diff --git a/.github/workflows/robot/internal/bot/assign.go b/.github/workflows/robot/internal/bot/assign.go
index abc86d9bda42d..35fe61ac3a243 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/robot/internal/bot/assign.go
+++ b/.github/workflows/robot/internal/bot/assign.go
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func (b *Bot) backportReviewers(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error) {
 		originalReviewers = append(originalReviewers, review.Author)
 	}
 
-	return originalReviewers, nil
+	return dedup(b.c.Environment.Author, originalReviewers), nil
 }
 
 func (b *Bot) findOriginal(ctx context.Context, organization string, repository string, number int) (int, error) {
@@ -155,8 +155,26 @@ func (b *Bot) findOriginal(ctx context.Context, organization string, repository
 	return n, nil
 }
 
+func dedup(author string, reviewers []string) []string {
+	m := map[string]bool{}
+
+	for _, reviewer := range reviewers {
+		if reviewer == author {
+			continue
+		}
+		m[reviewer] = true
+	}
+
+	var filtered []string
+	for k := range m {
+		filtered = append(filtered, k)
+	}
+
+	return filtered
+}
+
 func isBackport(unsafeBase string) bool {
 	return strings.HasPrefix(unsafeBase, "branch/v")
 }
 
-var pattern = regexp.MustCompile(`#([0-9]+)`)
+var pattern = regexp.MustCompile(`(?:https:\/\/github\.com\/gravitational\/teleport\/pull\/|#)([0-9]+)`)
diff --git a/.github/workflows/robot/internal/bot/assign_test.go b/.github/workflows/robot/internal/bot/assign_test.go
index a3186b8fccb87..b065a6023de36 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/robot/internal/bot/assign_test.go
+++ b/.github/workflows/robot/internal/bot/assign_test.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func TestBackportReviewers(t *testing.T) {
 		expected  []string
 	}{
 		{
-			desc: "backport-original-approved",
+			desc: "backport-original-pr-number-approved",
 			pull: github.PullRequest{
 				Author:      "baz",
 				Repository:  "bar",
@@ -63,6 +63,43 @@ func TestBackportReviewers(t *testing.T) {
 			err:      false,
 			expected: []string{"3", "4"},
 		},
+		{
+			desc: "backport-original-url-approved",
+			pull: github.PullRequest{
+				Author:      "baz",
+				Repository:  "bar",
+				UnsafeHead:  "baz/fix",
+				UnsafeTitle: "Fixed an issue",
+				UnsafeBody:  "https://github.com/gravitational/teleport/pull/0",
+				Fork:        false,
+			},
+			reviewers: []string{"3"},
+			reviews: []github.Review{
+				{Author: "4", State: "APPROVED"},
+			},
+			err:      false,
+			expected: []string{"3", "4"},
+		},
+		{
+			desc: "backport-multiple-reviews",
+			pull: github.PullRequest{
+				Author:      "baz",
+				Repository:  "bar",
+				UnsafeHead:  "baz/fix",
+				UnsafeTitle: "Fixed feature",
+				UnsafeBody:  "",
+				Fork:        false,
+			},
+			reviewers: []string{"3"},
+			reviews: []github.Review{
+				{Author: "4", State: "COMMENTED"},
+				{Author: "4", State: "CHANGES_REQUESTED"},
+				{Author: "4", State: "APPROVED"},
+				{Author: "9", State: "APPROVED"},
+			},
+			err:      true,
+			expected: []string{},
+		},
 		{
 			desc: "backport-original-not-found",
 			pull: github.PullRequest{
@@ -87,6 +124,7 @@ func TestBackportReviewers(t *testing.T) {
 				c: &Config{
 					Environment: &env.Environment{
 						Organization: "foo",
+						Author:       "9",
 						Repository:   "bar",
 						Number:       0,
 						UnsafeBase:   "branch/v8",