diff --git a/ee/app/assets/javascripts/external_issues_list/components/external_issues_list_root.vue b/ee/app/assets/javascripts/external_issues_list/components/external_issues_list_root.vue
index 65bb35eb659618d64fae666add1bf12dbfcd10bb..3e89e1b2f000c6f74c6c878fe2bd39b4e0b69ac5 100644
--- a/ee/app/assets/javascripts/external_issues_list/components/external_issues_list_root.vue
+++ b/ee/app/assets/javascripts/external_issues_list/components/external_issues_list_root.vue
@@ -82,11 +82,12 @@ export default {
     },
     showPaginationControls() {
       return Boolean(
-        !this.issuesListLoading &&
-          this.issues.length &&
-          (this.pageTokenHistory.length > 0 || !this.isLast),
+        !this.issuesListLoading && this.issues.length && (this.hasPreviousPage || !this.isLast),
       );
     },
+    hasPreviousPage() {
+      return this.pageTokenHistory.length > 0;
+    },
     hasFiltersApplied() {
       return Boolean(
         this.filterParams.project ||
@@ -111,23 +112,6 @@ export default {
       };
     },
   },
-  watch: {
-    nextPageToken() {
-      this.$apollo.queries.externalIssues.refetch();
-    },
-    sortedBy() {
-      this.$apollo.queries.externalIssues.refetch();
-    },
-    currentState() {
-      this.$apollo.queries.externalIssues.refetch();
-    },
-    filterParams: {
-      deep: true,
-      handler() {
-        this.$apollo.queries.externalIssues.refetch();
-      },
-    },
-  },
   apollo: {
     // eslint-disable-next-line @gitlab/vue-no-undef-apollo-properties
     externalIssues: {
@@ -213,14 +197,17 @@ export default {
 
       return filteredSearchValue;
     },
+    resetPagination() {
+      this.nextPageToken = null;
+      this.pageTokenHistory = [];
+    },
     onExternalIssuesQueryError(error, message) {
       this.errorMessage = message || error.message;
 
       Sentry.captureException(error);
     },
     onIssuableListClickTab(selectedIssueState) {
-      this.nextPageToken = null;
-      this.pageTokenHistory = [];
+      this.resetPagination();
       this.currentState = selectedIssueState;
     },
     onIssuableListNextPage() {
@@ -230,13 +217,12 @@ export default {
       }
     },
     onIssuableListPreviousPage() {
-      if (this.pageTokenHistory.length > 0) {
+      if (this.hasPreviousPage) {
         this.nextPageToken = this.pageTokenHistory.pop();
       }
     },
     onIssuableListSort(selectedSort) {
-      this.nextPageToken = null;
-      this.pageTokenHistory = [];
+      this.resetPagination();
       this.sortedBy = selectedSort;
     },
     onIssuableListFilter(filters = []) {
@@ -267,8 +253,7 @@ export default {
         filterParams.labels = labels;
       }
 
-      this.nextPageToken = null;
-      this.pageTokenHistory = [];
+      this.resetPagination();
 
       this.filterParams = {
         ...filterParams,
@@ -302,7 +287,7 @@ export default {
     :show-pagination-controls="showPaginationControls"
     :use-keyset-pagination="true"
     :has-next-page="!isLast"
-    :has-previous-page="pageTokenHistory.length > 0"
+    :has-previous-page="hasPreviousPage"
     :default-page-size="$options.defaultPageSize"
     :url-params="urlParams"
     label-filter-param="labels"