diff --git a/api/queries_repo.go b/api/queries_repo.go
index 796c2ed45..1c8a210fb 100644
--- a/api/queries_repo.go
+++ b/api/queries_repo.go
@@ -1137,46 +1137,6 @@ func RepoMilestones(client *Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, state string) ([]Repo
 	return milestones, nil
 }
 
-func MilestoneByTitle(client *Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, state, title string) (*RepoMilestone, error) {
-	milestones, err := RepoMilestones(client, repo, state)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	for i := range milestones {
-		if strings.EqualFold(milestones[i].Title, title) {
-			return &milestones[i], nil
-		}
-	}
-	return nil, fmt.Errorf("no milestone found with title %q", title)
-}
-
-func MilestoneByNumber(client *Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, number int32) (*RepoMilestone, error) {
-	var query struct {
-		Repository struct {
-			Milestone *RepoMilestone `graphql:"milestone(number: $number)"`
-		} `graphql:"repository(owner: $owner, name: $name)"`
-	}
-
-	variables := map[string]interface{}{
-		"owner":  githubv4.String(repo.RepoOwner()),
-		"name":   githubv4.String(repo.RepoName()),
-		"number": githubv4.Int(number),
-	}
-
-	gql := graphQLClient(client.http, repo.RepoHost())
-
-	err := gql.QueryNamed(context.Background(), "RepositoryMilestoneByNumber", &query, variables)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	if query.Repository.Milestone == nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no milestone found with number '%d'", number)
-	}
-
-	return query.Repository.Milestone, nil
-}
-
 func ProjectNamesToPaths(client *Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, projectNames []string) ([]string, error) {
 	var paths []string
 	projects, err := RepoAndOrgProjects(client, repo)
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/issue/list/http.go b/pkg/cmd/issue/list/http.go
index a992b553d..40a32d748 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/issue/list/http.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/issue/list/http.go
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 package list
 
 import (
-	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
-	"strconv"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/api"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/internal/ghrepo"
@@ -26,10 +23,10 @@ func listIssues(client *api.Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, filters prShared.Filt
 
 	fragments := fmt.Sprintf("fragment issue on Issue {%s}", api.PullRequestGraphQL(filters.Fields))
 	query := fragments + `
-	query IssueList($owner: String!, $repo: String!, $limit: Int, $endCursor: String, $states: [IssueState!] = OPEN, $assignee: String, $author: String, $mention: String, $milestone: String) {
+	query IssueList($owner: String!, $repo: String!, $limit: Int, $endCursor: String, $states: [IssueState!] = OPEN, $assignee: String, $author: String, $mention: String) {
 		repository(owner: $owner, name: $repo) {
 			hasIssuesEnabled
-			issues(first: $limit, after: $endCursor, orderBy: {field: CREATED_AT, direction: DESC}, states: $states, filterBy: {assignee: $assignee, createdBy: $author, mentioned: $mention, milestone: $milestone}) {
+			issues(first: $limit, after: $endCursor, orderBy: {field: CREATED_AT, direction: DESC}, states: $states, filterBy: {assignee: $assignee, createdBy: $author, mentioned: $mention}) {
 				totalCount
 				nodes {
 					...issue
@@ -59,24 +56,10 @@ func listIssues(client *api.Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, filters prShared.Filt
 	}
 
 	if filters.Milestone != "" {
-		var milestone *api.RepoMilestone
-		if milestoneNumber, err := strconv.ParseInt(filters.Milestone, 10, 32); err == nil {
-			milestone, err = api.MilestoneByNumber(client, repo, int32(milestoneNumber))
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-		} else {
-			milestone, err = api.MilestoneByTitle(client, repo, "all", filters.Milestone)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-		}
-
-		milestoneRESTID, err := milestoneNodeIdToDatabaseId(milestone.ID)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		variables["milestone"] = milestoneRESTID
+		// The "milestone" filter in the GraphQL connection doesn't work as documented and accepts neither a
+		// milestone number nor a title. It does accept a numeric database ID, but we cannot obtain one
+		// using the GraphQL API.
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot filter by milestone using the `Repository.issues` GraphQL connection")
 	}
 
