diff --git a/models/action.go b/models/action.go
index 21b008e3be83d..a092f564bfdc9 100644
--- a/models/action.go
+++ b/models/action.go
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ var (
 )
 
 const issueRefRegexpStr = `(?:([0-9a-zA-Z-_\.]+)/([0-9a-zA-Z-_\.]+))?(#[0-9]+)+`
+const issueRefRegexpStrNoKeyword = `(?:\s|^|\(|\[)(?:([0-9a-zA-Z-_\.]+)/([0-9a-zA-Z-_\.]+))?(#[0-9]+)(?:\s|$|\)|\]|\.(\s|$))`
 
 func assembleKeywordsPattern(words []string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`(?i)(?:%s)(?::?) %s`, strings.Join(words, "|"), issueRefRegexpStr)
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ func assembleKeywordsPattern(words []string) string {
 func init() {
 	issueCloseKeywordsPat = regexp.MustCompile(assembleKeywordsPattern(issueCloseKeywords))
 	issueReopenKeywordsPat = regexp.MustCompile(assembleKeywordsPattern(issueReopenKeywords))
-	issueReferenceKeywordsPat = regexp.MustCompile(issueRefRegexpStr)
+	issueReferenceKeywordsPat = regexp.MustCompile(issueRefRegexpStrNoKeyword)
 }
 
 // Action represents user operation type and other information to
diff --git a/models/action_test.go b/models/action_test.go
index 53a3202894e2e..da50ebce809d8 100644
--- a/models/action_test.go
+++ b/models/action_test.go
@@ -155,6 +155,25 @@ func TestPushCommits_AvatarLink(t *testing.T) {
 		pushCommits.AvatarLink("nonexistent@example.com"))
 }
 
+func TestRegExp_issueReferenceKeywordsPat(t *testing.T) {
+	trueTestCases := []string{
+		"#2",
+		"[#2]",
+		"please see go-gitea/gitea#5",
+	}
+	falseTestCases := []string{
+		"kb#2",
+		"#2xy",
+	}
+
+	for _, testCase := range trueTestCases {
+		assert.True(t, issueReferenceKeywordsPat.MatchString(testCase))
+	}
+	for _, testCase := range falseTestCases {
+		assert.False(t, issueReferenceKeywordsPat.MatchString(testCase))
+	}
+}
+
 func Test_getIssueFromRef(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, PrepareTestDatabase())
 	repo := AssertExistsAndLoadBean(t, &Repository{ID: 1}).(*Repository)