diff --git a/app/services/projects/set_attributes_service.rb b/app/services/projects/set_attributes_service.rb
index 8d64bda46d..f462098a56 100644
--- a/app/services/projects/set_attributes_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/projects/set_attributes_service.rb
@@ -33,10 +33,7 @@ module Projects
     private
 
     def set_attributes(attributes)
-      # Delete the status attribute which gets set by representable
-      # IFF the status_code is given as null
-      attributes.delete(:status)
-      status_attributes = attributes.delete(:status_attributes) || {}
+      status_attributes = attributes.delete(:status) || {}
 
       ret = super(attributes)
 
diff --git a/lib/api/v3/projects/project_representer.rb b/lib/api/v3/projects/project_representer.rb
index 06a5396d54..6d83682be4 100644
--- a/lib/api/v3/projects/project_representer.rb
+++ b/lib/api/v3/projects/project_representer.rb
@@ -50,7 +50,10 @@ module API
           # Representable is broken when passing nil as parameters
           # it will set the property :status and :statusExplanation
           # regardless of what the setter actually does
-          super.except(:status, :statusExplanation)
+          super.tap do |result|
+            result.except!(:status, :statusExplanation)
+            result[:status] = result.delete(:status_attributes) if result.key?(:status_attributes)
+          end
         end
 
         link :createWorkPackage,