 	type responseData struct {
@@ -204,23 +187,6 @@ loop:
 	return &ic, nil
 }
 
-// milestoneNodeIdToDatabaseId extracts the REST Database ID from the GraphQL Node ID
-// This conversion is necessary since the GraphQL API requires the use of the milestone's database ID
-// for querying the related issues.
-func milestoneNodeIdToDatabaseId(nodeId string) (string, error) {
-	// The Node ID is Base64 obfuscated, with an underlying pattern:
-	// "09:Milestone12345", where "12345" is the database ID
-	decoded, err := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(nodeId)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	splitted := strings.Split(string(decoded), "Milestone")
-	if len(splitted) != 2 {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("couldn't get database id from node id")
-	}
-	return splitted[1], nil
-}
-
 func min(a, b int) int {
 	if a < b {
 		return a
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/issue/list/list.go b/pkg/cmd/issue/list/list.go
index 8e26a8afe..bf0e9bae6 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/issue/list/list.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/issue/list/list.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package list
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"strconv"
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/MakeNowJust/heredoc"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/api"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/internal/config"
+	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/internal/ghinstance"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/internal/ghrepo"
 	issueShared "github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmd/issue/shared"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmd/pr/shared"
@@ -16,6 +18,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmdutil"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/iostreams"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/utils"
+	graphql "github.com/cli/shurcooL-graphql"
+	"github.com/shurcooL/githubv4"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
@@ -182,9 +186,9 @@ func listRun(opts *ListOptions) error {
 func issueList(client *http.Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, filters prShared.FilterOptions, limit int) (*api.IssuesAndTotalCount, error) {
 	apiClient := api.NewClientFromHTTP(client)
 
-	if filters.Search != "" || len(filters.Labels) > 0 {
+	if filters.Search != "" || len(filters.Labels) > 0 || filters.Milestone != "" {
 		if milestoneNumber, err := strconv.ParseInt(filters.Milestone, 10, 32); err == nil {
-			milestone, err := api.MilestoneByNumber(apiClient, repo, int32(milestoneNumber))
+			milestone, err := milestoneByNumber(client, repo, int32(milestoneNumber))
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
@@ -211,3 +215,27 @@ func issueList(client *http.Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, filters prShared.Filt
 
 	return listIssues(apiClient, repo, filters, limit)
 }
+
+func milestoneByNumber(client *http.Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, number int32) (*api.RepoMilestone, error) {
+	var query struct {
+		Repository struct {
+			Milestone *api.RepoMilestone `graphql:"milestone(number: $number)"`
+		} `graphql:"repository(owner: $owner, name: $name)"`
+	}
+
+	variables := map[string]interface{}{
+		"owner":  githubv4.String(repo.RepoOwner()),
+		"name":   githubv4.String(repo.RepoName()),
+		"number": githubv4.Int(number),
+	}
+
+	gql := graphql.NewClient(ghinstance.GraphQLEndpoint(repo.RepoHost()), client)
+	if err := gql.QueryNamed(context.Background(), "RepositoryMilestoneByNumber", &query, variables); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if query.Repository.Milestone == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no milestone found with number '%d'", number)
+	}
+
+	return query.Repository.Milestone, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/issue/list/list_test.go b/pkg/cmd/issue/list/list_test.go
index cce2849f9..732db3488 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/issue/list/list_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/issue/list/list_test.go
@@ -121,20 +121,10 @@ func TestIssueList_tty_withFlags(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.Equal(t, "probablyCher", params["assignee"].(string))
 			assert.Equal(t, "foo", params["author"].(string))
 			assert.Equal(t, "me", params["mention"].(string))
-			assert.Equal(t, "12345", params["milestone"].(string))
 			assert.Equal(t, []interface{}{"OPEN"}, params["states"].([]interface{}))
 		}))
 
