diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 5f1cea0..01c304b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Setup Go
       uses: actions/setup-go@v2
       with:
-        go-version: '~1.16.4'
+        go-version: '~1.18.0'
     - name: Install libolm
       run: sudo apt-get -y install libolm3 libolm-dev
     - name: Install linters
diff --git a/clients/clients.go b/clients/clients.go
index 0e5816c..79dc37b 100644
--- a/clients/clients.go
+++ b/clients/clients.go
@@ -287,11 +287,12 @@ func (c *Clients) onBotOptionsEvent(client *mautrix.Client, event *mevt.Event) {
 		return
 	}
 	// these options fully clobber what was there previously.
+
 	opts := types.BotOptions{
 		UserID:      client.UserID,
 		RoomID:      event.RoomID,
 		SetByUserID: event.Sender,
-		Options:     event.Content.Raw,
+		Options:     event.Content.Parsed.(*types.BotOptionsContent),
 	}
 	if _, err := c.db.StoreBotOptions(opts); err != nil {
 		log.WithFields(log.Fields{
@@ -328,6 +329,8 @@ func (c *Clients) onRoomMemberEvent(client *mautrix.Client, event *mevt.Event) {
 	}
 }
 
+var StateBotOptionsEvent = mevt.Type{Type: "m.room.bot.options", Class: mevt.StateEventType}
+
 func (c *Clients) initClient(botClient *BotClient) error {
 	config := botClient.config
 	client, err := mautrix.NewClient(config.HomeserverURL, config.UserID, config.AccessToken)
@@ -344,6 +347,10 @@ func (c *Clients) initClient(botClient *BotClient) error {
 	botClient.verificationSAS = &sync.Map{}
 
 	syncer := client.Syncer.(*mautrix.DefaultSyncer)
+	syncer.ParseEventContent = true
+
+	// Add m.room.bot.options to mautrix's TypeMap so that it parses it as a valid event
+	mevt.TypeMap[StateBotOptionsEvent] = reflect.TypeOf(types.BotOptionsContent{})
 
 	nebStore := &matrix.NEBStore{
 		InMemoryStore: *mautrix.NewInMemoryStore(),
@@ -366,7 +373,7 @@ func (c *Clients) initClient(botClient *BotClient) error {
 		c.onMessageEvent(botClient, event)
 	})
 
-	syncer.OnEventType(mevt.Type{Type: "m.room.bot.options", Class: mevt.UnknownEventType}, func(_ mautrix.EventSource, event *mevt.Event) {
+	syncer.OnEventType(StateBotOptionsEvent, func(_ mautrix.EventSource, event *mevt.Event) {
 		c.onBotOptionsEvent(botClient.Client, event)
 	})
 
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 32aa1eb..8daa9d5 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/ssor/bom v0.0.0-20170718123548-6386211fdfcf // indirect
 	golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20210220033124-5f55cee0dc0d
 	golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.0.0-20200107190931-bf48bf16ab8d
+	golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220408201424-a24fb2fb8a0f // indirect
 	gopkg.in/check.v1 v1.0.0-20190902080502-41f04d3bba15 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.3.0
 	maunium.net/go/mautrix v0.9.12
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 2eec917..a9af9f4 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -143,6 +143,8 @@ golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190422165155-953cdadca894/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7w
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20191026070338-33540a1f6037/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20201119102817-f84b799fce68 h1:nxC68pudNYkKU6jWhgrqdreuFiOQWj1Fs7T3VrH4Pjw=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20201119102817-f84b799fce68/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220408201424-a24fb2fb8a0f h1:8w7RhxzTVgUzw/AH/9mUV5q0vMgy40SQRursCcfmkCw=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220408201424-a24fb2fb8a0f/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20201117132131-f5c789dd3221/go.mod h1:Nr5EML6q2oocZ2LXRh80K7BxOlk5/8JxuGnuhpl+muw=
 golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20201126162022-7de9c90e9dd1/go.mod h1:bj7SfCRtBDWHUb9snDiAeCFNEtKQo2Wmx5Cou7ajbmo=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.0/go.mod h1:NqM8EUOU14njkJ3fqMW+pc6Ldnwhi/IjpwHt7yyuwOQ=
diff --git a/services/github/github.go b/services/github/github.go
index 91b1515..772c362 100644
--- a/services/github/github.go
+++ b/services/github/github.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package github
 import (
 	"context"
 	"database/sql"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
@@ -50,17 +51,20 @@ var ownerRepoRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`^([A-z0-9-_.]+)/([A-z0-9-_.]+)$`)
 //
 // Before you can set up a Github Service, you need to set up a Github Realm.
 //
-// You can set a "default repository" for a Matrix room by sending a `m.room.bot.options` state event
+// You can set optional config for a Matrix room by sending a `m.room.bot.options` state event
 // which has the following `content`:
 //
 //  {
 //    "github": {
-//      "default_repo": "owner/repo"
+//      // The default repository to use for this room; this allows "owner/repo" to be omitted
+//      // when creating/expanding issues.
+//      "default_repo": "owner/repo",
+//
+//      // Array of Github labels to attach to any issue created by this bot in this room.
+//      "new_issue_labels": ["bot-label-1", "bot-label-2"]
 //    }
 //  }
 //
-// This will allow the "owner/repo" to be omitted when creating/expanding issues.
-//
 // Example request:
 //   {
 //       "RealmID": "github-realm-id"
@@ -167,9 +171,18 @@ func (s *Service) cmdGithubCreate(roomID id.RoomID, userID id.UserID, args []str
 	// Look for a default if the first arg doesn't look like an owner/repo
 	ownerRepoGroups := ownerRepoRegex.FindStringSubmatch(args[0])
 
