diff --git a/src/gitlab.rs b/src/gitlab.rs
index 4c15405..04b0da1 100644
--- a/src/gitlab.rs
+++ b/src/gitlab.rs
@@ -245,6 +245,35 @@ impl GitlabApiClient {
             .await
     }
 
+    #[instrument(skip(self), fields(project_id, since_timestamp))]
+    pub async fn get_opened_issues(
+        &self,
+        project_id: i64,
+        since_timestamp: u64,
+    ) -> Result<Vec<GitlabIssue>, GitlabError> {
+        let path = format!("/api/v4/projects/{project_id}/issues");
+        let dt = DateTime::from_timestamp(since_timestamp as i64, 0).unwrap_or_else(|| {
+            Utc.timestamp_opt(0, 0)
+                .single()
+                .expect("Fallback timestamp failed for 0")
+        });
+        let formatted_timestamp_string = dt.to_rfc3339();
+
+        let query_params_values = [
+            ("updated_after", formatted_timestamp_string),
+            ("state", "opened".to_string()),
+            ("sort", "asc".to_string()),
+            ("per_page", "100".to_string()),
+        ];
+        let params: Vec<(&str, &str)> = query_params_values
+            .iter()
+            .map(|(k, v)| (*k, v.as_str()))
+            .collect();
+
+        self.send_request(Method::GET, &path, Some(&params), None::<()>)
+            .await
+    }
+
     #[instrument(skip(self), fields(project_id, since_timestamp))]
     pub async fn get_merge_requests(
         &self,
diff --git a/src/polling.rs b/src/polling.rs
index b74005e..62642fa 100644
--- a/src/polling.rs
+++ b/src/polling.rs
@@ -223,7 +223,8 @@ impl PollingService {
         // Fetch old issues for stale check (since 0)
         // We fetch separately because "sort=asc" means we get OLDEST updated issues with 0,
         // but recent ones with fetch_recent_ts.
-        let stale_issues = match self.gitlab_client.get_issues(project_id, 0).await {
+        // We use get_opened_issues to filter by state=opened server-side.
+        let open_stale_issues = match self.gitlab_client.get_opened_issues(project_id, 0).await {
             Ok(issues) => issues,
             Err(e) => {
                 error!(
@@ -234,11 +235,6 @@ impl PollingService {
             }
         };
 
-        let open_stale_issues: Vec<GitlabIssue> = stale_issues
-            .into_iter()
-            .filter(|i| i.state == "opened")
-            .collect();
-
         // Task for checking stale issues
         let stale_check_task = {
             let project_id_clone = project_id;
diff --git a/src/tests/gitlab_tests.rs b/src/tests/gitlab_tests.rs
index f2710d3..5330fe2 100644
--- a/src/tests/gitlab_tests.rs
+++ b/src/tests/gitlab_tests.rs
@@ -1046,3 +1046,42 @@ async fn test_search_files() {
     assert!(results.contains(&"src/main.rs".to_string()));
     assert!(results.contains(&"src/utils.rs".to_string()));
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn test_get_opened_issues() {
+    let mut server = mockito::Server::new_async().await;
+    let base_url = server.url();
+    let settings = Arc::new(create_test_settings(base_url));
+    let client = GitlabApiClient::new(settings).unwrap();
+
+    let mock_issues_response = serde_json::json!([
+        {
+            "id": 1, "iid": 101, "project_id": 1, "title": "Test Issue 1",
+            "description": "A test issue 1", "state": "opened",
+            "author": {"id": 1, "username": "tester", "name": "Test User", "avatar_url": null, "web_url": "url"},
+            "web_url": "http://example.com/issue/1", "labels": [], "created_at": "2023-01-01T12:00:00Z", "updated_at": "2023-01-02T12:00:00Z"
+        }
+    ]);
+
+    let _m = server
+        .mock("GET", "/api/v4/projects/1/issues")
+        .match_query(mockito::Matcher::AllOf(vec![
+            mockito::Matcher::UrlEncoded(
+                "updated_after".into(),
+                "2021-05-03T00:00:00+00:00".into(),
+            ),
+            mockito::Matcher::UrlEncoded("state".into(), "opened".into()),
+            mockito::Matcher::UrlEncoded("sort".into(), "asc".into()),
+            mockito::Matcher::UrlEncoded("per_page".into(), "100".into()),
+        ]))
+        .with_status(200)
+        .with_header("content-type", "application/json")
+        .with_body(mock_issues_response.to_string())
+        .create_async()
+        .await;
+
+    let issues = client.get_opened_issues(1, 1620000000).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(issues.len(), 1);
+    assert_eq!(issues[0].title, "Test Issue 1");
+    assert_eq!(issues[0].state, "opened");
+}