diff --git a/src/vendor/gitlab/repomgr.ts b/src/vendor/gitlab/repomgr.ts
index ca9361d..8c027fe 100644
--- a/src/vendor/gitlab/repomgr.ts
+++ b/src/vendor/gitlab/repomgr.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   MERGE_REQUEST_MERGABILITY,
   ENTITY_TYPE,
 } from '../../types';
+import { GLIssue, GLMutation, GLMutationCreateIssueArgs } from './api-types';
 import { GL4MergeRequestCommit } from './rest-api-types';
 import GitLabVendorManager from './vendormgr';
 import assert from 'assert';
@@ -113,9 +114,13 @@ export default class GitHubRepoManager implements RepoManager {
     assert(resp.project, 'no project');
     assert(resp.project.issue, 'no issue');
     const { issue } = resp.project;
+    return this._parseIssue(issue);
+  }
+
+  public _parseIssue(issue: GLIssue): Issue {
     return {
       type: ENTITY_TYPE.ISSUE,
-      id: number,
+      id: issue.iid,
       content: issue.description || '',
       title: issue.title,
       repo: this.repo,
@@ -130,17 +135,34 @@ export default class GitHubRepoManager implements RepoManager {
   }
 
   public async replicateIssue(issue: Issue) {
-    // yes, v4, gitlab doesn't support creating issues with graphql api 🤦‍♀️
-    const resp = await this.vendorMgr._doRequest_v4(
-      'POST',
-      `projects/${encodeURIComponent(this.repoId)}/issues`,
+    const resp = await this.vendorMgr._doRequest_gql<GLMutation, GLMutationCreateIssueArgs>(
+      `
+      mutation ($input: CreateIssueInput!) {
+        createIssue(input: $input) {
+          issue {
+            iid
+            title
+            description
+            state
+          }
+        }
+      }      
+    `,
       {
-        title: issue.title,
-        description: issue.content,
+        input: {
+          projectPath: this.repoPath,
+          title: issue.title,
+          description: issue.content,
+        },
       },
     );
-    assert(resp.iid);
-    return this.getIssue(resp.iid.toString());
+    assert(resp.createIssue, 'creating issue failed for unknown reason');
+    assert(
+      !Array.isArray(resp.createIssue.errors) || resp.createIssue.errors.length === 0,
+      `GitLab said: ${(resp.createIssue.errors || []).map((e) => `"${e}"`).join(', ')}`,
+    );
+    assert(resp.createIssue.issue, 'creating issue failed for unknown reason (2)');
+    return this._parseIssue(resp.createIssue.issue);
   }
 
   public async getMergeRequest(number: string): Promise<MergeRequest> {
diff --git a/src/vendor/gitlab/vendormgr.ts b/src/vendor/gitlab/vendormgr.ts
index 97314df..24f9937 100644
--- a/src/vendor/gitlab/vendormgr.ts
+++ b/src/vendor/gitlab/vendormgr.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ export default class GitLabVendorManager implements VendorManager<GitLabConfig>
   }
 
   /** internal and for RepoManager */
-  public async _doRequest_gql(query: string, variables: any) {
+  public async _doRequest_gql<T = GLQuery, D = any>(query: string, variables: D) {
     return got
       .post(this.gqlEndpoint, {
         body: JSON.stringify({ query, variables }),
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export default class GitLabVendorManager implements VendorManager<GitLabConfig>
         },
       })
       .then((res) => JSON.parse(res.body))
-      .then((res) => res.data) as Promise<GLQuery>;
+      .then((res) => res.data) as Promise<T>;
   }
 
   /** internal and for RepoManager */