diff --git a/.github/workflows/docs-issues.yml b/.github/workflows/docs-issues.yml
index 00a098df8..f49cf517c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docs-issues.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docs-issues.yml
@@ -1,19 +1,18 @@
 # **what?**
-# Open an issue in docs.getdbt.com when a PR is labeled `user docs`
+# Open an issue in docs.getdbt.com when an issue is labeled `user docs` and closed as completed
 
 # **why?**
 # To reduce barriers for keeping docs up to date
 
 # **when?**
-# When a PR is labeled `user docs` and is merged.  Runs on pull_request_target to run off the workflow already merged,
-# not the workflow that existed on the PR branch.  This allows old PRs to get comments.
+# When an issue is labeled `user docs` and is closed as completed.  Can be labeled before or after the issue is closed.
 
 
-name: Open issues in docs.getdbt.com repo when a PR is labeled
-run-name: "Open an issue in docs.getdbt.com for PR #${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}"
+name: Open issues in docs.getdbt.com repo when an issue is labeled
+run-name: "Open an issue in docs.getdbt.com for issue #${{ github.event.issue.number }}"
 
 on:
-  pull_request_target:
+  issues:
     types: [labeled, closed]
 
 defaults:
@@ -21,23 +20,22 @@ defaults:
     shell: bash
 
 permissions:
-    issues: write # opens new issues
-    pull-requests: write # comments on PRs
-
+    issues: write # comments on issues
 
 jobs:
   open_issues:
-    # we only want to run this when the PR has been merged or the label in the labeled event is `user docs`.  Otherwise it runs the
+    # we only want to run this when the issue is closed as completed and the label `user docs` has been assigned.
+    # If this logic does not exist in this workflow, it runs the
     # risk of duplicaton of issues being created due to merge and label both triggering this workflow to run and neither having
     # generating the comment before the other runs.  This lives here instead of the shared workflow because this is where we
     # decide if it should run or not.
     if: |
-      (github.event.pull_request.merged == true) &&
-      ((github.event.action == 'closed' && contains( github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'user docs')) ||
+      (github.event.issue.state == 'closed' && github.event.issue.state_reason == 'completed') && (
+      (github.event.action == 'closed' && contains(github.event.issue.labels.*.name, 'user docs')) ||
       (github.event.action == 'labeled' && github.event.label.name == 'user docs'))
     uses: dbt-labs/actions/.github/workflows/open-issue-in-repo.yml@main
     with:
         issue_repository: "dbt-labs/docs.getdbt.com"
-        issue_title: "Docs Changes Needed from ${{ github.event.repository.name }} PR #${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}"
+        issue_title: "Docs Changes Needed from ${{ github.event.repository.name }} Issue #${{ github.event.issue.number }}"
         issue_body: "At a minimum, update body to include a link to the page on docs.getdbt.com requiring updates and what part(s) of the page you would like to see updated."
     secrets: inherit