diff --git a/app/models/issue.rb b/app/models/issue.rb
index 4e32dce..c0236d0 100644
--- a/app/models/issue.rb
+++ b/app/models/issue.rb
@@ -502,8 +502,13 @@ class Issue < ActiveRecord::Base

     # Project and Tracker must be set before since new_statuses_allowed_to depends on it.
     if (p = attrs.delete('project_id')) && safe_attribute?('project_id')
-      if allowed_target_projects(user).where(:id => p.to_i).exists?
-        self.project_id = p
+      if p.is_a?(String) && !p.match(/^\d*$/)
+        p_id = Project.find_by_identifier(p).try(:id)
+      else
+        p_id = p.to_i
+      end
+      if allowed_target_projects(user).where(:id => p_id).exists?
+        self.project_id = p_id
       end

       if project_id_changed? && attrs['category_id'].to_s == category_id_was.to_s
diff --git a/test/functional/issues_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/issues_controller_test.rb
index ff37229..a97f325 100644
--- a/test/functional/issues_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/issues_controller_test.rb
@@ -2535,6 +2535,21 @@ class IssuesControllerTest < Redmine::ControllerTest
     assert_equal 2, issue.tracker_id
   end

+  def test_create_with_project_identifier
+    @request.session[:user_id] = 2
+
+    assert_difference 'Issue.count' do
+      post :create,
+           :issue => {:project_id => 'subproject1',
+                      :tracker_id => 2,
+                      :subject => 'Foo'}
+      assert_response 302
+    end
+    issue = Issue.order('id DESC').first
+    assert_equal 3, issue.project_id
+    assert_equal 2, issue.tracker_id
+  end
+
   def test_create_without_project_id_and_continue_should_redirect_without_project_id
     @request.session[:user_id] = 2