diff --git a/routers/web/repo/issue_new.go b/routers/web/repo/issue_new.go
index 1393f62fa5..98fb842ddf 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/issue_new.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/issue_new.go
@@ -121,11 +121,9 @@ func NewIssue(ctx *context.Context) {
 	}
 
 	pageMetaData.MilestonesData.SelectedMilestoneID = ctx.FormInt64("milestone")
-	pageMetaData.ProjectsData.SelectedProjectID = ctx.FormInt64("project")
-	if pageMetaData.ProjectsData.SelectedProjectID > 0 {
-		if len(ctx.Req.URL.Query().Get("project")) > 0 {
-			ctx.Data["redirect_after_creation"] = "project"
-		}
+	pageMetaData.ProjectsData.SelectedProjectIDs, _ = base.StringsToInt64s(strings.Split(ctx.FormString("project"), ","))
+	if len(pageMetaData.ProjectsData.SelectedProjectIDs) == 1 {
+		ctx.Data["redirect_after_creation"] = "project"
 	}
 
 	tags, err := repo_model.GetTagNamesByRepoID(ctx, ctx.Repo.Repository.ID)
@@ -273,7 +271,7 @@ func ValidateRepoMetasForNewIssue(ctx *context.Context, form forms.CreateIssueFo
 		ctx.NotFound(nil)
 		return ret
 	}
-	pageMetaData.ProjectsData.SelectedProjectID = form.ProjectID
+	pageMetaData.ProjectsData.SelectedProjectIDs = util.Iif(form.ProjectID > 0, []int64{form.ProjectID}, nil)
 
 	// prepare assignees
 	candidateAssignees := toSet(pageMetaData.AssigneesData.CandidateAssignees, func(user *user_model.User) int64 { return user.ID })
diff --git a/routers/web/repo/issue_page_meta.go b/routers/web/repo/issue_page_meta.go
index 680ead973a..639333ab42 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/issue_page_meta.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/issue_page_meta.go
@@ -34,8 +34,9 @@ type issueSidebarAssigneesData struct {
 }
 
 type issueSidebarProjectsData struct {
-	SelectedProjectID int64
+	SelectedProjectIDs []int64 // TODO: support multiple projects in the future
 
+	// the "selected" fields are only valid when len(SelectedProjectIDs)==1
 	SelectedProjectColumns []*project_model.Column
 	SelectedProjectColumn  *project_model.Column
 
@@ -171,7 +172,7 @@ func (d *IssuePageMetaData) retrieveProjectData(ctx *context.Context) {
 	if d.Issue == nil || d.Issue.Project == nil {
 		return
 	}
-	d.ProjectsData.SelectedProjectID = d.Issue.Project.ID
+	d.ProjectsData.SelectedProjectIDs = []int64{d.Issue.Project.ID}
 	columns, err := d.Issue.Project.GetColumns(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		ctx.ServerError("GetProjectColumns", err)
@@ -193,7 +194,7 @@ func (d *IssuePageMetaData) retrieveProjectData(ctx *context.Context) {
 
 func (d *IssuePageMetaData) retrieveProjectsDataForIssueWriter(ctx *context.Context) {
 	if d.Issue != nil && d.Issue.Project != nil {
-		d.ProjectsData.SelectedProjectID = d.Issue.Project.ID
+		d.ProjectsData.SelectedProjectIDs = []int64{d.Issue.Project.ID}
 	}
 	d.ProjectsData.OpenProjects, d.ProjectsData.ClosedProjects = retrieveProjectsInternal(ctx, ctx.Repo.Repository)
 }
diff --git a/templates/repo/issue/sidebar/project_list.tmpl b/templates/repo/issue/sidebar/project_list.tmpl
index e6aa16a8a6..e352ca34f1 100644
--- a/templates/repo/issue/sidebar/project_list.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/issue/sidebar/project_list.tmpl
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 <div class="issue-sidebar-combo" data-selection-mode="single" data-update-algo="all"
 		{{if $pageMeta.Issue}}data-update-url="{{$pageMeta.RepoLink}}/issues/projects?issue_ids={{$pageMeta.Issue.ID}}"{{end}}
 >
-	<input class="combo-value" name="project_id" type="hidden" value="{{$data.SelectedProjectID}}">
+	<input class="combo-value" name="project_id" type="hidden" value="{{if $data.SelectedProjectIDs}}{{index $data.SelectedProjectIDs 0}}{{end}}">
 	<div class="ui dropdown full-width {{if not $pageMeta.CanModifyIssueOrPull}}disabled{{end}}">
 		<a class="fixed-text muted">
 			<strong>{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.issues.new.projects"}}</strong> {{if $pageMeta.CanModifyIssueOrPull}}{{svg "octicon-gear"}}{{end}}
@@ -49,4 +49,7 @@
 		{{end}}
 	</div>
 </div>
-{{template "repo/issue/sidebar/project_column" $pageMeta}}
+{{if eq 1 (len $data.SelectedProjectIDs)}}
+	{{/* the project column selection is only supported when the issue is only in one project */}}
+	{{template "repo/issue/sidebar/project_column" $pageMeta}}
+{{end}}