diff --git a/doc/source/examples/pipelines/github-reference-pipelines.yaml b/doc/source/examples/pipelines/github-reference-pipelines.yaml
index cf54377ce8..ee97c8c868 100644
--- a/doc/source/examples/pipelines/github-reference-pipelines.yaml
+++ b/doc/source/examples/pipelines/github-reference-pipelines.yaml
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
         # When using the checks API to report results, failed runs
         # will have a "re-run" button which emits this event.
         - event: check_run
+          action: rerequested
+          check: .*/check:.*
     start:
       github:
         check: 'in_progress'
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/requested-c7f561f338348f9e.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/requested-c7f561f338348f9e.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eb56eadea7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/requested-c7f561f338348f9e.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+deprecations:
+  - |
+    Zuul now correctly handles the ``rerequested`` action on check run trigger
+    definitions (:value:`pipeline.trigger.<github source>.event.check_run`)
+    literally. This has been ``requested`` which doesn't match the GitHub api.
+    The value ``requested`` is now deprecated and will be removed in a later
+    release.
diff --git a/zuul/driver/github/githubconnection.py b/zuul/driver/github/githubconnection.py
index 5b5b8670d7..de9880d149 100644
--- a/zuul/driver/github/githubconnection.py
+++ b/zuul/driver/github/githubconnection.py
@@ -575,9 +575,6 @@ class GithubEventProcessor(object):
         event = self._pull_request_to_event(pr_body)
         event.type = "check_run"
 
-        # Simplify rerequested action to requested
-        if action == "rerequested":
-            action = "requested"
         event.action = action
 
         check_run_tuple = "%s:%s:%s" % _check_as_tuple(check_run)
diff --git a/zuul/driver/github/githubtrigger.py b/zuul/driver/github/githubtrigger.py
index 9f1a3e8b21..76d8f574e7 100644
--- a/zuul/driver/github/githubtrigger.py
+++ b/zuul/driver/github/githubtrigger.py
@@ -23,6 +23,17 @@ class GithubTrigger(BaseTrigger):
     name = 'github'
     log = logging.getLogger("zuul.trigger.GithubTrigger")
 
+    def __init__(self, driver, connection, config=None):
+
+        # This is a compatibility layer to map the action 'requested' back
+        # to the original action 'rerequested'.
+        # TODO: Remove after zuul 5.0
+        for item in config:
+            if item.get('action') == 'requested':
+                item['action'] = 'rerequested'
+
+        super().__init__(driver, connection, config=config)
+
     def getEventFilters(self, connection_name, trigger_config):
         efilters = []
         for trigger in to_list(trigger_config):