diff --git a/tests/base.py b/tests/base.py
index 869835f204..3d7c457383 100644
--- a/tests/base.py
+++ b/tests/base.py
@@ -1096,7 +1096,8 @@ class FakeGithubPullRequest(object):
             },
             'sender': {
                 'login': 'ghuser'
-            }
+            },
+            'labels': [{'name': l} for l in self.labels]
         }
         return (name, data)
 
diff --git a/tests/fakegithub.py b/tests/fakegithub.py
index 93d280c442..3c73ebc22a 100644
--- a/tests/fakegithub.py
+++ b/tests/fakegithub.py
@@ -262,11 +262,6 @@ class FakeRepository(object):
         return pulls
 
 
-class FakeLabel(object):
-    def __init__(self, name):
-        self.name = name
-
-
 class FakeIssue(object):
     def __init__(self, fake_pull_request):
         self._fake_pull_request = fake_pull_request
@@ -274,10 +269,6 @@ class FakeIssue(object):
     def pull_request(self):
         return FakePull(self._fake_pull_request)
 
-    def labels(self):
-        return [FakeLabel(l)
-                for l in self._fake_pull_request.labels]
-
 
 class FakeFile(object):
     def __init__(self, filename):
@@ -338,6 +329,7 @@ class FakePull(object):
             'merged': pr.is_merged,
             'body': pr.body,
             'changed_files': len(pr.files),
+            'labels': [{'name': l} for l in pr.labels]
         }
         return data
 
diff --git a/zuul/driver/github/githubconnection.py b/zuul/driver/github/githubconnection.py
index 33bdc0d6e1..e75c3d9ebc 100644
--- a/zuul/driver/github/githubconnection.py
+++ b/zuul/driver/github/githubconnection.py
@@ -1132,10 +1132,6 @@ class GithubConnection(BaseConnection):
             self.log.warning("Pull request #%s of %s/%s returned None!" % (
                              number, owner, proj))
             time.sleep(1)
-        # Get the issue obj so we can get the labels (this is silly)
-        # TODO: this may be able to be simplified after
-        # https://github.com/sigmavirus24/github3.py/issues/924
-        issueobj = probj.issue()
         pr = probj.as_dict()
         try:
             pr['files'] = [f.filename for f in probj.files()]
@@ -1147,10 +1143,8 @@ class GithubConnection(BaseConnection):
                              "via the merger: %s", exc)
             pr['files'] = []
 
-        pr['labels'] = [l.name for l in issueobj.labels()]
-
-        self._sha_pr_cache.update(project_name, pr)
-
+        labels = [l['name'] for l in pr['labels']]
+        pr['labels'] = labels
         log.debug('Got PR %s#%s', project_name, number)
         self.log_rate_limit(self.log, github)
         return (pr, probj)