diff --git a/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/github/GitHub.java b/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/github/GitHub.java
index d6d701b..c3c8fba 100644
--- a/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/github/GitHub.java
+++ b/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/github/GitHub.java
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.data.release.issues.github;
 
-import java.net.URI;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collection;
@@ -55,7 +54,6 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.web.client.HttpStatusCodeException;
 import org.springframework.web.client.RestOperations;
 import org.springframework.web.util.DefaultUriBuilderFactory;
-import org.springframework.web.util.UriTemplate;
 
 /**
  * @author Oliver Gierke
@@ -368,9 +366,7 @@ class GitHub implements IssueTracker {
 			parameters.put("repoName", repositoryName);
 			parameters.put("state", state);
 
-			URI milestoneUri = new UriTemplate(MILESTONE_URI).expand(parameters);
-
-			logger.log(moduleIteration, "Looking up milestone from %s…", milestoneUri);
+			logger.log(moduleIteration, "Looking up milestone…");
 
 			doWithPaging(MILESTONE_URI, HttpMethod.GET, parameters, new HttpEntity<>(newUserScopedHttpHeaders()),
 					MILESTONES_TYPE, milestones -> {
diff --git a/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/jira/Jira.java b/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/jira/Jira.java
index b4ee382..e998a6c 100644
--- a/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/jira/Jira.java
+++ b/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/jira/Jira.java
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ import org.springframework.web.client.HttpClientErrorException;
 import org.springframework.web.client.HttpStatusCodeException;
 import org.springframework.web.client.RestOperations;
 import org.springframework.web.util.DefaultUriBuilderFactory;
-import org.springframework.web.util.UriTemplate;
 
 /**
  * @author Oliver Gierke
@@ -539,11 +538,9 @@ class Jira implements JiraConnector {
 		parameters.put("fields", "summary,status,resolution,fixVersions");
 		parameters.put("startAt", 0);
 
-		URI searchUri = new UriTemplate(SEARCH_TEMPLATE).expand(parameters);
+		logger.log(moduleIteration, "Looking up JIRA issues…");
 
-		logger.log(moduleIteration, "Looking up JIRA issues from %s…", searchUri);
-
-		JiraIssues issues = operations.getForObject(searchUri, JiraIssues.class);
+		JiraIssues issues = operations.getForObject(SEARCH_TEMPLATE, JiraIssues.class, parameters);
 		Tickets tickets = issues.stream().map(this::toTicket).collect(Tickets.toTicketsCollector());
 		logger.log(moduleIteration, "Created changelog with %s entries.", tickets.getOverallTotal());