diff --git a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/basic/dto/Identifier.java b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/basic/dto/Identifier.java
index 9e7e2f2875d238b2cddb215aa11ad1e03d1838c4..1c44daf0727755987913ac7e12c088991d30b460 100644
--- a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/basic/dto/Identifier.java
+++ b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/basic/dto/Identifier.java
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ public class Identifier<T extends Identifier<T>> implements Serializable, Compar
 
     private String permID;
 
+    protected static String toUpperCase(String identifierOrNull)
+    {
+        return identifierOrNull == null ? null : identifierOrNull.toUpperCase();
+    }
+
     public void setPermID(String permID)
     {
         this.permID = permID;
@@ -54,7 +59,7 @@ public class Identifier<T extends Identifier<T>> implements Serializable, Compar
     @BeanProperty(label = IDENTIFIER_COLUMN, optional = true)
     public final void setIdentifier(final String identifier)
     {
-        this.identifier = identifier;
+        this.identifier = toUpperCase(identifier);
     }
 
     //
diff --git a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/basic/dto/NewSample.java b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/basic/dto/NewSample.java
index f6587035c788e5fec768f7cfa6e3f32f3994dc3d..cf8c47c9490d5134919f8b51103afd949740eba1 100644
--- a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/basic/dto/NewSample.java
+++ b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/basic/dto/NewSample.java
@@ -124,9 +124,9 @@ public class NewSample extends Identifier<NewSample> implements Comparable<NewSa
     {
         this(identifier, sampleType, containerIdentifier);
         this.parentsOrNull = parentsOrNull;
-        this.experimentIdentifier = experimentIdentifier;
+        setExperimentIdentifier(experimentIdentifier);
         this.setDefaultSpaceIdentifier(defaultSpaceIdentifier);
-        this.currentContainerIdentifier = currentContainerIdentifier;
+        setCurrentContainerIdentifier(currentContainerIdentifier);
         this.properties = properties;
         this.attachments = attachments;
     }
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ public class NewSample extends Identifier<NewSample> implements Comparable<NewSa
     @BeanProperty(label = CONTAINER, optional = true)
     public final void setContainerIdentifier(final String container)
     {
-        this.containerIdentifier = StringUtils.trimToNull(container);
+        this.containerIdentifier = toUpperCase(StringUtils.trimToNull(container));
     }
 
     public final String getCurrentContainerIdentifier()
@@ -221,7 +221,8 @@ public class NewSample extends Identifier<NewSample> implements Comparable<NewSa
     @BeanProperty(label = CURRENT_CONTAINER, optional = true)
     public final void setCurrentContainerIdentifier(final String currentContainerIdentifier)
     {
-        this.currentContainerIdentifier = StringUtils.trimToNull(currentContainerIdentifier);
+        this.currentContainerIdentifier =
+                toUpperCase(StringUtils.trimToNull(currentContainerIdentifier));
     }
 
     public String getExperimentIdentifier()
@@ -232,7 +233,7 @@ public class NewSample extends Identifier<NewSample> implements Comparable<NewSa
     @BeanProperty(label = EXPERIMENT, optional = true)
     public void setExperimentIdentifier(String experimentIdentifier)
     {
-        this.experimentIdentifier = experimentIdentifier;
+        this.experimentIdentifier = toUpperCase(experimentIdentifier);
     }
 
     public String getDefaultSpaceIdentifier()
@@ -245,10 +246,10 @@ public class NewSample extends Identifier<NewSample> implements Comparable<NewSa
     {
         if (StringUtils.isBlank(defaultSpaceIdentifier) || defaultSpaceIdentifier.contains("/"))
         {
-            this.defaultSpaceIdentifier = defaultSpaceIdentifier;
+            this.defaultSpaceIdentifier = toUpperCase(defaultSpaceIdentifier);
         } else
         {
-            this.defaultSpaceIdentifier = "/" + defaultSpaceIdentifier;
+            this.defaultSpaceIdentifier = "/" + toUpperCase(defaultSpaceIdentifier);
         }
     }