diff --git a/modules/issue/template/template_test.go b/modules/issue/template/template_test.go
index 349dbeabb0..689a285b47 100644
--- a/modules/issue/template/template_test.go
+++ b/modules/issue/template/template_test.go
@@ -466,6 +466,7 @@ name: Name
 title: Title
 about: About
 labels: ["label1", "label2"]
+assignees: ["user1", "user2"]
 ref: Ref
 body:
   - type: markdown
@@ -523,11 +524,12 @@ body:
           visible: [form]
 `,
 			want: &api.IssueTemplate{
-				Name:   "Name",
-				Title:  "Title",
-				About:  "About",
-				Labels: []string{"label1", "label2"},
-				Ref:    "Ref",
+				Name:      "Name",
+				Title:     "Title",
+				About:     "About",
+				Labels:    []string{"label1", "label2"},
+				Assignees: []string{"user1", "user2"},
+				Ref:       "Ref",
 				Fields: []*api.IssueFormField{
 					{
 						Type: "markdown",
diff --git a/modules/structs/issue.go b/modules/structs/issue.go
index 3c06e38356..3682191be5 100644
--- a/modules/structs/issue.go
+++ b/modules/structs/issue.go
@@ -177,19 +177,20 @@ const (
 // IssueTemplate represents an issue template for a repository
 // swagger:model
 type IssueTemplate struct {
-	Name     string              `json:"name" yaml:"name"`
-	Title    string              `json:"title" yaml:"title"`
-	About    string              `json:"about" yaml:"about"` // Using "description" in a template file is compatible
-	Labels   IssueTemplateLabels `json:"labels" yaml:"labels"`
-	Ref      string              `json:"ref" yaml:"ref"`
-	Content  string              `json:"content" yaml:"-"`
-	Fields   []*IssueFormField   `json:"body" yaml:"body"`
-	FileName string              `json:"file_name" yaml:"-"`
+	Name      string                   `json:"name" yaml:"name"`
+	Title     string                   `json:"title" yaml:"title"`
+	About     string                   `json:"about" yaml:"about"` // Using "description" in a template file is compatible
+	Labels    IssueTemplateStringSlice `json:"labels" yaml:"labels"`
+	Assignees IssueTemplateStringSlice `json:"assignees" yaml:"assignees"`
+	Ref       string                   `json:"ref" yaml:"ref"`
+	Content   string                   `json:"content" yaml:"-"`
+	Fields    []*IssueFormField        `json:"body" yaml:"body"`
+	FileName  string                   `json:"file_name" yaml:"-"`
 }
 
-type IssueTemplateLabels []string
+type IssueTemplateStringSlice []string
 
-func (l *IssueTemplateLabels) UnmarshalYAML(value *yaml.Node) error {
+func (l *IssueTemplateStringSlice) UnmarshalYAML(value *yaml.Node) error {
 	var labels []string
 	if value.IsZero() {
 		*l = labels
@@ -217,7 +218,7 @@ func (l *IssueTemplateLabels) UnmarshalYAML(value *yaml.Node) error {
 		*l = labels
 		return nil
 	}
-	return fmt.Errorf("line %d: cannot unmarshal %s into IssueTemplateLabels", value.Line, value.ShortTag())
+	return fmt.Errorf("line %d: cannot unmarshal %s into IssueTemplateStringSlice", value.Line, value.ShortTag())
 }
 
 type IssueConfigContactLink struct {
diff --git a/modules/structs/issue_test.go b/modules/structs/issue_test.go
index fa7a20db8b..55bd01df49 100644
--- a/modules/structs/issue_test.go
+++ b/modules/structs/issue_test.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func TestIssueTemplate_Type(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestIssueTemplateLabels_UnmarshalYAML(t *testing.T) {
+func TestIssueTemplateStringSlice_UnmarshalYAML(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name    string
 		content string
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ labels:
   b: bb
 `,
 			tmpl:    &IssueTemplate{},
-			wantErr: "line 3: cannot unmarshal !!map into IssueTemplateLabels",
+			wantErr: "line 3: cannot unmarshal !!map into IssueTemplateStringSlice",
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
diff --git a/routers/web/repo/issue.go b/routers/web/repo/issue.go
index 691de94290..856e2f7392 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/issue.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/issue.go
@@ -939,12 +939,23 @@ func setTemplateIfExists(ctx *context.Context, ctxDataKey string, possibleFiles
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		selectedAssigneeIDs := make([]int64, 0, len(template.Assignees))
+		selectedAssigneeIDStrings := make([]string, 0, len(template.Assignees))
+		if userIDs, err := user_model.GetUserIDsByNames(ctx, template.Assignees, false); err == nil {
+			for _, userID := range userIDs {
+				selectedAssigneeIDs = append(selectedAssigneeIDs, userID)
+				selectedAssigneeIDStrings = append(selectedAssigneeIDStrings, strconv.FormatInt(userID, 10))
+			}
+		}
 
