diff --git a/app/services/issues/move_service.rb b/app/services/issues/move_service.rb
index 45b4b50c0f6..892acc8c04d 100644
--- a/app/services/issues/move_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/issues/move_service.rb
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ module Issues
     end
 
     def unfold_references(content)
-      unfolder = Gitlab::Gfm::ReferenceUnfolder.new(content, @old_project)
+      unfolder = Gitlab::Gfm::ReferenceUnfolder.new(content, @old_project,
+                                                    @current_user)
       unfolder.unfold(@new_project)
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/gfm/reference_unfolder.rb b/lib/gitlab/gfm/reference_unfolder.rb
index cf8de88b856..94c09761960 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/gfm/reference_unfolder.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/gfm/reference_unfolder.rb
@@ -29,9 +29,10 @@ module Gitlab
     #  http://gitlab.com/some/link/#1234, and code `puts #1234`'
     #
     class ReferenceUnfolder
-      def initialize(text, project)
+      def initialize(text, project, user)
         @text = text
         @project = project
+        @user = user
         @original = markdown(text)
       end
 
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ module Gitlab
       def referables
         return @referables if @referables
 
-        extractor = Gitlab::ReferenceExtractor.new(@project)
+        extractor = Gitlab::ReferenceExtractor.new(@project, @user)
         extractor.analyze(@text)
         @referables = extractor.all
       end
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/gfm/reference_unfolder_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/gfm/reference_unfolder_spec.rb
index 40cdb7e1452..2e3b77d9180 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/gfm/reference_unfolder_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/gfm/reference_unfolder_spec.rb
@@ -4,9 +4,14 @@ describe Gitlab::Gfm::ReferenceUnfolder do
   let(:text) { 'some text' }
   let(:old_project) { create(:project) }
   let(:new_project) { create(:project) }
+  let(:user) { create(:user) }
+
+  before { old_project.team << [user, :guest] }
 
   describe '#unfold' do
-    subject { described_class.new(text, old_project).unfold(new_project) }
+    subject do
+      described_class.new(text, old_project, user).unfold(new_project)
+    end
 
     context 'multiple issues and merge requests referenced' do
       let!(:issue_first) { create(:issue, project: old_project) }
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/reference_extractor_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/reference_extractor_spec.rb
index f2922160331..7c617723e6d 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/reference_extractor_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/reference_extractor_spec.rb
@@ -130,7 +130,10 @@ describe Gitlab::ReferenceExtractor, lib: true do
     let(:label) { create(:label, project: project) }
     let(:text) { "Ref. #{issue.to_reference} and #{label.to_reference}" }
 
-    before { subject.analyze(text) }
+    before do
+      project.team << [project.creator, :developer]
+      subject.analyze(text)
+    end
 
     it 'returns all referables' do
       expect(subject.all).to match_array([issue, label])