diff --git a/app/models/concerns/issuable.rb b/app/models/concerns/issuable.rb
index 935ffe343ff9f180c7d32b4bf3b6ea59fe340a65..3731b7c8577c66919ab6ca07b73119c36acfedc2 100644
--- a/app/models/concerns/issuable.rb
+++ b/app/models/concerns/issuable.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ module Issuable
   include TimeTrackable
   include Importable
   include Editable
+  include AfterCommitQueue
 
   # This object is used to gather issuable meta data for displaying
   # upvotes, downvotes, notes and closing merge requests count for issues and merge requests
diff --git a/app/services/issuable_base_service.rb b/app/services/issuable_base_service.rb
index 7df5039f2e405c313d8795456244112862a2be66..b84a6fd2b7d62bec29454b256f855a65de99901c 100644
--- a/app/services/issuable_base_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/issuable_base_service.rb
@@ -179,7 +179,6 @@ class IssuableBaseService < BaseService
 
     if params.present? && create_issuable(issuable, params, label_ids: label_ids)
       after_create(issuable)
-      issuable.create_cross_references!(current_user)
       execute_hooks(issuable)
       invalidate_cache_counts(issuable, users: issuable.assignees)
     end
diff --git a/app/services/issues/create_service.rb b/app/services/issues/create_service.rb
index 718a7ac1f2272145c5994501156bb74f26ee0619..9114f0ccc81bc4f0803b511286906fa40438be57 100644
--- a/app/services/issues/create_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/issues/create_service.rb
@@ -15,11 +15,14 @@ module Issues
     def before_create(issue)
       spam_check(issue, current_user)
       issue.move_to_end
+
+      user = current_user
+      issue.run_after_commit do
+        NewIssueWorker.perform_async(issue.id, user.id)
+      end
     end
 
     def after_create(issuable)
-      event_service.open_issue(issuable, current_user)
-      notification_service.new_issue(issuable, current_user)
       todo_service.new_issue(issuable, current_user)
       user_agent_detail_service.create
       resolve_discussions_with_issue(issuable)
diff --git a/app/services/merge_requests/create_service.rb b/app/services/merge_requests/create_service.rb
index 5414fa79def34480d00f55c02bc7d079a31478b4..7d539fa49e69f6b5a785ea8f61bec725b7c2afb3 100644
--- a/app/services/merge_requests/create_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/merge_requests/create_service.rb
@@ -16,9 +16,15 @@ module MergeRequests
       create(merge_request)
     end
 
