diff --git a/app/controllers/projects_controller.rb b/app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
index 5d55a8807..bbbfa4267 100644
--- a/app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
@@ -214,7 +214,8 @@ class ProjectsController < ApplicationController
     @priorities = Enumeration::get_values('IPRI')
     
     default_status = IssueStatus.default
-    @issue = Issue.new(:project => @project, :tracker => @tracker, :status => default_status)    
+    @issue = Issue.new(:project => @project, :tracker => @tracker)    
+    @issue.status = default_status
     @allowed_statuses = default_status.find_new_statuses_allowed_to(logged_in_user.role_for_project(@project), @issue.tracker) if logged_in_user
     if request.get?
       @issue.start_date = Date.today
diff --git a/app/models/issue_status.rb b/app/models/issue_status.rb
index 337aa5894..de8a1391e 100644
--- a/app/models/issue_status.rb
+++ b/app/models/issue_status.rb
@@ -38,16 +38,18 @@ class IssueStatus < ActiveRecord::Base
   # Returns an array of all statuses the given role can switch to
   # Uses association cache when called more than one time
   def new_statuses_allowed_to(role, tracker)
-    new_statuses = [self] + workflows.select {|w| w.role_id == role.id && w.tracker_id == tracker.id}.collect{|w| w.new_status}
+    new_statuses = [self]
+    new_statuses += workflows.select {|w| w.role_id == role.id && w.tracker_id == tracker.id}.collect{|w| w.new_status} if role && tracker
     new_statuses.sort{|x, y| x.position <=> y.position }
   end
   
   # Same thing as above but uses a database query
   # More efficient than the previous method if called just once
   def find_new_statuses_allowed_to(role, tracker)  
-    new_statuses = [self] + workflows.find(:all, 
-                                           :include => :new_status,
-                                           :conditions => ["role_id=? and tracker_id=?", role.id, tracker.id]).collect{ |w| w.new_status }
+    new_statuses = [self]
+    new_statuses += workflows.find(:all, 
+                                   :include => :new_status,
+                                   :conditions => ["role_id=? and tracker_id=?", role.id, tracker.id]).collect{ |w| w.new_status }  if role && tracker
     new_statuses.sort{|x, y| x.position <=> y.position }
   end