diff --git a/examples/jiralert.yml b/examples/jiralert.yml
index 46263c3..b6ee787 100644
--- a/examples/jiralert.yml
+++ b/examples/jiralert.yml
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ receivers:
   - name: 'jira-ab'
     # JIRA project to create the issue in. Required.
     project: AB
+    # Define the jira field used by jiralert to avoid ticket duplication. Optional (default: Labels)
+    field_labels: Labels
     # Copy all Prometheus labels into separate JIRA labels. Optional (default: false).
     add_group_labels: false
     # Include ticket update as comment too. Optional (default: false).
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index 7fc63c4..72cb3f0 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/andygrunwald/go-jira"
 	"github.com/go-kit/log"
 	"github.com/go-kit/log/level"
 
@@ -143,6 +144,8 @@ type ReceiverConfig struct {
 	Priority          string                 `yaml:"priority" json:"priority"`
 	Description       string                 `yaml:"description" json:"description"`
 	WontFixResolution string                 `yaml:"wont_fix_resolution" json:"wont_fix_resolution"`
+	FieldLabels       string                 `yaml:"field_labels" json:"field_labels"`
+	FieldLabelsKey    string                 `yaml:"field_labels_key" json:"field_labels_key"`
 	Fields            map[string]interface{} `yaml:"fields" json:"fields"`
 	Components        []string               `yaml:"components" json:"components"`
 	StaticLabels      []string               `yaml:"static_labels" json:"static_labels"`
@@ -194,6 +197,30 @@ func (c Config) String() string {
 	return string(b)
 }
 
+// GetJiraFieldKey returns the jira key associated to a field.
+func GetJiraFieldKey(client *jira.Client, project string, issueType string, field string) (string, error) {
+	options := &jira.GetQueryOptions{
+		ProjectKeys: project,
+		Expand:      "projects.issuetypes.fields",
+	}
+	meta, _, err := client.Issue.GetCreateMetaWithOptions(options)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	it := meta.Projects[0].GetIssueTypeWithName(issueType)
+	if it == nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("jira: Issue type %s not found", issueType)
+	}
+	fields, err := it.GetAllFields()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if val, ok := fields[field]; ok {
+		return val, nil
+	}
+	return "", fmt.Errorf("jira: Field %s not found in %s issue type", field, issueType)
+}
+
 // UnmarshalYAML implements the yaml.Unmarshaler interface.
 func (c *Config) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
 	// We want to set c to the defaults and then overwrite it with the input.
@@ -297,6 +324,41 @@ func (c *Config) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
 		if rc.WontFixResolution == "" && c.Defaults.WontFixResolution != "" {
 			rc.WontFixResolution = c.Defaults.WontFixResolution
 		}
+		if rc.FieldLabels == "" {
+			if c.Defaults.FieldLabels != "" {
+				rc.FieldLabels = c.Defaults.FieldLabels
+			} else {
+				rc.FieldLabels = "Labels"
+			}
+		}
+
+		// descover jira labels key.
+		var client *jira.Client
+		var err error
+		if rc.User != "" && rc.Password != "" {
+			tp := jira.BasicAuthTransport{
+				Username: rc.User,
+				Password: string(rc.Password),
+			}
+			client, err = jira.NewClient(tp.Client(), rc.APIURL)
+		} else if rc.PersonalAccessToken != "" {
+			tp := jira.PATAuthTransport{
+				Token: string(rc.PersonalAccessToken),
+			}
+			client, err = jira.NewClient(tp.Client(), rc.APIURL)
+		}
+
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		rc.FieldLabelsKey, err = GetJiraFieldKey(client, rc.Project, rc.IssueType, rc.FieldLabels)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		fmt.Printf("\n\nrc.FieldLabelsKey=%s\n", rc.FieldLabels)
+		fmt.Printf("rc.FieldLabelsKey=%s\n", rc.FieldLabelsKey)
+
 		if rc.AutoResolve != nil {
 			if rc.AutoResolve.State == "" {
 				return fmt.Errorf("bad config in receiver %q, 'auto_resolve' was defined with empty 'state' field", rc.Name)
diff --git a/pkg/notify/notify.go b/pkg/notify/notify.go
index e4b96a2..ba2da97 100644
--- a/pkg/notify/notify.go
+++ b/pkg/notify/notify.go
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func (r *Receiver) Notify(data *alertmanager.Data, hashJiraLabel bool, updateSum
 
 		if len(data.Alerts.Firing()) == 0 {
 			if r.conf.AutoResolve != nil {
-				level.Debug(r.logger).Log("msg", "no firing alert; resolving issue", "key", issue.Key, "label", issueGroupLabel)
+				level.Debug(r.logger).Log("msg", "no firing alert; resolving issue", "key", issue.Key, r.conf.FieldLabels, issueGroupLabel)
 				retry, err := r.resolveIssue(issue.Key)
 				if err != nil {
 					return retry, err
@@ -145,24 +145,24 @@ func (r *Receiver) Notify(data *alertmanager.Data, hashJiraLabel bool, updateSum
 				return false, nil
 			}
 
-			level.Debug(r.logger).Log("msg", "no firing alert; summary checked, nothing else to do.", "key", issue.Key, "label", issueGroupLabel)
+			level.Debug(r.logger).Log("msg", "no firing alert; summary checked, nothing else to do.", "key", issue.Key, r.conf.FieldLabels, issueGroupLabel)
 			return false, nil
 		}
 
