diff --git a/gittensor/cli/issue_commands/view.py b/gittensor/cli/issue_commands/view.py
index 999c33f49..f9a33ee18 100644
--- a/gittensor/cli/issue_commands/view.py
+++ b/gittensor/cli/issue_commands/view.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
     print_network_header,
     read_issues_from_contract,
     validate_issue_id,
+    validate_repository,
     with_cli_behavior_options,
     with_network_contract_options,
 )
@@ -88,6 +89,18 @@ def issues_list(
         except click.BadParameter as e:
             handle_exception(as_json, str(e), 'bad_parameter')
 
+    # Normalize and validate the --repo filter before any contract reads so
+    # malformed input is rejected up-front and whitespace-padded valid input
+    # still matches `repository_full_name` from the contract. validate_repository
+    # strips whitespace, enforces owner/name format, and raises
+    # click.BadParameter on bad input — same contract used by mutating commands.
+    if repo_filter is not None:
+        try:
+            owner, repo_name = validate_repository(repo_filter, verify_exists=False)
+            repo_filter = f'{owner}/{repo_name}'
+        except click.BadParameter as e:
+            handle_exception(as_json, str(e), 'bad_parameter')
+
     contract_addr, ws_endpoint, network_name = _resolve_contract_and_network(
         contract,
         network,
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_issues_list_json.py b/tests/cli/test_issues_list_json.py
index a48e523c9..186d162ac 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_issues_list_json.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_issues_list_json.py
@@ -78,3 +78,111 @@ def test_issues_list_rejects_invalid_id_json(cli_root, runner, bad_id):
     assert payload['error']['type'] == 'bad_parameter'
     assert 'between 1 and 999999' in payload['error']['message']
     mock_read.assert_not_called()
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# --repo filter validation (regression for #1061)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def _parse_json_payload(output: str) -> dict:
+    """Extract and parse the JSON object from CLI output.
+
+    Some success paths print a `Network: <name> • Contract: <addr>` header
+    before the JSON body, which trips json.loads on the raw output. Slice
+    from the first '{' so the parse is robust regardless of header presence.
+    """
+    start = output.find('{')
+    if start < 0:
+        raise AssertionError(f'no JSON object found in output: {output[:200]!r}')
+    return json.loads(output[start:])
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('bad_repo', ['ownerrepo', 'owner//repo', 'owner/', '/repo', 'owner repo'])
+def test_issues_list_rejects_malformed_repo_filter_json(cli_root, runner, bad_repo):
+    """Malformed --repo input must fail validation up-front before any contract read."""
+    with patch('gittensor.cli.issue_commands.view.read_issues_from_contract') as mock_read:
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            cli_root, ['issues', 'list', '--json', '--repo', bad_repo], catch_exceptions=False
+        )
+
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+    payload = json.loads(result.output)
+    assert payload['success'] is False
+    assert payload['error']['type'] == 'bad_parameter'
+    mock_read.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('bad_repo', ['ownerrepo', 'owner//repo'])
+def test_issues_list_rejects_malformed_repo_filter_human(cli_root, runner, bad_repo):
+    """Human-mode --repo malformed input must also exit non-zero before contract read."""
+    with patch('gittensor.cli.issue_commands.view.read_issues_from_contract') as mock_read:
+        result = runner.invoke(cli_root, ['issues', 'list', '--repo', bad_repo], catch_exceptions=False)
+
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+    mock_read.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_issues_list_repo_filter_strips_whitespace_json(cli_root, runner):
+    """Whitespace-padded valid --repo input must trim and match contract repository_full_name."""
+    with (
+        patch(
+            'gittensor.cli.issue_commands.view._resolve_contract_and_network',
+            return_value=('5Fakeaddr', 'ws://x', 'test'),
+        ),
+        patch('gittensor.cli.issue_commands.view.read_issues_from_contract', return_value=FAKE_ISSUES),
+    ):
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            cli_root,
+            ['issues', 'list', '--json', '--repo', '  owner/repo  '],
+            catch_exceptions=False,
+        )
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    payload = _parse_json_payload(result.output)
+    assert payload['success'] is True
+    assert payload['issue_count'] == 1
+    assert payload['issues'][0]['repository_full_name'] == 'owner/repo'
+
+
+def test_issues_list_repo_filter_case_insensitive_json(cli_root, runner):
+    """--repo filter should match contract entries regardless of case (preserved existing behavior)."""
+    with (
+        patch(
+            'gittensor.cli.issue_commands.view._resolve_contract_and_network',
+            return_value=('5Fakeaddr', 'ws://x', 'test'),
+        ),
+        patch('gittensor.cli.issue_commands.view.read_issues_from_contract', return_value=FAKE_ISSUES),
+    ):
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            cli_root,
+            ['issues', 'list', '--json', '--repo', 'OWNER/REPO'],
+            catch_exceptions=False,
+        )
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    payload = _parse_json_payload(result.output)
+    assert payload['success'] is True
+    assert payload['issue_count'] == 1
+
+
+def test_issues_list_repo_filter_no_match_returns_empty_json(cli_root, runner):
+    """Valid but non-matching --repo input returns empty list, not all issues."""
+    with (
+        patch(
+            'gittensor.cli.issue_commands.view._resolve_contract_and_network',
+            return_value=('5Fakeaddr', 'ws://x', 'test'),
+        ),
+        patch('gittensor.cli.issue_commands.view.read_issues_from_contract', return_value=FAKE_ISSUES),
+    ):
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            cli_root,
+            ['issues', 'list', '--json', '--repo', 'other/repo'],
+            catch_exceptions=False,
+        )
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    payload = _parse_json_payload(result.output)
+    assert payload['success'] is True
+    assert payload['issue_count'] == 0
+    assert payload['issues'] == []