diff --git a/app/models/project.rb b/app/models/project.rb
index 8799e3b5..0b0c47a2 100644
--- a/app/models/project.rb
+++ b/app/models/project.rb
@@ -63,7 +63,9 @@ class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
   validates_length_of :identifier, :in => 1..20
   # donwcase letters, digits, dashes but not digits only
   validates_format_of :identifier, :with => /^(?!\d+$)[a-z0-9\-]*$/, :if => Proc.new { |p| p.identifier_changed? }
-  
+  # reserved words
+  validates_exclusion_of :identifier, :in => %w( new )
+
   before_destroy :delete_all_members
 
   named_scope :has_module, lambda { |mod| { :conditions => ["#{Project.table_name}.id IN (SELECT em.project_id FROM #{EnabledModule.table_name} em WHERE em.name=?)", mod.to_s] } }
diff --git a/test/unit/project_test.rb b/test/unit/project_test.rb
index 2c874585..60bc4f1c 100644
--- a/test/unit/project_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/project_test.rb
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ class ProjectTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     to_test = {"abc" => true,
                "ab12" => true,
                "ab-12" => true,
-               "12" => false}
+               "12" => false,
+               "new" => false}
                
     to_test.each do |identifier, valid|
       p = Project.new