diff --git a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/AbstractBusinessObject.java b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/AbstractBusinessObject.java
index 251b068223b63a1e893f4cea52a19eec3f4fc85c..cbe3dd1bbb2a1b403b3bb4f33779521641a6937c 100644
--- a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/AbstractBusinessObject.java
+++ b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/AbstractBusinessObject.java
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ import ch.systemsx.cisd.openbis.generic.shared.dto.IModifierBean;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.openbis.generic.shared.dto.MaterialPE;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.openbis.generic.shared.dto.MetaprojectPE;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.openbis.generic.shared.dto.PersonPE;
+import ch.systemsx.cisd.openbis.generic.shared.dto.ProjectPE;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.openbis.generic.shared.dto.RelationshipTypePE;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.openbis.generic.shared.dto.SamplePE;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.openbis.generic.shared.dto.Session;
@@ -835,6 +836,17 @@ abstract class AbstractBusinessObject implements IDAOFactory
         }
         assignmentManager.performAssignment(relationshipService, session);
     }
+    
+    protected void assignSampleToProject(SamplePE sample, ProjectPE project)
+    {
+        if (project != null)
+        {
+            relationshipService.assignSampleToProject(session, sample, project);
+        } else
+        {
+            relationshipService.unassignSampleFromProject(session, sample);
+        }
+    }
 
     protected void assignDataSetToSampleAndExperiment(DataPE data, SamplePE newSample, ExperimentPE experiment)
     {
diff --git a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/AbstractSampleBusinessObject.java b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/AbstractSampleBusinessObject.java
index da9762509b7a264904137c82c8e4bf30f3dba6fe..6b9ee97ee4e4d2a7ec0181e6084f78176b3f5103 100644
--- a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/AbstractSampleBusinessObject.java
+++ b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/AbstractSampleBusinessObject.java
@@ -232,6 +232,37 @@ abstract class AbstractSampleBusinessObject extends AbstractSampleIdentifierBusi
         }
         return experimentPE;
     }
+    
+    private ProjectPE tryFindProject(Map<String, ProjectPE> projectCache, ProjectIdentifier projectIdentifier)
+    {
+        if (projectIdentifier == null)
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+        return tryFindProject(projectCache, projectIdentifier.toString(), null);
+    }
+    
+    private ProjectPE tryFindProject(Map<String, ProjectPE> projectCache, String projectIdentifier, 
+            String defaultSpace)
+    {
+        if (projectIdentifier == null)
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+        ProjectIdentifier identifier = new ProjectIdentifierFactory(projectIdentifier).createIdentifier(defaultSpace);
+        fillSpaceIdentifier(identifier);
+        String key = identifier.toString();
+        ProjectPE project = projectCache == null ? null : projectCache.get(key);
+        if (project == null)
+        {
+            project = findProject(identifier);
+            if (projectCache != null)
+            {
+                projectCache.put(key, project);
+            }
+        }
+        return project;
+    }
 
     protected void setContainer(final SampleIdentifier sampleIdentifier, final SamplePE samplePE,
             String containerIdentifier, final String defaultSpace)
@@ -559,7 +590,32 @@ abstract class AbstractSampleBusinessObject extends AbstractSampleIdentifierBusi
 
         assignSampleAndRelatedDataSetsToExperiment(sample, newExperiment);
     }
+    
+    protected void updateProject(SamplePE sample, ProjectIdentifier projectIdentifierOrNull,
+            Map<String, ProjectPE> projectCache)
+    {
+        if (sample.getProject() == null && projectIdentifierOrNull == null)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+        ProjectPE newProject = tryFindProject(projectCache, projectIdentifierOrNull);
+        if (EntityHelper.equalEntities(newProject, sample.getProject()) == false)
+        {
+            ensureSampleAttachableToProject(sample, newProject);
+            assignSampleToProject(sample, newProject);
+        }
+    }
 
+    private void ensureSampleAttachableToProject(SamplePE sample, ProjectPE project)
+    {
+        if (sample.getSpace() == null && project != null)
+        {
+            throw UserFailureException.fromTemplate(
+                    "It is not allowed to connect a shared sample '%s' to a project.",
+                    sample.getIdentifier());
+        }
+    }
+    
     private void ensureSampleAttachableToExperiment(SamplePE sample, ExperimentPE newExperiment)
     {
         if (sample.getSpace() == null && newExperiment != null)
diff --git a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/SampleBO.java b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/SampleBO.java
index c008c9b0a644a3bc8910acd7e88836da45097e00..ffa01b3ee197b5f57994792d47d4fbe2895c10e4 100644
--- a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/SampleBO.java
+++ b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/SampleBO.java
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ public final class SampleBO extends AbstractSampleBusinessObject implements ISam
         {
             updateExperiment(sample, updates.getExperimentIdentifierOrNull(), null);
         }
+        updateProject(sample, updates.getProjectIdentifier(), null);
         setContainer(updates.getSampleIdentifier(), sample, updates.getContainerIdentifierOrNull(),
                 null);
         addAttachments(sample, updates.getAttachments(), attachments);
diff --git a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/plugin/generic/client/web/server/GenericClientService.java b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/plugin/generic/client/web/server/GenericClientService.java
index 8f334ca1377e98beeba2110d2d5768f830334df7..a84fdb999bdcc02c4933f6b3e62bd6b080e43fc1 100644
--- a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/plugin/generic/client/web/server/GenericClientService.java
+++ b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/plugin/generic/client/web/server/GenericClientService.java
@@ -1124,7 +1124,7 @@ public class GenericClientService extends AbstractClientService implements IGene
     
     private ProjectIdentifier getProjectIdentifier(SampleUpdates updates)
     {
-        String identifier = updates.getParentIdentifierOrNull();
+        String identifier = updates.getProjectIdentifierOrNull();
         if (identifier == null)
         {
             return null;