diff --git a/Documentation/cmd-create-project.txt b/Documentation/cmd-create-project.txt
index 4d1ea05450..e8c3857b60 100644
--- a/Documentation/cmd-create-project.txt
+++ b/Documentation/cmd-create-project.txt
@@ -60,7 +60,14 @@ This command is intended to be used in scripts.
 
 --owner::
 -o::
-	Name of the group(s) which will initially own this repository.
+	Identifier of the group(s) which will initially own this repository.
+
+        This can be:
+
+        * the UUID of the group
+        * the legacy numeric ID of the group
+        * the name of the group if it is unique
+
 	The specified group(s) must already be defined within Gerrit.
 	Several groups can be specified on the command line.
 +
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/args4j/AccountGroupUUIDHandler.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/args4j/AccountGroupUUIDHandler.java
index 79ab8c8726..56446688bc 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/args4j/AccountGroupUUIDHandler.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/args4j/AccountGroupUUIDHandler.java
@@ -14,10 +14,13 @@
 
 package com.google.gerrit.server.args4j;
 
+import com.google.gerrit.common.data.GroupDescription;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.data.GroupReference;
+import com.google.gerrit.common.errors.NoSuchGroupException;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.AccountGroup;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.account.GroupBackend;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.account.GroupBackends;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.account.GroupControl;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
 import com.google.inject.assistedinject.Assisted;
 import org.kohsuke.args4j.CmdLineException;
@@ -29,20 +32,44 @@ import org.kohsuke.args4j.spi.Setter;
 
 public class AccountGroupUUIDHandler extends OptionHandler<AccountGroup.UUID> {
   private final GroupBackend groupBackend;
+  private final GroupControl.Factory groupControlFactory;
 
   @Inject
   public AccountGroupUUIDHandler(
       final GroupBackend groupBackend,
+      final GroupControl.Factory groupControlFactory,
       @Assisted final CmdLineParser parser,
       @Assisted final OptionDef option,
       @Assisted final Setter<AccountGroup.UUID> setter) {
     super(parser, option, setter);
     this.groupBackend = groupBackend;
+    this.groupControlFactory = groupControlFactory;
   }
 
   @Override
   public final int parseArguments(final Parameters params) throws CmdLineException {
     final String n = params.getParameter(0);
+    AccountGroup.UUID uuid = new AccountGroup.UUID(n);
+    if (groupBackend.handles(uuid)) {
+      GroupDescription.Basic d = groupBackend.get(uuid);
+      if (d != null) {
+        setter.addValue(uuid);
+        return 1;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Might be a legacy AccountGroup.Id.
+    if (n.matches("^[1-9][0-9]*$")) {
+      try {
+        AccountGroup.Id legacyId = AccountGroup.Id.parse(n);
+        uuid = groupControlFactory.controlFor(legacyId).getGroup().getGroupUUID();
+        setter.addValue(uuid);
+        return 1;
+      } catch (IllegalArgumentException | NoSuchGroupException e) {
+        // Ignored
+      }
+    }
+
     GroupReference group = GroupBackends.findExactSuggestion(groupBackend, n);
     if (group == null) {
       throw new CmdLineException(owner, "Group \"" + n + "\" does not exist");