diff --git a/components/ambient-api-server/openapi/openapi.projects.yaml b/components/ambient-api-server/openapi/openapi.projects.yaml
index 2f2680c2a..cd92b7ca2 100644
--- a/components/ambient-api-server/openapi/openapi.projects.yaml
+++ b/components/ambient-api-server/openapi/openapi.projects.yaml
@@ -215,6 +215,10 @@ components:
           required:
             - name
           properties:
+            owner_user_id:
+              type: string
+              description: User ID of the project owner (set automatically by the server)
+              readOnly: true
             name:
               type: string
             display_name:
diff --git a/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/handler.go b/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/handler.go
index 702467698..b97d0120f 100644
--- a/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/handler.go
+++ b/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/handler.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/ambient-code/platform/components/ambient-api-server/pkg/api/openapi"
 	"github.com/openshift-online/rh-trex-ai/pkg/api/presenters"
+	"github.com/openshift-online/rh-trex-ai/pkg/auth"
 	"github.com/openshift-online/rh-trex-ai/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/openshift-online/rh-trex-ai/pkg/handlers"
 	"github.com/openshift-online/rh-trex-ai/pkg/services"
@@ -36,6 +37,9 @@ func (h projectHandler) Create(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		Action: func() (interface{}, *errors.ServiceError) {
 			ctx := r.Context()
 			projectModel := ConvertProject(project)
+			if username := auth.GetUsernameFromContext(ctx); username != "" {
+				projectModel.OwnerUserId = username
+			}
 			projectModel, err := h.project.Create(ctx, projectModel)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
diff --git a/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/migration.go b/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/migration.go
index c8b4ddaeb..f4621518b 100644
--- a/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/migration.go
+++ b/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/migration.go
@@ -28,3 +28,42 @@ func migration() *gormigrate.Migration {
 		},
 	}
 }
+
+func ownerUserIdMigration() *gormigrate.Migration {
+	migrateStatements := []string{
+		// Add owner_user_id column with a default empty string for existing rows
+		`ALTER TABLE projects ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS owner_user_id TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT ''`,
+		// Drop the old unique index on name only
+		`DROP INDEX IF EXISTS idx_projects_name`,
+		// Create composite unique index on (owner_user_id, name)
+		`CREATE UNIQUE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_owner_name ON projects(owner_user_id, name)`,
+	}
+	rollbackStatements := []string{
+		// Drop the composite unique index
+		`DROP INDEX IF EXISTS idx_owner_name`,
+		// Recreate the old unique index on name only
+		`CREATE UNIQUE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_projects_name ON projects(name)`,
+		// Drop the owner_user_id column
+		`ALTER TABLE projects DROP COLUMN IF EXISTS owner_user_id`,
+	}
+
+	return &gormigrate.Migration{
+		ID: "202603240001",
+		Migrate: func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
+			for _, stmt := range migrateStatements {
+				if err := tx.Exec(stmt).Error; err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+			return nil
+		},
+		Rollback: func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
+			for _, stmt := range rollbackStatements {
+				if err := tx.Exec(stmt).Error; err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+			return nil
+		},
+	}
+}
diff --git a/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/model.go b/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/model.go
index 175462b99..85a21a7b8 100644
--- a/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/model.go
+++ b/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/model.go
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ import (
 
 type Project struct {
 	api.Meta
-	Name        string  `json:"name" gorm:"uniqueIndex;not null"`
+	OwnerUserId string  `json:"owner_user_id" gorm:"uniqueIndex:idx_owner_name;not null"`
+	Name        string  `json:"name" gorm:"uniqueIndex:idx_owner_name;not null"`
 	DisplayName *string `json:"display_name"`
 	Description *string `json:"description"`
 	Labels      *string `json:"labels"`
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ func (l ProjectList) Index() ProjectIndex {
 }
 
 func (d *Project) BeforeCreate(tx *gorm.DB) error {
-	d.ID = d.Name
+	d.ID = api.NewID()
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/plugin.go b/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/plugin.go
index 8e7a249d2..7edb6da5d 100644
--- a/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/plugin.go
+++ b/components/ambient-api-server/plugins/projects/plugin.go
@@ -101,4 +101,5 @@ func init() {
 	})
 
 	db.RegisterMigration(migration())
+	db.RegisterMigration(ownerUserIdMigration())
 }