diff --git a/.github/stale.yaml b/.github/stale.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3f309b0ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/stale.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# Number of days of inactivity before an issue becomes stale
+daysUntilStale: 14
+# Number of days of inactivity before a stale issue is closed
+daysUntilClose: 7
+# Issues with these labels will never be considered stale
+exemptLabels:
+  - "status: accepted"
+  - "status: gathering feedback"
+# Label to use when marking an issue as stale
+staleLabel: wontfix
+# Comment to post when marking an issue as stale. Set to `false` to disable
+markComment: >
+  This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had
+  recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. NetBox
+  is governed by a small group of core maintainers which means not all opened
+  issues may receive direct feedback. Please see our [contributing guide](https://github.com/netbox-community/netbox/blob/develop/CONTRIBUTING.md).
+# Comment to post when closing a stale issue. Set to `false` to disable
+closeComment: >
+  This issue has been automatically closed due to lack of activity. In an
+  effort to reduce noise, please do not comment any further. Note that the
+  core maintainers may elect to reopen this issue at a later date if deemed
+  necessary.
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index a688be9b3..1ecdbf1ac 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -118,6 +118,29 @@ feedback. **Do not** comment on an issue just to show your support (give the
 top post a :+1: instead) or ask for an ETA. These comments will be deleted to
 reduce noise in the discussion.
 
+## Issue Lifecycle
+
+When a correctly formatted issue is submitted it is evaluated by a moderator
+who may elect to immediately label the issue as accepted in addition to another
+issue type label. In other cases, the issue may be labeled as "status: gathering feedback"
+which will often be accompanied by a comment from a moderator asking for further dialog from the community.
+If an issue is labeled as "status: revisions needed" a moderator has identified a problem with
+the issue itself and is asking for the submitter himself to update the original post with
+the requested information. If the original post is not updated in a reasonable amount of time,
+the issue will be closed as invalid.
+ 
+The core maintainers group has chosen to make use of the GitHub Stale bot to aid in issue management.
+ 
+* Issues will be marked as stale after 14 days of no activity.
+ 
+* Then after 7 more days of inactivity, the issue will be closed.
+ 
+* Any issue with either the "status: accepted" or "status: gathering feedback" labels applied will be exempt from all Stale bot actions.
+ 
+It is natural that some new issues get more attention than others. Often this is a metric of an issues's
+overall usefulness to the project. In other cases in which issues merely get lost in the shuffle,
+notifications from Stale bot can bring renewed attention to potentially meaningful issues.
+
 ## Maintainer Guidance
 
 * Maintainers are expected to contribute at least four hours per week to the