diff --git a/routers/api/v1/repo/release.go b/routers/api/v1/repo/release.go
index cacdcfefba..0f48c8427e 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/repo/release.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/repo/release.go
@@ -230,6 +230,10 @@ func CreateRelease(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 		ctx.Error(http.StatusUnprocessableEntity, "RepoIsEmpty", errors.New("repo is empty"))
 		return
 	}
+	title := form.Title
+	if len(title) == 0 {
+		title = form.TagName
+	}
 	rel, err := repo_model.GetRelease(ctx, ctx.Repo.Repository.ID, form.TagName)
 	if err != nil {
 		if !repo_model.IsErrReleaseNotExist(err) {
@@ -246,7 +250,7 @@ func CreateRelease(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 			Publisher:        ctx.Doer,
 			TagName:          form.TagName,
 			Target:           form.Target,
-			Title:            form.Title,
+			Title:            title,
 			Note:             form.Note,
 			IsDraft:          form.IsDraft,
 			IsPrerelease:     form.IsPrerelease,
@@ -272,7 +276,7 @@ func CreateRelease(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 			return
 		}
 
-		rel.Title = form.Title
+		rel.Title = title
 		rel.Note = form.Note
 		rel.IsDraft = form.IsDraft
 		rel.IsPrerelease = form.IsPrerelease
diff --git a/tests/integration/api_releases_test.go b/tests/integration/api_releases_test.go
index 133a290284..9f9ed1cf09 100644
--- a/tests/integration/api_releases_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/api_releases_test.go
@@ -497,6 +497,28 @@ func TestAPIReleaseMissingAsset(t *testing.T) {
 	MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusBadRequest)
 }
 
+func TestAPIReleaseMissingTitle(t *testing.T) {
+	defer tests.PrepareTestEnv(t)()
+
+	repo := unittest.AssertExistsAndLoadBean(t, &repo_model.Repository{ID: 1})
+	owner := unittest.AssertExistsAndLoadBean(t, &user_model.User{ID: repo.OwnerID})
+	session := loginUser(t, owner.LowerName)
+	token := getTokenForLoggedInUser(t, session, auth_model.AccessTokenScopeWriteRepository)
+
+	gitRepo, err := gitrepo.OpenRepository(git.DefaultContext, repo)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer gitRepo.Close()
+
+	err = gitRepo.CreateTag("v0.0.1", "master")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	target, err := gitRepo.GetTagCommitID("v0.0.1")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	r := createNewReleaseUsingAPI(t, token, owner, repo, target, "", "", "")
+	assert.Equal(t, r.Title, target)
+}
+
 func TestAPIReleaseGithubFormat(t *testing.T) {
 	defer tests.PrepareTestEnv(t)()