diff --git a/app/helpers/projects_helper.rb b/app/helpers/projects_helper.rb
index 3e1f0d804..cd0d7840f 100644
--- a/app/helpers/projects_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/projects_helper.rb
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@ module ProjectsHelper
     version_options_for_select(versions, project.default_version)
   end
 
+  def project_default_assigned_to_options(project)
+    assignable_users = (project.assignable_users.to_a + [project.default_assigned_to]).uniq.compact
+    principals_options_for_select(assignable_users, project.default_assigned_to)
+  end
+
   def format_version_sharing(sharing)
     sharing = 'none' unless Version::VERSION_SHARINGS.include?(sharing)
     l("label_version_sharing_#{sharing}")
diff --git a/app/models/issue.rb b/app/models/issue.rb
index d96f61e15..2ab010893 100644
--- a/app/models/issue.rb
+++ b/app/models/issue.rb
@@ -1751,10 +1751,14 @@ class Issue < ActiveRecord::Base
     end
   end
 
-  # Default assignment based on category
+  # Default assignment based on project or category
   def default_assign
-    if assigned_to.nil? && category && category.assigned_to
-      self.assigned_to = category.assigned_to
+    if assigned_to.nil?
+      if category && category.assigned_to
+        self.assigned_to = category.assigned_to
+      elsif project && project.default_assigned_to
+        self.assigned_to = project.default_assigned_to
+      end
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/member.rb b/app/models/member.rb
index 06b90bf55..60eab7f4c 100644
--- a/app/models/member.rb
+++ b/app/models/member.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class Member < ActiveRecord::Base
   validate :validate_role
   attr_protected :id
 
-  before_destroy :set_issue_category_nil
+  before_destroy :set_issue_category_nil, :remove_from_project_default_assigned_to
 
   scope :active, lambda { joins(:principal).where(:users => {:status => Principal::STATUS_ACTIVE})}
 
@@ -151,6 +151,13 @@ class Member < ActiveRecord::Base
     end
   end
 
+  def remove_from_project_default_assigned_to
+    if user_id && project && project.default_assigned_to_id == user_id
+      # remove project based auto assignments for this member
+      project.update_column(:default_assigned_to_id, nil)
+    end
+  end
+
   # Returns the roles that the member is allowed to manage
   # in the project the member belongs to
   def managed_roles
diff --git a/app/models/principal.rb b/app/models/principal.rb
index a1f5156bf..e0b3b2e45 100644
--- a/app/models/principal.rb
+++ b/app/models/principal.rb
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ class Principal < ActiveRecord::Base
   scope :sorted, lambda { order(*Principal.fields_for_order_statement)}
 
   before_create :set_default_empty_values
+  before_destroy :nullify_projects_default_assigned_to
 
   def reload(*args)
     @project_ids = nil
@@ -181,6 +182,10 @@ class Principal < ActiveRecord::Base
     principal
   end
 
+  def nullify_projects_default_assigned_to
+    Project.where(default_assigned_to: self).update_all(default_assigned_to_id: nil)
+  end
+
   protected
 
   # Make sure we don't try to insert NULL values (see #4632)
diff --git a/app/models/project.rb b/app/models/project.rb
index 942affe11..b4dc03739 100644
--- a/app/models/project.rb
+++ b/app/models/project.rb
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
   has_many :issue_changes, :through => :issues, :source => :journals
   has_many :versions, :dependent => :destroy
   belongs_to :default_version, :class_name => 'Version'
+  belongs_to :default_assigned_to, :class_name => 'Principal'
   has_many :time_entries, :dependent => :destroy
   has_many :queries, :dependent => :delete_all
   has_many :documents, :dependent => :destroy
@@ -728,7 +729,8 @@ class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
     'tracker_ids',
     'issue_custom_field_ids',
     'parent_id',
-    'default_version_id'
+    'default_version_id',
+    'default_assigned_to_id'
 
   safe_attributes 'enabled_module_names',
     :if => lambda {|project, user|
diff --git a/app/views/projects/_form.html.erb b/app/views/projects/_form.html.erb
index 1e5917e88..0cbdf422e 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/_form.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/projects/_form.html.erb
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@
   <p><%= f.select :default_version_id, project_default_version_options(@project), :include_blank => true %></p>
 <% end %>
 
+<% if @project.safe_attribute?('default_assigned_to_id') && (default_assigned_to_options = project_default_assigned_to_options(@project)).present? %>
+  <p><%= f.select :default_assigned_to_id, default_assigned_to_options, include_blank: true %></p>
+<% end %>
+
 <%= wikitoolbar_for 'project_description' %>
 
 <% @project.custom_field_values.each do |value| %>
diff --git a/config/locales/de.yml b/config/locales/de.yml
index 62a451411..17e72411d 100644
--- a/config/locales/de.yml
+++ b/config/locales/de.yml
@@ -389,6 +389,7 @@ de:
   field_visible: Sichtbar
   field_warn_on_leaving_unsaved: Vor dem Verlassen einer Seite mit ungesichertem Text im Editor warnen
   field_watcher: Beobachter
+  field_default_assigned_to: Standardbearbeiter
 
   general_csv_decimal_separator: ','
   general_csv_encoding: ISO-8859-1
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 2d9260fb5..04c96524d 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -373,6 +373,7 @@ en:
   field_updated_by: Updated by
   field_last_updated_by: Last updated by
   field_full_width_layout: Full width layout
+  field_default_assigned_to: Default assignee
 
   setting_app_title: Application title
   setting_app_subtitle: Application subtitle
diff --git a/config/locales/fr.yml b/config/locales/fr.yml
index 87a54bdd8..b77846105 100644
--- a/config/locales/fr.yml
+++ b/config/locales/fr.yml
@@ -385,6 +385,7 @@ fr:
   field_updated_by: Mise à jour par
   field_last_updated_by: Dernière mise à jour par
   field_full_width_layout: Afficher sur toute la largeur
+  field_default_assigned_to: Assigné par défaut
 
   setting_app_title: Titre de l'application
   setting_app_subtitle: Sous-titre de l'application
diff --git a/db/migrate/20170309214320_add_project_default_assigned_to_id.rb b/db/migrate/20170309214320_add_project_default_assigned_to_id.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fe1a0cf11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20170309214320_add_project_default_assigned_to_id.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+class AddProjectDefaultAssignedToId < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def up
+    add_column :projects, :default_assigned_to_id, :integer, :default => nil
+    # Try to copy existing settings from the plugin if redmine_default_assign plugin was used
+    if column_exists?(:projects, :default_assignee_id, :integer)
+      Project.update_all('`default_assigned_to_id` = `default_assignee_id`')
+    end
+  end
+
+  def down
+    remove_column :projects, :default_assigned_to_id
+  end
+end