+    def before_create(merge_request)
+      user = current_user
+      merge_request.run_after_commit do
+        NewMergeRequestWorker.perform_async(merge_request.id, user.id)
+      end
+    end
+
     def after_create(issuable)
       event_service.open_mr(issuable, current_user)
-      notification_service.new_merge_request(issuable, current_user)
       todo_service.new_merge_request(issuable, current_user)
       issuable.cache_merge_request_closes_issues!(current_user)
       update_merge_requests_head_pipeline(issuable)
diff --git a/app/workers/concerns/new_issuable.rb b/app/workers/concerns/new_issuable.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..3fd472bf0c1feb819da7dcd764de38a42a427807
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/workers/concerns/new_issuable.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+module NewIssuable
+  attr_reader :issuable, :user
+
+  def ensure_objects_found(issuable_id, user_id)
+    @issuable = issuable_class.find_by(id: issuable_id)
+    unless @issuable
+      log_error(issuable_class, issuable_id)
+      return false
+    end
+
+    @user = User.find_by(id: user_id)
+    unless @user
+      log_error(User, user_id)
+      return false
+    end
+
+    true
+  end
+
+  def log_error(record_class, record_id)
+    Rails.logger.error("#{self.class}: couldn't find #{record_class} with ID=#{record_id}, skipping job")
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/workers/new_issue_worker.rb b/app/workers/new_issue_worker.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..19a778ad522c06f5de731856c51b67f9e2388797
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/workers/new_issue_worker.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+class NewIssueWorker
+  include Sidekiq::Worker
+  include DedicatedSidekiqQueue
+  include NewIssuable
+
+  def perform(issue_id, user_id)
+    return unless ensure_objects_found(issue_id, user_id)
+
+    EventCreateService.new.open_issue(issuable, user)
+    NotificationService.new.new_issue(issuable, user)
+    issuable.create_cross_references!(user)
+  end
+
+  def issuable_class
+    Issue
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/workers/new_merge_request_worker.rb b/app/workers/new_merge_request_worker.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..3c8a68016ff79dd39b72a954f46773d6b98803d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/workers/new_merge_request_worker.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+class NewMergeRequestWorker
+  include Sidekiq::Worker
+  include DedicatedSidekiqQueue
+  include NewIssuable
+
+  def perform(merge_request_id, user_id)
+    return unless ensure_objects_found(merge_request_id, user_id)
+
+    EventCreateService.new.open_mr(issuable, user)
+    NotificationService.new.new_merge_request(issuable, user)
+    issuable.create_cross_references!(user)
+  end
+
+  def issuable_class
+    MergeRequest
+  end
+end
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/32844-issuables-performance.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/32844-issuables-performance.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e9b21c1aa45cf5d6811da004343a27c1a6e3f879
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/32844-issuables-performance.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+title: Move some code from services to workers in order to improve performance
+merge_request: 13326
+author:
diff --git a/config/sidekiq_queues.yml b/config/sidekiq_queues.yml
index 7496bfa4fbbfa72d17250e28e39a87d1e8b266b0..83abc83c9f0d76d656adc9960c0e6f8b0a5c3c72 100644
--- a/config/sidekiq_queues.yml
+++ b/config/sidekiq_queues.yml
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
   - [update_merge_requests, 3]
   - [process_commit, 3]
   - [new_note, 2]
+  - [new_issue, 2]
+  - [new_merge_request, 2]
   - [build, 2]
   - [pipeline, 2]
   - [gitlab_shell, 2]
diff --git a/spec/features/issues/create_branch_merge_request_spec.rb b/spec/features/issues/create_branch_merge_request_spec.rb
index f59f687cf512c9fbd82cc5848a36713a705d4b10..546dc7e8a498c33c3c697a83e2edc054fabb9965 100644
--- a/spec/features/issues/create_branch_merge_request_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/issues/create_branch_merge_request_spec.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
-feature 'Create Branch/Merge Request Dropdown on issue page', js: true do
+feature 'Create Branch/Merge Request Dropdown on issue page', :feature, :js do
   let(:user) { create(:user) }
   let!(:project) { create(:project, :repository) }
   let(:issue) { create(:issue, project: project, title: 'Cherry-Coloured Funk') }
@@ -14,10 +14,14 @@ feature 'Create Branch/Merge Request Dropdown on issue page', js: true do
     it 'allows creating a merge request from the issue page' do
       visit project_issue_path(project, issue)
 
-      select_dropdown_option('create-mr')
-      
-      expect(page).to have_content('WIP: Resolve "Cherry-Coloured Funk"')
-      expect(current_path).to eq(project_merge_request_path(project, MergeRequest.first))
+      perform_enqueued_jobs do
+        select_dropdown_option('create-mr')
+
+        expect(page).to have_content('WIP: Resolve "Cherry-Coloured Funk"')
+        expect(current_path).to eq(project_merge_request_path(project, MergeRequest.first))
+
+        wait_for_requests
+      end
 
       visit project_issue_path(project, issue)
 
diff --git a/spec/models/issue_spec.rb b/spec/models/issue_spec.rb
index fa22eee3dea2e400fee8b02ac057c1bb9184289f..c055863d298051effee4665b9d2a6da1f1e6796d 100644
--- a/spec/models/issue_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/issue_spec.rb
@@ -191,14 +191,10 @@ describe Issue do
     end
 
     it 'returns the merge request to close this issue' do
-      mr
-
       expect(issue.closed_by_merge_requests(mr.author)).to eq([mr])
     end
 
     it "returns an empty array when the merge request is closed already" do
-      closed_mr
-
       expect(issue.closed_by_merge_requests(closed_mr.author)).to eq([])
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/support/cycle_analytics_helpers.rb b/spec/support/cycle_analytics_helpers.rb
index c0a5491a430917c2309cf5eef44658cb327b450b..30911e7fa86b28a5bf78fdfaa7a1718511c0f074 100644
--- a/spec/support/cycle_analytics_helpers.rb
+++ b/spec/support/cycle_analytics_helpers.rb
@@ -41,7 +41,9 @@ module CycleAnalyticsHelpers
       target_branch: 'master'
     }
 
