diff --git a/.mokogitea/mcp/src/index.ts b/.mokogitea/mcp/src/index.ts
index 4782d9f0c3..27b0ee6720 100644
--- a/.mokogitea/mcp/src/index.ts
+++ b/.mokogitea/mcp/src/index.ts
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ server.tool(
 
 server.tool(
 	'gitea_issue_create',
-	'Create a new issue',
+	'Create or update an issue (searches by title first to prevent duplicates)',
 	{
 		...OwnerRepo,
 		title: z.string().describe('Issue title'),
@@ -439,15 +439,66 @@ server.tool(
 		labels: z.array(z.number()).optional().describe('Label IDs'),
 		milestone: z.number().optional().describe('Milestone ID'),
 		assignees: z.array(z.string()).optional().describe('Usernames to assign'),
+		status_id: z.number().optional().describe('Custom status definition ID'),
+		priority_id: z.number().optional().describe('Custom priority definition ID'),
 		...ConnectionParam,
 	},
-	async ({ owner, repo, title, body: issueBody, labels, milestone, assignees, connection }) => {
+	async ({ owner, repo, title, body: issueBody, labels, milestone, assignees, status_id, priority_id, connection }) => {
+		const c = clientFor(connection);
+
+		// Search for existing issue with same title to prevent duplicates
+		const searchRes = await c.get(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/issues`, {
+			type: 'issues', state: 'open', limit: '50',
+		});
+		let existing: { number: number } | undefined;
+		if (searchRes.status < 400 && Array.isArray(searchRes.data)) {
+			existing = (searchRes.data as Array<{ number: number; title: string }>)
+				.find((i) => i.title === title);
+		}
+		// Also check closed issues if not found in open
+		if (!existing) {
+			const closedRes = await c.get(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/issues`, {
+				type: 'issues', state: 'closed', limit: '50',
+			});
+			if (closedRes.status < 400 && Array.isArray(closedRes.data)) {
+				existing = (closedRes.data as Array<{ number: number; title: string }>)
+					.find((i) => i.title === title);
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (existing) {
+			// Update existing issue instead of creating a duplicate
+			const body: Record<string, unknown> = {};
+			if (issueBody !== undefined) body.body = issueBody;
+			if (labels) body.labels = labels;
+			if (milestone) body.milestone = milestone;
+			if (assignees) body.assignees = assignees;
+			const res = await c.patch(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/issues/${existing.number}`, body);
+			// Set status/priority via dedicated endpoints
+			const issueData = res.data as { id?: number };
+			if (issueData?.id) {
+				if (status_id !== undefined) await c.post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/issues/${issueData.id}/custom-status`, { status_id });
+				if (priority_id !== undefined) await c.post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/issues/${issueData.id}/custom-priority`, { priority_id });
+			}
+			const out = formatResponse(res);
+			out.content[0].text = `Updated existing issue #${existing.number} (duplicate prevented)\n${out.content[0].text}`;
+			return out;
+		}
+
+		// No duplicate found - create new
 		const body: Record<string, unknown> = { title };
 		if (issueBody) body.body = issueBody;
 		if (labels) body.labels = labels;
 		if (milestone) body.milestone = milestone;
 		if (assignees) body.assignees = assignees;
-		return formatResponse(await clientFor(connection).post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/issues`, body));
+		const res = await c.post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/issues`, body);
+		// Set status/priority via dedicated endpoints
+		const newIssue = res.data as { id?: number };
+		if (newIssue?.id) {
+			if (status_id !== undefined) await c.post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/issues/${newIssue.id}/custom-status`, { status_id });
+			if (priority_id !== undefined) await c.post(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/issues/${newIssue.id}/custom-priority`, { priority_id });
+		}
+		return formatResponse(res);
 	},
 );