diff --git a/api/queries_issue.go b/api/queries_issue.go
index 0070425b4..6ef431ed4 100644
--- a/api/queries_issue.go
+++ b/api/queries_issue.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -250,25 +251,24 @@ func IssueList(client *Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, state string, labels []str
 	}
 
 	if milestoneString != "" {
-		milestones, err := RepoMilestones(client, repo)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-
-		for i := range milestones {
-			if strings.EqualFold(milestones[i].Title, milestoneString) {
-				id, err := milestoneNodeIdToDatabaseId(milestones[i].ID)
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, err
-				}
-				variables["milestone"] = id
-				break
+		var milestone *RepoMilestone
+		if milestoneNumber, err := strconv.Atoi(milestoneString); err == nil {
+			milestone, err = MilestoneByNumber(client, repo, milestoneNumber)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		} else {
+			milestone, err = MilestoneByTitle(client, repo, milestoneString)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
 			}
 		}
 
-		if variables["milestone"] == nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("no milestone found with title: %q", milestoneString)
+		milestoneRESTID, err := milestoneNodeIdToDatabaseId(milestone.ID)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
 		}
+		variables["milestone"] = milestoneRESTID
 	}
 
 	var response struct {
diff --git a/api/queries_repo.go b/api/queries_repo.go
index e19bc1cf6..5a9fd587e 100644
--- a/api/queries_repo.go
+++ b/api/queries_repo.go
@@ -804,3 +804,43 @@ func RepoMilestones(client *Client, repo ghrepo.Interface) ([]RepoMilestone, err
 
 	return milestones, nil
 }
+
+func MilestoneByTitle(client *Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, title string) (*RepoMilestone, error) {
+	milestones, err := RepoMilestones(client, repo)
+	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 int) (*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
+}
diff --git a/command/issue.go b/command/issue.go
index ffa83f81c..d003e1df2 100644
--- a/command/issue.go
+++ b/command/issue.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func init() {
 	issueListCmd.Flags().IntP("limit", "L", 30, "Maximum number of issues to fetch")
 	issueListCmd.Flags().StringP("author", "A", "", "Filter by author")
 	issueListCmd.Flags().String("mention", "", "Filter by mention")
-	issueListCmd.Flags().StringP("milestone", "m", "", "Filter by milestone `name`")
+	issueListCmd.Flags().StringP("milestone", "m", "", "Filter by milestone `number` or title")
 
 	issueCmd.AddCommand(issueViewCmd)
 	issueViewCmd.Flags().BoolP("web", "w", false, "Open an issue in the browser")
diff --git a/command/issue_test.go b/command/issue_test.go
index f8d85f50f..27b2b64d5 100644
--- a/command/issue_test.go
+++ b/command/issue_test.go
@@ -285,11 +285,8 @@ func TestIssueList_web(t *testing.T) {
 func TestIssueList_milestoneNotFound(t *testing.T) {
 	initBlankContext("", "OWNER/REPO", "master")
 	http := initFakeHTTP()
+	defer http.Verify(t)
 	http.StubRepoResponse("OWNER", "REPO")
-	http.Register(
-		httpmock.GraphQL(`query IssueList\b`),
-		httpmock.FileResponse("../test/fixtures/issueList.json"),
-	)
 	http.Register(
 		httpmock.GraphQL(`query RepositoryMilestoneList\b`),
 		httpmock.StringResponse(`
@@ -300,11 +297,39 @@ func TestIssueList_milestoneNotFound(t *testing.T) {
 		`))
 
 	_, err := RunCommand("issue list --milestone NotFound")
-	if err == nil || err.Error() != `no milestone found with title: "NotFound"` {
+	if err == nil || err.Error() != `no milestone found with title "NotFound"` {
 		t.Errorf("error running command `issue list`: %v", err)
 	}
 }
 
+func TestIssueList_milestoneByNumber(t *testing.T) {
+	initBlankContext("", "OWNER/REPO", "master")
+	http := initFakeHTTP()
+	defer http.Verify(t)
+	http.StubRepoResponse("OWNER", "REPO")
+	http.Register(
+		httpmock.GraphQL(`query RepositoryMilestoneByNumber\b`),
+		httpmock.StringResponse(`
+		{ "data": { "repository": { "milestone": {
+			"id": "MDk6TWlsZXN0b25lMTIzNDU="
+		} } } }
+		`))
+	http.Register(
+		httpmock.GraphQL(`query IssueList\b`),
+		httpmock.GraphQLQuery(`
+		{ "data": {	"repository": {
+			"hasIssuesEnabled": true,
+			"issues": { "nodes": [] }
+		} } }`, func(_ string, params map[string]interface{}) {
+			assert.Equal(t, "12345", params["milestone"].(string)) // Database ID for the Milestone (see #1462)
+		}))
+
+	_, err := RunCommand("issue list --milestone 13")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error running issue list: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestIssueView_web(t *testing.T) {
 	initBlankContext("", "OWNER/REPO", "master")
 	http := initFakeHTTP()