diff --git a/scripts/gitea_api.py b/scripts/gitea_api.py
index be56423..166a945 100644
--- a/scripts/gitea_api.py
+++ b/scripts/gitea_api.py
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ def post_review(gitea_url, api_token, target_repo, pr_num, review):
 # ── Issue endpoints ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 _ISSUE_REF_RE = re.compile(
-    r"(?:fixe?s?|close?s?|resolve?s?|refs?|see)\s+"
+    r"(?:fixe?s?|close?s?|resolve?s?|refs?|see)[\s:]+"
     r"((?:[\w.-]+/[\w.-]+)?#\d+)",
     re.IGNORECASE,
 )
diff --git a/scripts/test_issue_api.py b/scripts/test_issue_api.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45f12ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test_issue_api.py
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+"""Smoke-tests for the issue-linking feature in gitea_api.py.
+
+Run::
+
+    python scripts/test_issue_api.py
+"""
+
+import sys
+import os
+
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(__file__))
+
+from gitea_api import (
+    _extract_issue_refs,
+    format_issues_markdown,
+    fetch_issue,
+    fetch_linked_issues,
+)
+
+# ── Test 1: _extract_issue_refs ────────────────────────────────────────
+
+BODY = """
+This PR fixes bug in user login.
+
+Closes #42.
+
+Also see #99 and refs: org/other-repo#7 for related changes.
+Not a ref: # 12 (space between).
+"""
+
+refs = _extract_issue_refs(BODY)
+print("=== Test 1: _extract_issue_refs ===")
+print(f"Found {len(refs)} refs:")
+for owner, repo, num in refs:
+    print(f"  owner={owner!r} repo={repo!r} num={num}")
+assert len(refs) == 3, f"Expected 3 refs, got {len(refs)}"
+assert (None, None, 42) in refs, "Missing #42"
+assert (None, None, 99) in refs, "Missing #99"
+assert ("org", "other-repo", 7) in refs, "Missing org/other-repo#7"
+print("PASS\n")
+
+
+# ── Test 2: format_issues_markdown ─────────────────────────────────────
+
+issues = [
+    {
+        "number": 42,
+        "title": "Login bug",
+        "state": "open",
+        "labels": ["bug", "high-priority"],
+        "body": "Users cannot log in with email.",
+        "html_url": "https://gitea.example.com/org/repo/issues/42",
+    },
+    {
+        "number": 99,
+        "title": "Add rate limiting",
+        "state": "closed",
+        "labels": [],
+        "body": "Need to rate-limit login attempts.",
+        "html_url": "https://gitea.example.com/org/repo/issues/99",
+    },
+]
+
+md = format_issues_markdown(issues)
+print("=== Test 2: format_issues_markdown ===")
+print(md[:500])
+assert "Login bug" in md
+assert "high-priority" in md
+assert "Add rate limiting" in md
+assert "closed" in md
+print("PASS\n")
+
+
+# ── Test 3: E2E with real API (optional) ───────────────────────────────
+
+GITEA_URL = os.environ.get("GITEA_URL", "")
+API_TOKEN = os.environ.get("GITEA_API_TOKEN", "")
+TARGET_REPO = os.environ.get("GITEA_REPO", "")
+
+if GITEA_URL and API_TOKEN and TARGET_REPO:
+    print("=== Test 3: E2E with real API ===")
+    issues = fetch_linked_issues(GITEA_URL, API_TOKEN, TARGET_REPO, BODY)
+    print(f"Fetched {len(issues)} issue(s)")
+    for iss in issues:
+        print(f"  #{iss['number']}: {iss['title']} [{iss['state']}]")
+        print(f"    body: {iss['body'][:100]}...")
+    print("PASS\n")
+else:
+    print("=== Test 3: E2E (skipped — set GITEA_URL, GITEA_API_TOKEN, GITEA_REPO) ===\n")
+
+
+# ── Test 4: Edge cases ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+print("=== Test 4: Edge cases ===")
+
+# Empty body
+assert _extract_issue_refs("") == [], "Empty body should return empty list"
+print("  empty body: PASS")
+
+# No issue refs
+assert _extract_issue_refs("Just a regular description.") == [], \
+    "No refs should return empty list"
+print("  no refs: PASS")
+
+# Duplicate detection: "Fixes #1" + bare "#1" → only one entry
+refs = _extract_issue_refs("Fixes #42. Also #42.")
+nums = [r[2] for r in refs]
+assert nums == [42], f"Duplicated #42 should appear once, got {nums}"
+print("  duplicate dedup: PASS")
+
+# Mixed refs
+refs = _extract_issue_refs("closes #10 FIXES #20 Resolves org/x#30")
+assert len(refs) == 3
+print("  mixed keywords: PASS")
+
+# Empty issues markdown
+assert format_issues_markdown([]) == ""
+print("  empty markdown: PASS\n")
+
+
+print("All tests passed!")