diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
index cb5bd696a..e817d1b4c 100644
--- a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
+++ b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ body:
 - type: checkboxes
   attributes:
     label: Is there an existing issue for this?
-    description: Please search to see if an issue already exists for the bug you encountered.
+    description: Please search to see if an open or closed issue already exists for the bug you encountered. If a bug exists and is closed note that it may only be fixed in an unstable branch. 
     options:
-    - label: I have searched the existing issues
+    - label: I have searched the existing open and closed issues
       required: true
 - type: textarea
   attributes: