diff --git a/lib/platform/gitlab/index.js b/lib/platform/gitlab/index.js
index 2fdea58ac766411428e88027ace52dfdff043ba3..5c48502c4b996b73a64901f134f437f1e434dde5 100644
--- a/lib/platform/gitlab/index.js
+++ b/lib/platform/gitlab/index.js
@@ -438,17 +438,18 @@ async function findIssue(title) {
 
 async function ensureIssue(title, body) {
   logger.debug(`ensureIssue()`);
+  const description = getPrBody(body);
   try {
     const issueList = await getIssueList();
     const issue = issueList.find(i => i.title === title);
     if (issue) {
-      const issueBody = (await get(
+      const existingDescription = (await get(
         `projects/${config.repository}/issues/${issue.iid}`
       )).body.description;
-      if (issueBody !== body) {
+      if (existingDescription !== description) {
         logger.debug('Updating issue body');
         await get.put(`projects/${config.repository}/issues/${issue.iid}`, {
-          body: { description: body },
+          body: { description },
         });
         return 'updated';
       }
@@ -456,7 +457,7 @@ async function ensureIssue(title, body) {
       await get.post(`projects/${config.repository}/issues`, {
         body: {
           title,
-          description: body,
+          description,
         },
       });
       // delete issueList so that it will be refetched as necessary