diff --git a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/DefaultRepositoryManager.java b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/DefaultRepositoryManager.java
index db09d23e79..49eeb7c342 100644
--- a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/DefaultRepositoryManager.java
+++ b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/DefaultRepositoryManager.java
@@ -246,11 +246,6 @@ public class DefaultRepositoryManager extends AbstractRepositoryManager {
 
   public Repository rename(Repository repository, String newNamespace, String newName) {
 
-    if (!configuration.getNamespaceStrategy().equals("CustomNamespaceStrategy")
-      && !repository.getNamespace().equals(newNamespace)) {
-      throw new ChangeNamespaceNotAllowedException(repository);
-    }
-
     if (hasNamespaceOrNameNotChanged(repository, newNamespace, newName)) {
       throw new NoChangesMadeException(repository);
     }
@@ -259,8 +254,13 @@ public class DefaultRepositoryManager extends AbstractRepositoryManager {
     if (!Strings.isNullOrEmpty(newName)) {
       changedRepository.setName(newName);
     }
-    if (!Strings.isNullOrEmpty(newNamespace)) {
-      changedRepository.setNamespace(newNamespace);
+
+    if (!Strings.isNullOrEmpty(newNamespace) && !repository.getNamespace().equals(newNamespace)) {
+      NamespaceStrategy strategy = namespaceStrategyProvider.get();
+      if (!strategy.canBeChanged()) {
+        throw new ChangeNamespaceNotAllowedException(repository);
+      }
+      changedRepository.setNamespace(strategy.createNamespace(changedRepository));
     }
 
     managerDaoAdapter.modify(
diff --git a/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/repository/DefaultRepositoryManagerTest.java b/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/repository/DefaultRepositoryManagerTest.java
index 26299a04a8..9a49d86bc9 100644
--- a/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/repository/DefaultRepositoryManagerTest.java
+++ b/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/repository/DefaultRepositoryManagerTest.java
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.anyString;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.doAnswer;
-import static org.mockito.Mockito.doReturn;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.spy;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
@@ -108,6 +107,8 @@ public class DefaultRepositoryManagerTest extends ManagerTestBase<Repository> {
   @Rule
   public ExpectedException thrown = ExpectedException.none();
 
+  private NamespaceStrategy namespaceStrategy = mock(NamespaceStrategy.class);
+
   private ScmConfiguration configuration;
 
   private String mockedNamespace = "default_namespace";
@@ -390,6 +391,8 @@ public class DefaultRepositoryManagerTest extends ManagerTestBase<Repository> {
   public void shouldThrowChangeNamespaceNotAllowedException() {
     Repository repository = new Repository("1", "hg", "space", "x");
     RepositoryManager repoManager = createManager();
+    when(namespaceStrategy.canBeChanged()).thenReturn(false);
+
     thrown.expect(ChangeNamespaceNotAllowedException.class);
 
     repoManager.rename(repository, "hitchhiker", "heart-of-gold");
@@ -397,7 +400,6 @@ public class DefaultRepositoryManagerTest extends ManagerTestBase<Repository> {
 
   @Test
   public void shouldThrowNoChangesMadeException() {
-    configuration.setNamespaceStrategy("CustomNamespaceStrategy");
     Repository repository = new Repository("1", "hg", "space", "x");
     RepositoryManager repoManager = createManager();
 
@@ -410,7 +412,6 @@ public class DefaultRepositoryManagerTest extends ManagerTestBase<Repository> {
   public void shouldOnlyChangeRepositoryName() {
     Repository repository = createTestRepository();
     RepositoryManager repoManager = (RepositoryManager) manager;
-    configuration.setNamespaceStrategy("UsernameNamespaceStrategy");
 
     Repository changedRepo = repoManager.rename(repository, "default_namespace", "puzzle42");
     assertNotEquals(changedRepo.getName(), repository.getName());
@@ -420,11 +421,12 @@ public class DefaultRepositoryManagerTest extends ManagerTestBase<Repository> {
   public void shouldRenameRepositoryNamespaceAndName() {
     Repository repository = createTestRepository();
     RepositoryManager repoManager = (RepositoryManager) manager;
-    configuration.setNamespaceStrategy("CustomNamespaceStrategy");
+    when(namespaceStrategy.canBeChanged()).thenReturn(true);
+    when(namespaceStrategy.createNamespace(any(Repository.class))).thenReturn("hitchhiker");
 
     Repository changedRepo = repoManager.rename(repository, "hitchhiker", "puzzle42");
-    assertNotEquals(changedRepo.getName(), repository.getName());
-    assertNotEquals(changedRepo.getNamespace(), repository.getNamespace());
+    assertEquals("puzzle42", changedRepo.getName());
+    assertEquals("hitchhiker", changedRepo.getNamespace());
   }
 
   //~--- methods --------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -445,7 +447,6 @@ public class DefaultRepositoryManagerTest extends ManagerTestBase<Repository> {
 
     this.configuration = new ScmConfiguration();
 
-    NamespaceStrategy namespaceStrategy = mock(NamespaceStrategy.class);
     when(namespaceStrategy.createNamespace(Mockito.any(Repository.class))).thenAnswer(invocation -> mockedNamespace);
 
     return new DefaultRepositoryManager(configuration, contextProvider,