diff --git a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index 4915cdd..bc7f8d0 100644
--- a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -967,7 +967,11 @@ module ApplicationHelper
                 link = link_to_project(p, {:only_path => only_path}, :class => 'project')
               end
             when 'user'
-              u = User.visible.where(:login => name, :type => 'User').first
+              if name =~ /^[0-9]+$/
+                u = User.visible.where(:id => name.to_i, :type => 'User').first
+              else
+                u = User.visible.where(:login => name, :type => 'User').first
+              end
               link = link_to_user(u) if u
             end
           elsif sep == "@"
diff --git a/test/unit/helpers/application_helper_test.rb b/test/unit/helpers/application_helper_test.rb
index 678dcfd..847fc0c 100644
--- a/test/unit/helpers/application_helper_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/helpers/application_helper_test.rb
@@ -386,6 +386,7 @@ RAW
       "http://foo.bar/FAQ#3"        => '<a class="external" href="http://foo.bar/FAQ#3">http://foo.bar/FAQ#3</a>',
       # user
       'user:jsmith'                 => link_to_user(User.find_by_id(2)),
+      'user:2'                      => link_to_user(User.find_by_id(2)),
       '@jsmith'                     => link_to_user(User.find_by_id(2)),
       # invalid user
       'user:foobar'                 => 'user:foobar',