
 			name:    "bad reason",
 			args:    "--reason bad 451",
@@ -60,7 +87,7 @@ func Test_NewCmdLock(t *testing.T) {
 			args: "451",
 			tty:  true,
 			want: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				Interactive: true,
 			},
 		},
@@ -99,7 +126,7 @@ func Test_NewCmdLock(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			assert.Equal(t, tt.want.Reason, opts.Reason)
-			assert.Equal(t, tt.want.SelectorArg, opts.SelectorArg)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.want.IssueNumber, opts.IssueNumber)
 			assert.Equal(t, tt.want.Interactive, opts.Interactive)
 		})
 	}
@@ -121,9 +148,36 @@ func Test_NewCmdUnlock(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "no flags",
 			args: "451",
 			want: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "issue number argument",
+			args: "451 --repo owner/repo",
+			want: LockOptions{
+				IssueNumber: 451,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "argument is hash prefixed number",
+			// Escaping is required here to avoid what I think is shellex treating it as a comment.
+			args: "\\#451 --repo owner/repo",
+			want: LockOptions{
+				IssueNumber: 451,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "argument is a URL",
+			args: "https://github.com/cli/cli/issues/451",
+			want: LockOptions{
+				IssueNumber: 451,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "argument cannot be parsed to an issue",
+			args:    "unparseable",
+			wantErr: "invalid issue format: \"unparseable\"",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range cases {
@@ -158,7 +212,7 @@ func Test_NewCmdUnlock(t *testing.T) {
 				assert.NoError(t, err)
 			}
 
-			assert.Equal(t, tt.want.SelectorArg, opts.SelectorArg)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.want.IssueNumber, opts.IssueNumber)
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -179,7 +233,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			name:  "lock issue nontty",
 			state: Lock,
 			opts: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "issue",
 			},
 			httpStubs: func(t *testing.T, reg *httpmock.Registry) {
@@ -203,7 +257,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			tty:  true,
 			opts: LockOptions{
 				Interactive: true,
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "issue",
 			},
 			state: Lock,
@@ -241,7 +295,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			tty:   true,
 			state: Lock,
 			opts: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "issue",
 				Reason:      "off_topic",
 			},
@@ -268,7 +322,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			tty:   true,
 			state: Unlock,
 			opts: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "issue",
 			},
 			httpStubs: func(t *testing.T, reg *httpmock.Registry) {
@@ -294,7 +348,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			name:  "unlock issue nontty",
 			state: Unlock,
 			opts: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "issue",
 			},
 			httpStubs: func(t *testing.T, reg *httpmock.Registry) {
@@ -319,7 +373,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			name:  "lock issue with explicit reason nontty",
 			state: Lock,
 			opts: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "issue",
 				Reason:      "off_topic",
 			},
@@ -344,7 +398,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			name:  "relock issue tty",
 			state: Lock,
 			opts: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "issue",
 				Reason:      "off_topic",
 			},
@@ -388,7 +442,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			name:  "relock issue nontty",
 			state: Lock,
 			opts: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "issue",
 				Reason:      "off_topic",
 			},
@@ -409,7 +463,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			name:  "lock pr nontty",
 			state: Lock,
 			opts: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "pr",
 			},
 			httpStubs: func(t *testing.T, reg *httpmock.Registry) {
@@ -433,7 +487,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			tty:  true,
 			opts: LockOptions{
 				Interactive: true,
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "pr",
 			},
 			state: Lock,
@@ -469,7 +523,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			tty:   true,
 			state: Lock,
 			opts: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "pr",
 				Reason:      "off_topic",
 			},
@@ -495,7 +549,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			name:  "lock pr with explicit nontty",
 			state: Lock,
 			opts: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "pr",
 				Reason:      "off_topic",
 			},
@@ -520,7 +574,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			name:  "unlock pr tty",
 			state: Unlock,
 			opts: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "pr",
 			},
 			httpStubs: func(t *testing.T, reg *httpmock.Registry) {
@@ -546,7 +600,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			tty:   true,
 			state: Unlock,
 			opts: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "pr",
 			},
 			httpStubs: func(t *testing.T, reg *httpmock.Registry) {
@@ -572,7 +626,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			name:  "relock pr tty",
 			state: Lock,
 			opts: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "pr",
 				Reason:      "off_topic",
 			},
@@ -616,7 +670,7 @@ func Test_runLock(t *testing.T) {
 			name:  "relock pr nontty",
 			state: Lock,
 			opts: LockOptions{
-				SelectorArg: "451",
+				IssueNumber: 451,
 				ParentCmd:   "pr",
 				Reason:      "off_topic",
 			},