+	logger := log.WithFields(log.Fields{
+		"room_id":     roomID,
+		"bot_user_id": s.ServiceUserID(),
+	})
+	options, err := s.loadBotOptions(roomID, logger)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	if len(ownerRepoGroups) == 0 {
 		// look for a default repo
-		defaultRepo := s.defaultRepo(roomID)
+		defaultRepo := options.DefaultRepo
 		if defaultRepo == "" {
 			return &mevt.MessageEventContent{
 				MsgType: mevt.MsgNotice,
@@ -204,8 +217,9 @@ func (s *Service) cmdGithubCreate(roomID id.RoomID, userID id.UserID, args []str
 	}
 
 	issue, res, err := cli.Issues.Create(context.Background(), ownerRepoGroups[1], ownerRepoGroups[2], &gogithub.IssueRequest{
-		Title: title,
-		Body:  desc,
+		Title:  title,
+		Body:   desc,
+		Labels: &options.NewIssueLabels,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		log.WithField("err", err).Print("Failed to create issue")
@@ -735,34 +749,37 @@ func (s *Service) Register(oldService types.Service, client types.MatrixClient)
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (s *Service) loadBotOptions(roomID id.RoomID, logger *log.Entry) (result types.GithubOptions, err error) {
+	opts, err := database.GetServiceDB().LoadBotOptions(s.ServiceUserID(), roomID)
+	if err != nil {
+		if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
+			logger.Info("no bot options specified - using defaults")
+			return types.GithubOptions{}, nil
+		} else {
+			err := errors.New("Failed to load bot options")
+			logger.WithError(err).Error(err)
+			return types.GithubOptions{}, err
+		}
+	}
+	// Expect opts to look like:
+	// {
+	//   github: {
+	//      default_repo: $OWNER_REPO,
+	//      new_issue_labels: [ "label1", .. ]
+	//   }
+	// }
+	return opts.Options.Github, nil
+}
+
 // defaultRepo returns the default repo for the given room, or an empty string.
 func (s *Service) defaultRepo(roomID id.RoomID) string {
 	logger := log.WithFields(log.Fields{
 		"room_id":     roomID,
 		"bot_user_id": s.ServiceUserID(),
 	})
-	opts, err := database.GetServiceDB().LoadBotOptions(s.ServiceUserID(), roomID)
-	if err != nil {
-		if err != sql.ErrNoRows {
-			logger.WithError(err).Error("Failed to load bot options")
-		}
-		return ""
-	}
-	// Expect opts to look like:
-	// { github: { default_repo: $OWNER_REPO } }
-	ghOpts, ok := opts.Options["github"].(map[string]interface{})
-	if !ok {
-		logger.WithField("options", opts.Options).Error("Failed to cast bot options as github options")
-		return ""
-	}
-	defaultRepo, ok := ghOpts["default_repo"].(string)
-	if !ok {
-		logger.WithField("default_repo", ghOpts["default_repo"]).Error(
-			"Failed to cast default repo as a string",
-		)
-		return ""
-	}
-	return defaultRepo
+	// ignore any errors, we treat it the same as no options and log inside the method
+	ghOpts, _ := s.loadBotOptions(roomID, logger)
+	return ghOpts.DefaultRepo
 }
 
 func (s *Service) githubClientFor(userID id.UserID, allowUnauth bool) *gogithub.Client {
diff --git a/types/service.go b/types/service.go
index 5f208d0..7726017 100644
--- a/types/service.go
+++ b/types/service.go
@@ -13,12 +13,21 @@ import (
 	"maunium.net/go/mautrix/id"
 )
 
+type GithubOptions struct {
+	DefaultRepo    string   `json:"default_repo,omitempty"`
+	NewIssueLabels []string `json:"new_issue_labels,omitempty"`
+}
+
+type BotOptionsContent struct {
+	Github GithubOptions `json:"github"`
+}
+
 // BotOptions for a given bot user in a given room
 type BotOptions struct {
 	RoomID      id.RoomID
 	UserID      id.UserID
 	SetByUserID id.UserID
-	Options     map[string]interface{}
+	Options     *BotOptionsContent
 }
 
 // Poller represents a thing which can poll. Services should implement this method signature to support polling.