diff --git a/app/models/work_package/exports/macros/attributes.rb b/app/models/work_package/exports/macros/attributes.rb
index fa979b5e4d51..4885c9ad355d 100644
--- a/app/models/work_package/exports/macros/attributes.rb
+++ b/app/models/work_package/exports/macros/attributes.rb
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ def self.resolve_project_match(id, type, attribute, user)
         return msg_macro_error(I18n.t("export.macro.model_not_found", model: type)) unless type == "value"
 
         project = Project.visible(user).find_by(id:)
+        project = Project.visible(user).find_by(identifier: id) if project.nil?
         if project.nil?
           return msg_macro_error(I18n.t("export.macro.resource_not_found", resource: "#{Project.name} #{id}"))
         end
diff --git a/app/models/work_package/pdf_export/markdown_field.rb b/app/models/work_package/pdf_export/markdown_field.rb
index b478d14278ab..f5d45baa1dd5 100644
--- a/app/models/work_package/pdf_export/markdown_field.rb
+++ b/app/models/work_package/pdf_export/markdown_field.rb
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@ def apply_macros(markdown, work_package, formatter)
     document = Markly.parse(markdown)
     document.walk do |node|
       if node.type == :html
-        node.string_content = apply_macro_html(node.string_content, work_package, formatter)
+        node.string_content = apply_macro_html(node.string_content, work_package, formatter) || node.string_content
       elsif node.type == :text
-        node.string_content = apply_macro_text(node.string_content, work_package, formatter)
+        node.string_content = apply_macro_text(node.string_content, work_package, formatter) || node.string_content
       end
     end
     document.to_markdown
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ def apply_macro_text(text, work_package, formatter)
   end
 
   def apply_macro_html(html, work_package, formatter)
+    return html unless formatter.applicable?(html)
+
     doc = Nokogiri::HTML.fragment(html)
     apply_macro_html_node(doc, work_package, formatter)
     doc.to_html
diff --git a/spec/models/work_packages/pdf_export/work_package_to_pdf_spec.rb b/spec/models/work_packages/pdf_export/work_package_to_pdf_spec.rb
index 9a703b1fb544..6078c2c63782 100644
--- a/spec/models/work_packages/pdf_export/work_package_to_pdf_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/work_packages/pdf_export/work_package_to_pdf_spec.rb
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@
            name: "Forbidden project",
            types: [type],
            id: 666,
+           identifier: "forbidden-project",
            public: false,
            status_code: "on_track",
            active: true,
@@ -370,10 +371,15 @@ def get_column_value(column_name)
             projectLabel:status
             ```
 
+            Project by identifier:
+            projectValue:"#{project.identifier}":active
+
             Project not found:
             projectValue:1234567890:active
             Access denied:
             projectValue:#{forbidden_project.id}:active
+            Access denied by identifier:
+            projectValue:"#{forbidden_project.identifier}":active
         DESCRIPTION
       end
       it "contains resolved attributes and labels" do
@@ -397,14 +403,16 @@ def get_column_value(column_name)
 
           "1", export_time_formatted, project.name,
 
+          "Project by identifier:", " ", I18n.t(:general_text_Yes),
           "Project not found:  ",
           "[#{I18n.t('export.macro.error', message:
             I18n.t('export.macro.resource_not_found', resource: "Project 1234567890"))}]  ",
           "Access denied:  ",
           "[#{I18n.t('export.macro.error', message:
-            I18n.t('export.macro.resource_not_found', resource: "Project #{forbidden_project.id}"))}]",
+            I18n.t('export.macro.resource_not_found', resource: "Project #{forbidden_project.id}"))}]  ",
+          "Access denied by identifier:", " ", "[Macro error, resource not found: Project", "forbidden-project]",
 
-           "2", export_time_formatted, project.name,
+          "2", export_time_formatted, project.name,
         ].flatten
         expect(result.join(" ")).to eq(expected_result.join(" "))
       end