diff --git a/bin/gen_release_notes.py b/bin/gen_release_notes.py
index 90dae365109..7f62228d59a 100755
--- a/bin/gen_release_notes.py
+++ b/bin/gen_release_notes.py
@@ -182,9 +182,7 @@ async def gather_commits(version: str) -> str:
     return out.decode().strip()
 
 
-async def gather_bugs(version: str) -> typing.List[str]:
-    commits = await gather_commits(version)
-
+async def parse_issues(commits: str) -> typing.List[str]:
     issues: typing.List[str] = []
     for commit in commits.split('\n'):
         sha, message = commit.split(maxsplit=1)
@@ -193,6 +191,7 @@ async def gather_bugs(version: str) -> typing.List[str]:
             stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE)
         _out, _ = await p.communicate()
         out = _out.decode().split('\n')
+
         for line in reversed(out):
             if line.startswith('Closes:'):
                 bug = line.lstrip('Closes:').strip()
@@ -205,6 +204,13 @@ async def gather_bugs(version: str) -> typing.List[str]:
         else:
             issues.append(bug.lstrip('#'))
 
+    return issues
+
+
+async def gather_bugs(version: str) -> typing.List[str]:
+    commits = await gather_commits(version)
+    issues = await parse_issues(commits)
+
     loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
     async with aiohttp.ClientSession(loop=loop) as session:
         results = await asyncio.gather(*[get_bug(session, i) for i in issues])
diff --git a/bin/gen_release_notes_test.py b/bin/gen_release_notes_test.py
index 2f114ce144c..eca0c4b8af4 100644
--- a/bin/gen_release_notes_test.py
+++ b/bin/gen_release_notes_test.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright © 2019 Intel Corporation
+# Copyright © 2019,2021 Intel Corporation
 
 # Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
 # of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
@@ -18,8 +18,19 @@
 # OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
 # SOFTWARE.
 
+import sys
+import textwrap
+import typing
+
 import pytest
 
+# AsyncMock is new in 3.8, so if we're using an older version we need the
+# backported version of mock
+if sys.version_info >= (3, 8):
+    from unittest import mock
+else:
+    import mock
+
 from .gen_release_notes import *
 
 
@@ -58,3 +69,40 @@ async def test_gather_commits():
     version = '19.2.0'
     out = await gather_commits(version)
     assert out
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'content, bugs',
+    [
+        # It is important to have the title on a new line, as
+        # textwrap.dedent wont work otherwise.
+        (
+            '''\
+            A commit
+
+            It has a message in it
+
+            Closes: #1
+            ''',
+            ['1'],
+        ),
+        (
+            '''\
+            A commit with no body
+
+            Closes: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/mesa/-/issues/3456
+            ''',
+            ['3456'],
+        ),
+    ])
+async def test_parse_issues(content: str, bugs: typing.List[str]) -> None:
+    mock_com = mock.AsyncMock(return_value=(textwrap.dedent(content).encode(), ''))
+    mock_p = mock.Mock()
+    mock_p.communicate = mock_com
+    mock_exec = mock.AsyncMock(return_value=mock_p)
+
+    with mock.patch('bin.gen_release_notes.asyncio.create_subprocess_exec', mock_exec), \
+            mock.patch('bin.gen_release_notes.gather_commits', mock.AsyncMock(return_value='sha\n')):
+        ids = await parse_issues('1234 not used')
+        assert ids == bugs