-	http.Register(
-		httpmock.GraphQL(`query RepositoryMilestoneList\b`),
-		httpmock.StringResponse(`
-		{ "data": { "repository": { "milestones": {
-			"nodes": [{ "title":"1.x", "id": "MDk6TWlsZXN0b25lMTIzNDU=" }],
-			"pageInfo": { "hasNextPage": false }
-		} } } }
-		`))
-
-	output, err := runCommand(http, true, "-a probablyCher -s open -A foo --mention me --milestone 1.x")
+	output, err := runCommand(http, true, "-a probablyCher -s open -A foo --mention me")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("error running command `issue list`: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -269,45 +259,7 @@ func Test_issueList(t *testing.T) {
 					httpmock.GraphQL(`query RepositoryMilestoneByNumber\b`),
 					httpmock.StringResponse(`
 					{ "data": { "repository": { "milestone": {
-						"id": "MDk6TWlsZXN0b25lMTIzNDU="
-					} } } }
-					`))
-				reg.Register(
-					httpmock.GraphQL(`query IssueList\b`),
-					httpmock.GraphQLQuery(`
-					{ "data": {	"repository": {
-						"hasIssuesEnabled": true,
-						"issues": { "nodes": [] }
-					} } }`, func(_ string, params map[string]interface{}) {
-						assert.Equal(t, map[string]interface{}{
-							"owner":     "OWNER",
-							"repo":      "REPO",
-							"limit":     float64(30),
-							"states":    []interface{}{"OPEN"},
-							"milestone": "12345",
-						}, params)
-					}))
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "milestone by number with search",
-			args: args{
-				limit: 30,
-				repo:  ghrepo.New("OWNER", "REPO"),
-				filters: prShared.FilterOptions{
-					Entity:    "issue",
-					State:     "open",
-					Milestone: "13",
-					Search:    "auth bug",
-				},
-			},
-			httpStubs: func(reg *httpmock.Registry) {
-				reg.Register(
-					httpmock.GraphQL(`query RepositoryMilestoneByNumber\b`),
-					httpmock.StringResponse(`
-					{ "data": { "repository": { "milestone": {
-						"title": "Big 1.0",
-						"id": "MDk6TWlsZXN0b25lMTIzNDU="
+						"title": "1.x"
 					} } } }
 					`))
 				reg.Register(
@@ -324,40 +276,7 @@ func Test_issueList(t *testing.T) {
 							"owner": "OWNER",
 							"repo":  "REPO",
 							"limit": float64(30),
-							"query": "repo:OWNER/REPO is:issue is:open milestone:\"Big 1.0\" auth bug",
-							"type":  "ISSUE",
-						}, params)
-					}))
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "milestone by title with search",
-			args: args{
-				limit: 30,
-				repo:  ghrepo.New("OWNER", "REPO"),
-				filters: prShared.FilterOptions{
-					Entity:    "issue",
-					State:     "open",
-					Milestone: "Big 1.0",
-					Search:    "auth bug",
-				},
-			},
-			httpStubs: func(reg *httpmock.Registry) {
-				reg.Register(
-					httpmock.GraphQL(`query IssueSearch\b`),
-					httpmock.GraphQLQuery(`
-					{ "data": {
-						"repository": { "hasIssuesEnabled": true },
-						"search": {
-							"issueCount": 0,
-							"nodes": []
-						}
-					} }`, func(_ string, params map[string]interface{}) {
-						assert.Equal(t, map[string]interface{}{
-							"owner": "OWNER",
-							"repo":  "REPO",
-							"limit": float64(30),
-							"query": "repo:OWNER/REPO is:issue is:open milestone:\"Big 1.0\" auth bug",
+							"query": "repo:OWNER/REPO is:issue is:open milestone:1.x",
 							"type":  "ISSUE",
 						}, params)
 					}))
@@ -376,26 +295,21 @@ func Test_issueList(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			httpStubs: func(reg *httpmock.Registry) {
 				reg.Register(
-					httpmock.GraphQL(`query RepositoryMilestoneList\b`),
-					httpmock.StringResponse(`
-					{ "data": { "repository": { "milestones": {
-						"nodes": [{ "title":"1.x", "id": "MDk6TWlsZXN0b25lMTIzNDU=" }],
-						"pageInfo": { "hasNextPage": false }
-					} } } }
-					`))
-				reg.Register(
-					httpmock.GraphQL(`query IssueList\b`),
+					httpmock.GraphQL(`query IssueSearch\b`),
 					httpmock.GraphQLQuery(`
-					{ "data": {	"repository": {
-						"hasIssuesEnabled": true,
-						"issues": { "nodes": [] }
-					} } }`, func(_ string, params map[string]interface{}) {
+					{ "data": {
+						"repository": { "hasIssuesEnabled": true },
+						"search": {
+							"issueCount": 0,
+							"nodes": []
+						}
+					} }`, func(_ string, params map[string]interface{}) {
 						assert.Equal(t, map[string]interface{}{
-							"owner":     "OWNER",
-							"repo":      "REPO",
-							"limit":     float64(30),
-							"states":    []interface{}{"OPEN"},
-							"milestone": "12345",
+							"owner": "OWNER",
+							"repo":  "REPO",
+							"limit": float64(30),
+							"query": "repo:OWNER/REPO is:issue is:open milestone:1.x",
+							"type":  "ISSUE",
 						}, params)
 					}))
 			},