diff --git a/vcsclient/gitlab.go b/vcsclient/gitlab.go
index 643f0006..54006109 100644
--- a/vcsclient/gitlab.go
+++ b/vcsclient/gitlab.go
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ func (client *GitLabClient) UpdatePullRequest(ctx context.Context, owner, reposi
 		Title:        &title,
 		Description:  &body,
 		TargetBranch: &targetBranchName,
-		StateEvent:   vcsutils.MapPullRequestState(&state),
+		StateEvent:   mapGitLabPullRequestState(&state),
 	}
 	client.logger.Debug("updating details of merge request ID:", prId)
 	_, _, err := client.glClient.MergeRequests.UpdateMergeRequest(getProjectID(owner, repository), prId, options, gitlab.WithContext(ctx))
@@ -827,3 +827,16 @@ func (client *GitLabClient) getProjectOwnerByID(projectID int) (string, error) {
 	}
 	return project.Namespace.Name, nil
 }
+
+func mapGitLabPullRequestState(state *vcsutils.PullRequestState) *string {
+	var stateStringValue string
+	switch *state {
+	case vcsutils.Open:
+		stateStringValue = "reopen"
+	case vcsutils.Closed:
+		stateStringValue = "closed"
+	default:
+		return nil
+	}
+	return &stateStringValue
+}
diff --git a/vcsclient/gitlab_test.go b/vcsclient/gitlab_test.go
index b324fcb1..2bbaa0fa 100644
--- a/vcsclient/gitlab_test.go
+++ b/vcsclient/gitlab_test.go
@@ -177,6 +177,12 @@ func TestGitLabClient_UpdatePullRequest(t *testing.T) {
 
 	err := client.UpdatePullRequest(ctx, owner, repo1, "PR title", "PR body", "master", prId, vcsutils.Open)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	err = client.UpdatePullRequest(ctx, owner, repo1, "PR title", "PR body", "", prId, vcsutils.Open)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	err = client.UpdatePullRequest(ctx, owner, repo1, "PR title", "PR body", "", prId, vcsutils.Closed)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	err = client.UpdatePullRequest(ctx, owner, repo1, "PR title", "PR body", "", prId, "default")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
 }
 
 func TestGitLabClient_AddPullRequestComment(t *testing.T) {