diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/labels_select.js.coffee b/app/assets/javascripts/labels_select.js.coffee
index 285e15feffe..d77490cae4e 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/labels_select.js.coffee
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/labels_select.js.coffee
@@ -31,17 +31,16 @@ class @LabelsSelect
       issueURLSplit = issueUpdateURL.split('/') if issueUpdateURL?
       if issueUpdateURL
         labelHTMLTemplate = _.template(
-            '<% _.each(labels, function(label){ %>'+
-            '<a href="'+ 
-            ['',issueURLSplit[1], issueURLSplit[2],''].join('/') +
-            'issues?label_name=<%= label.title %>">'+
-            '<span class="label color-label" '+
-            'style="background-color: <%= label.color %>; '+
-            'color: #FFFFFF">'+
-            '<%= label.title %>'+
-            '</span>'+
-            '</a>'+
-            '<% }); %>');
+            '<% _.each(labels, function(label){ %>
+            <a href="
+            #{["",issueURLSplit[1], issueURLSplit[2],""].join("/")}
+            issues?label_name=<%= label.title %>">
+            <span class="label color-label" style="background-color: <%= label.color %>; color: #FFFFFF">
+            <%= label.title %>
+            </span>
+            </a>
+            <% }); %>'
+        );
         labelNoneHTMLTemplate = _.template('<div class="light">None</div>')
 
       if newLabelField.length and $dropdown.hasClass 'js-extra-options'
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/users_select.js.coffee b/app/assets/javascripts/users_select.js.coffee
index 2f6d365237b..cb3e16a6007 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/users_select.js.coffee
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/users_select.js.coffee
@@ -19,6 +19,27 @@ class @UsersSelect
       $value = $block.find('.value')
       $loading = $block.find('.block-loading').fadeOut()
 
+      noAssigneeTemplate = _.template(
+        '<% if (username) { %>
+        <a class="author_link " href="/u/<%= username %>">
+          <% if( avatar ) { %>
+          <img width="32" class="avatar avatar-inline s32" alt="" src="<%= avatar %>">
+          <% } %>
+          <span class="author"><%= name %></span>
+          <span class="username">
+            @<%= username %>
+          </span>
+        </a>
+          <% } else { %>
+        <span class="assign-yourself">
+          No assignee - 
+          <a href="#" class="js-assign-yourself">
+            assign yourself
+          </a>
+        </span>
+          <% } %>'
+      )
+
       $dropdown.glDropdown(
         data: (term, callback) =>
           @users term, (users) =>
@@ -100,21 +121,21 @@ class @UsersSelect
             ).done (data) ->
               $loading.fadeOut()
               $selectbox.hide()
-              href = $value
-                      .show()
-                      .find('.author')
-                      .text(data.assignee.name)
-                      .end()
-                      .find('.username')
-                      .text("@#{data.assignee.username}")
-                      .end()
-                      .find('a')
-                      .attr('href')
-              splitHref = href.split('/')
-              splitHref[splitHref.length - 1] = data.assignee.username
-              $value
-                .find('a')
-                .attr('href',splitHref.join('/'))
+              
+              if data.assignee
+                user =
+                  name: data.assignee.name
+                  username: data.assignee.username
+                  avatar: data.assignee.avatar.url
+              else
+                user =
+                  name: 'Unassigned'
+                  username: ''
+                  avatar: ''
+
+              $value.html(noAssigneeTemplate(user))
+              $value.find('a').attr('href')
+
         renderRow: (user) ->
           username = if user.username then "@#{user.username}" else ""
           avatar = if user.avatar_url then user.avatar_url else false
@@ -131,17 +152,25 @@ class @UsersSelect
             if avatar
               img = "<img src='#{avatar}' class='avatar avatar-inline' width='30' />"
 
-            "<li>
-              <a href='#' class='dropdown-menu-user-link #{selected}'>
-                #{img}
-                <strong class='dropdown-menu-user-full-name'>
-                  #{user.name}
-                </strong>
-                <span class='dropdown-menu-user-username'>
-                  #{username}
-                </span>
-              </a>
-            </li>"
+          # split into three parts so we can remove the username section if nessesary
+          listWithName = "<li>
+            <a href='#' class='dropdown-menu-user-link #{selected}'>
+              #{img}
+              <strong class='dropdown-menu-user-full-name'>
+                #{user.name}
+              </strong>"
+
+          listWithUserName = "<span class='dropdown-menu-user-username'>
+                #{username}
+              </span>"
+          listClosingTags = "</a>
+          </li>"
+
+          
+          if username is ''
+            listWithUserName = ''
+
+          listWithName + listWithUserName + listClosingTags
       )
 
     $('.ajax-users-select').each (i, select) =>
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/issuable.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/issuable.scss
index 467df4c3653..70a8fc5a9e2 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/issuable.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/issuable.scss
@@ -133,6 +133,12 @@
 
     .value {
       line-height: 1;
+
+      .assign-yourself {
+        margin-top: 10px;
+        font-weight: normal;
+        display: block;
+      }
     }
 
     .bold {
diff --git a/app/views/shared/issuable/_sidebar.html.haml b/app/views/shared/issuable/_sidebar.html.haml
index fe6bb77fdcc..162c7787c55 100644
--- a/app/views/shared/issuable/_sidebar.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/shared/issuable/_sidebar.html.haml
@@ -44,11 +44,14 @@
               %span.username
                 = issuable.assignee.to_reference
           - else
-            .light None
+            %span.assign-yourself 
+              No assignee -
+              %a.js-assign-yourself{href:'#'}
+                assign yourself
 
         .selectbox.hide-collapsed
-          = f.hidden_field 'assignee_id', value: issuable.assignee_id, id: nil
-          = dropdown_tag('Select assignee', options: { toggle_class: 'js-user-search js-author-search', title: 'Assign user', filter: true, dropdown_class: 'dropdown-menu-user dropdown-menu-selectable dropdown-menu-author', placeholder: 'Search users', data: { first_user: (current_user.username if current_user), current_user: true, project_id: (@project.id if @project), field_name: "#{issuable.to_ability_name}[assignee_id]", issue_update: issuable_url, ability_name: issuable.to_ability_name } })
+          = f.hidden_field 'assignee_id', value: issuable.assignee_id, id: 'issue_assignee_id'
+          = dropdown_tag('Select assignee', options: { toggle_class: 'js-user-search js-author-search', title: 'Assign user', filter: true, dropdown_class: 'dropdown-menu-user dropdown-menu-selectable dropdown-menu-author', placeholder: 'Search users', data: { first_user: (current_user.username if current_user), current_user: true, project_id: (@project.id if @project), field_name: "#{issuable.to_ability_name}[assignee_id]", issue_update: issuable_url, ability_name: issuable.to_ability_name, null_user: true } })
 
       .block.milestone
         .sidebar-collapsed-icon