-    MergeRequests::CreateService.new(project, user, opts).execute
+    mr = MergeRequests::CreateService.new(project, user, opts).execute
+    NewMergeRequestWorker.new.perform(mr, user)
+    mr
   end
 
   def merge_merge_requests_closing_issue(issue)
diff --git a/spec/workers/new_issue_worker_spec.rb b/spec/workers/new_issue_worker_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..ed49ce57c0b303edf1e36e2a4cbb4db54973dca1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/workers/new_issue_worker_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe NewIssueWorker do
+  describe '#perform' do
+    let(:worker) { described_class.new }
+
+    context 'when an issue not found' do
+      it 'does not call Services' do
+        expect(EventCreateService).not_to receive(:new)
+        expect(NotificationService).not_to receive(:new)
+
+        worker.perform(99, create(:user).id)
+      end
+
+      it 'logs an error' do
+        expect(Rails.logger).to receive(:error).with('NewIssueWorker: couldn\'t find Issue with ID=99, skipping job')
+
+        worker.perform(99, create(:user).id)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when a user not found' do
+      it 'does not call Services' do
+        expect(EventCreateService).not_to receive(:new)
+        expect(NotificationService).not_to receive(:new)
+
+        worker.perform(create(:issue).id, 99)
+      end
+
+      it 'logs an error' do
+        expect(Rails.logger).to receive(:error).with('NewIssueWorker: couldn\'t find User with ID=99, skipping job')
+
+        worker.perform(create(:issue).id, 99)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when everything is ok' do
+      let(:project) { create(:project, :public) }
+      let(:mentioned) { create(:user) }
+      let(:user) { create(:user) }
+      let(:issue) { create(:issue, project: project, description: "issue for #{mentioned.to_reference}") }
+
+      it 'creates a new event record' do
+        expect{ worker.perform(issue.id, user.id) }.to change { Event.count }.from(0).to(1)
+      end
+
+      it 'creates a notification for the assignee' do
+        expect(Notify).to receive(:new_issue_email).with(mentioned.id, issue.id).and_return(double(deliver_later: true))
+
+        worker.perform(issue.id, user.id)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/workers/new_merge_request_worker_spec.rb b/spec/workers/new_merge_request_worker_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..85af6184d39e72e7c5b127675b0bba00cc157280
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/workers/new_merge_request_worker_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe NewMergeRequestWorker do
+  describe '#perform' do
+    let(:worker) { described_class.new }
+
+    context 'when a merge request not found' do
+      it 'does not call Services' do
+        expect(EventCreateService).not_to receive(:new)
+        expect(NotificationService).not_to receive(:new)
+
+        worker.perform(99, create(:user).id)
+      end
+
+      it 'logs an error' do
+        expect(Rails.logger).to receive(:error).with('NewMergeRequestWorker: couldn\'t find MergeRequest with ID=99, skipping job')
+
+        worker.perform(99, create(:user).id)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when a user not found' do
+      it 'does not call Services' do
+        expect(EventCreateService).not_to receive(:new)
+        expect(NotificationService).not_to receive(:new)
+
+        worker.perform(create(:merge_request).id, 99)
+      end
+
+      it 'logs an error' do
+        expect(Rails.logger).to receive(:error).with('NewMergeRequestWorker: couldn\'t find User with ID=99, skipping job')
+
+        worker.perform(create(:merge_request).id, 99)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when everything is ok' do
+      let(:project) { create(:project, :public) }
+      let(:mentioned) { create(:user) }
+      let(:user) { create(:user) }
+      let(:merge_request) do
+        create(:merge_request, source_project: project, description: "mr for #{mentioned.to_reference}")
+      end
+
+      it 'creates a new event record' do
+        expect{ worker.perform(merge_request.id, user.id) }.to change { Event.count }.from(0).to(1)
+      end
+
+      it 'creates a notification for the assignee' do
+        expect(Notify).to receive(:new_merge_request_email).with(mentioned.id, merge_request.id).and_return(double(deliver_later: true))
+
+        worker.perform(merge_request.id, user.id)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end