 		if template.Ref != "" && !strings.HasPrefix(template.Ref, "refs/") { // Assume that the ref intended is always a branch - for tags users should use refs/tags/<ref>
 			template.Ref = git.BranchPrefix + template.Ref
 		}
 		ctx.Data["HasSelectedLabel"] = len(labelIDs) > 0
 		ctx.Data["label_ids"] = strings.Join(labelIDs, ",")
+		ctx.Data["HasSelectedAssignee"] = len(selectedAssigneeIDs) > 0
+		ctx.Data["assignee_ids"] = strings.Join(selectedAssigneeIDStrings, ",")
+		ctx.Data["SelectedAssigneeIDs"] = selectedAssigneeIDs
 		ctx.Data["Reference"] = template.Ref
 		ctx.Data["RefEndName"] = git.RefName(template.Ref).ShortName()
 		return true, templateErrs
diff --git a/templates/repo/issue/new_form.tmpl b/templates/repo/issue/new_form.tmpl
index 88a6c39e52..e56d1b9ecc 100644
--- a/templates/repo/issue/new_form.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/issue/new_form.tmpl
@@ -155,8 +155,8 @@
 					</div>
 					<div class="no-select item">{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.issues.new.clear_assignees"}}</div>
 					{{range .Assignees}}
-						<a class="item muted" href="#" data-id="{{.ID}}" data-id-selector="#assignee_{{.ID}}">
-							<span class="octicon-check tw-invisible">{{svg "octicon-check"}}</span>
+						<a class="{{if SliceUtils.Contains $.SelectedAssigneeIDs .ID}}checked{{end}} item muted" href="#" data-id="{{.ID}}" data-id-selector="#assignee_{{.ID}}">
+							<span class="octicon-check {{if not (SliceUtils.Contains $.SelectedAssigneeIDs .ID)}}tw-invisible{{end}}">{{svg "octicon-check"}}</span>
 							<span class="text">
 								{{ctx.AvatarUtils.Avatar . 28 "tw-mr-2"}}{{template "repo/search_name" .}}
 							</span>
@@ -165,12 +165,12 @@
 				</div>
 			</div>
 			<div class="ui assignees list">
-				<span class="no-select item {{if .HasSelectedLabel}}tw-hidden{{end}}">
+				<span class="no-select item {{if .HasSelectedAssignee}}tw-hidden{{end}}">
 					{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.issues.new.no_assignees"}}
 				</span>
 				<div class="selected">
 				{{range .Assignees}}
-					<a class="item tw-p-1 muted tw-hidden" id="assignee_{{.ID}}" href="{{$.RepoLink}}/issues?assignee={{.ID}}">
+					<a class="item tw-p-1 muted {{if not (SliceUtils.Contains $.SelectedAssigneeIDs .ID)}}tw-hidden{{end}}" id="assignee_{{.ID}}" href="{{$.RepoLink}}/issues?assignee={{.ID}}">
 						{{ctx.AvatarUtils.Avatar . 28 "tw-mr-2 tw-align-middle"}}{{.GetDisplayName}}
 					</a>
 				{{end}}
diff --git a/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl b/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
index 18ea4a62b5..52d3754737 100644
--- a/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
+++ b/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
@@ -22345,6 +22345,9 @@
           "type": "string",
           "x-go-name": "About"
         },
+        "assignees": {
+          "$ref": "#/definitions/IssueTemplateStringSlice"
+        },
         "body": {
           "type": "array",
           "items": {
@@ -22361,7 +22364,7 @@
           "x-go-name": "FileName"
         },
         "labels": {
-          "$ref": "#/definitions/IssueTemplateLabels"
+          "$ref": "#/definitions/IssueTemplateStringSlice"
         },
         "name": {
           "type": "string",
@@ -22378,7 +22381,7 @@
       },
       "x-go-package": "code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/structs"
     },
-    "IssueTemplateLabels": {
+    "IssueTemplateStringSlice": {
       "type": "array",
       "items": {
         "type": "string"