diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index df611f6ca..f3de3f994 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@
 - Can we exclude closed Requests [\#632](https://github.com/github-changelog-generator/github-changelog-generator/issues/632)
 - Version in master branch hangs on MacOS [\#629](https://github.com/github-changelog-generator/github-changelog-generator/issues/629)
 - Some PRs logged for the wrong releases [\#617](https://github.com/github-changelog-generator/github-changelog-generator/issues/617)
+- Is there way to list referenced but not closed issues? [\#609](https://github.com/github-changelog-generator/github-changelog-generator/issues/609)
 - since\_tag with unreleased tag unexpected behavior [\#604](https://github.com/github-changelog-generator/github-changelog-generator/issues/604)
 - Generator doesn't work when I run the command presented in the docs [\#599](https://github.com/github-changelog-generator/github-changelog-generator/issues/599)
 - Move repo to organisation [\#595](https://github.com/github-changelog-generator/github-changelog-generator/issues/595)
diff --git a/lib/github_changelog_generator/generator/generator_processor.rb b/lib/github_changelog_generator/generator/generator_processor.rb
index 09d7bab7c..f23d99415 100644
--- a/lib/github_changelog_generator/generator/generator_processor.rb
+++ b/lib/github_changelog_generator/generator/generator_processor.rb
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@ class Generator
     def exclude_issues_by_labels(issues)
       return issues if !options[:exclude_labels] || options[:exclude_labels].empty?
 
+      exclude_labels = options[:exclude_labels].map(&:downcase)
       issues.reject do |issue|
-        labels = issue["labels"].map { |l| l["name"] }
-        (labels & options[:exclude_labels]).any?
+        issue_labels = issue["labels"].map { |label| label["name"].downcase }
+        (issue_labels & exclude_labels).any?
       end
     end