 		// The set of JIRA status categories is fixed, this is a safe check to make.
 		if issue.Fields.Status.StatusCategory.Key != "done" {
-			level.Debug(r.logger).Log("msg", "issue is unresolved, all is done", "key", issue.Key, "label", issueGroupLabel)
+			level.Debug(r.logger).Log("msg", "issue is unresolved, all is done", "key", issue.Key, r.conf.FieldLabels, issueGroupLabel)
 			return false, nil
 		}
 
 		if reopenTickets {
 			if r.conf.WontFixResolution != "" && issue.Fields.Resolution != nil &&
 				issue.Fields.Resolution.Name == r.conf.WontFixResolution {
-				level.Info(r.logger).Log("msg", "issue was resolved as won't fix, not reopening", "key", issue.Key, "label", issueGroupLabel, "resolution", issue.Fields.Resolution.Name)
+				level.Info(r.logger).Log("msg", "issue was resolved as won't fix, not reopening", "key", issue.Key, r.conf.FieldLabels, issueGroupLabel, "resolution", issue.Fields.Resolution.Name)
 				return false, nil
 			}
 
-			level.Info(r.logger).Log("msg", "issue was recently resolved, reopening", "key", issue.Key, "label", issueGroupLabel)
+			level.Info(r.logger).Log("msg", "issue was recently resolved, reopening", "key", issue.Key, r.conf.FieldLabels, issueGroupLabel)
 			return r.reopen(issue.Key)
 		}
 
@@ -171,11 +171,11 @@ func (r *Receiver) Notify(data *alertmanager.Data, hashJiraLabel bool, updateSum
 	}
 
 	if len(data.Alerts.Firing()) == 0 {
-		level.Debug(r.logger).Log("msg", "no firing alert; nothing to do.", "label", issueGroupLabel)
+		level.Debug(r.logger).Log("msg", "no firing alert; nothing to do.", r.conf.FieldLabels, issueGroupLabel)
 		return false, nil
 	}
 
-	level.Info(r.logger).Log("msg", "no recent matching issue found, creating new issue", "label", issueGroupLabel)
+	level.Info(r.logger).Log("msg", "no recent matching issue found, creating new issue", r.conf.FieldLabels, issueGroupLabel)
 
 	issueType, err := r.tmpl.Execute(r.conf.IssueType, data)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -190,10 +190,14 @@ func (r *Receiver) Notify(data *alertmanager.Data, hashJiraLabel bool, updateSum
 			Type:        jira.IssueType{Name: issueType},
 			Description: issueDesc,
 			Summary:     issueSummary,
-			Labels:      append(staticLabels, issueGroupLabel),
 			Unknowns:    tcontainer.NewMarshalMap(),
 		},
 	}
+	if r.conf.FieldLabels == "Labels" {
+		issue.Fields.Labels = append(staticLabels, issueGroupLabel)
+	} else {
+		issue.Fields.Unknowns[r.conf.FieldLabelsKey] = append(staticLabels, issueGroupLabel)
+	}
 	if r.conf.Priority != "" {
 		issuePrio, err := r.tmpl.Execute(r.conf.Priority, data)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -312,9 +316,15 @@ func toGroupTicketLabel(groupLabels alertmanager.KV, hashJiraLabel bool) string
 }
 
 func (r *Receiver) search(projects []string, issueLabel string) (*jira.Issue, bool, error) {
+	var labelKey string
 	// Search multiple projects in case issue was moved and further alert firings are desired in existing JIRA.
 	projectList := "'" + strings.Join(projects, "', '") + "'"
-	query := fmt.Sprintf("project in(%s) and labels=%q order by resolutiondate desc", projectList, issueLabel)
+	if r.conf.FieldLabels == "Labels" {
+		labelKey = "labels"
+	} else {
+		labelKey = fmt.Sprintf("cf[%s]", strings.Split(r.conf.FieldLabelsKey, "_")[1])
+	}
+	query := fmt.Sprintf("project in(%s) and %s=%q order by resolutiondate desc", projectList, labelKey, issueLabel)
 	options := &jira.SearchOptions{
 		Fields:     []string{"summary", "status", "resolution", "resolutiondate", "description", "comment"},
 		MaxResults: 2,
@@ -361,7 +371,7 @@ func (r *Receiver) findIssueToReuse(project string, issueGroupLabel string) (*ji
 
 	resolutionTime := time.Time(issue.Fields.Resolutiondate)
 	if resolutionTime != (time.Time{}) && resolutionTime.Add(time.Duration(*r.conf.ReopenDuration)).Before(r.timeNow()) && *r.conf.ReopenDuration != 0 {
-		level.Debug(r.logger).Log("msg", "existing resolved issue is too old to reopen, skipping", "key", issue.Key, "label", issueGroupLabel, "resolution_time", resolutionTime.Format(time.RFC3339), "reopen_duration", *r.conf.ReopenDuration)
+		level.Debug(r.logger).Log("msg", "existing resolved issue is too old to reopen, skipping", "key", issue.Key, r.conf.FieldLabels, issueGroupLabel, "resolution_time", resolutionTime.Format(time.RFC3339), "reopen_duration", *r.conf.ReopenDuration)
 		return nil, false, nil
 	}
 
@@ -424,6 +434,7 @@ func (r *Receiver) reopen(issueKey string) (bool, error) {
 
 func (r *Receiver) create(issue *jira.Issue) (bool, error) {
 	level.Debug(r.logger).Log("msg", "create", "issue", fmt.Sprintf("%+v", *issue.Fields))
+	level.Debug(r.logger).Log("msg", "create", "issue", fmt.Sprintf("%s", *&issue.Fields.Labels))
 	newIssue, resp, err := r.client.Create(issue)
 	if err != nil {
 		return handleJiraErrResponse("Issue.Create", resp, err, r.logger)