diff --git a/app/models/todo.rb b/app/models/todo.rb
index 4f34f9b8..9122afae 100644
--- a/app/models/todo.rb
+++ b/app/models/todo.rb
@@ -313,7 +313,9 @@ class Todo < ActiveRecord::Base
     if value.is_a? Context
       self.original_context=(value)
     else
-      self.original_context=(Context.create(value))
+      c = Context.find_by_name(value[:name])
+      c = Context.create(value) if c.nil?
+      self.original_context=(c)
     end
   end
 
@@ -326,8 +328,10 @@ class Todo < ActiveRecord::Base
   def project=(value)
     if value.is_a? Project
       self.original_project=(value)
-    elsif !value.nil?
-      self.original_project=(Project.create(value))
+    elsif !(value.nil? || value.is_a?(NullProject))
+      p = Project.find_by_name(value[:name])
+      p = Project.create(value) if p.nil?
+      self.original_project=(p)
     else
       self.original_project=value
     end
diff --git a/test/integration/todo_xml_api_test.rb b/test/integration/todo_xml_api_test.rb
index d1a41a16..bb25050d 100644
--- a/test/integration/todo_xml_api_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/todo_xml_api_test.rb
@@ -139,6 +139,24 @@ class TodoXmlApiTest < ActionController::IntegrationTest
     assert_equal todo.context.name, "@SomeNewContext"
   end
 
+  def test_post_create_todo_with_name_of_existing_context
+    authenticated_post_xml_to_todo_create "
+<todo>
+  <description>this will succeed 4</description>
+  <project_id>#{projects(:timemachine).id}</project_id>
+  <context>
+    <name>#{contexts(:office).name}</name>
+  </context>
+</todo>"
+
+    assert_response :success
+    todo = @user.todos.find_by_description("this will succeed 4")
+    assert_not_nil todo
+    assert_not_nil todo.context
+    assert_equal contexts(:office).name, todo.context.name
+  end
+
+
   def test_post_create_todo_with_new_project
     authenticated_post_xml_to_todo_create "
 <todo>
@@ -156,6 +174,24 @@ class TodoXmlApiTest < ActionController::IntegrationTest
     assert_equal todo.project.name, "Make even more money"
   end
 
+  def test_post_create_todo_with_name_of_existing_project
+    authenticated_post_xml_to_todo_create "
+<todo>
+  <description>this will succeed 5</description>
+  <context_id>#{contexts(:office).id}</context_id>
+  <project>
+    <name>#{projects(:timemachine).name}</name>
+  </project>
+</todo>"
+
+    assert_response :success
+    todo = @user.todos.find_by_description("this will succeed 5")
+    assert_not_nil todo
+    assert_not_nil todo.project
+    assert_equal projects(:timemachine).name, todo.project.name
+    assert 1, @user.projects.all(:conditions => ["projects.name = ?", projects(:timemachine).name]).count # no duplication of project
+  end
+
   def test_post_create_todo_with_wrong_project_and_context_id
     authenticated_post_xml_to_todo_create "
 <todo>