diff --git a/models/issues/issue_project.go b/models/issues/issue_project.go
index 616bcc753e..7db08bdcfe 100644
--- a/models/issues/issue_project.go
+++ b/models/issues/issue_project.go
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ func IssueAssignOrRemoveProject(ctx context.Context, issue *Issue, doer *user_mo
 				}
 				newColumnID = newDefaultColumn.ID
 			}
-			if !newProject.CanBeAccessedByOwnerRepo(issue.Repo.OwnerID, issue.Repo.ID) {
+			if !newProject.CanBeAccessedByOwnerRepo(issue.Repo.OwnerID, issue.Repo) {
 				return util.NewPermissionDeniedErrorf("issue %d can't be accessed by project %d", issue.ID, newProject.ID)
 			}
 		}
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func IssueAssignOrRemoveProject(ctx context.Context, issue *Issue, doer *user_mo
 			MaxSorting int64
 			IssueCount int64
 		}{}
-		if _, err := db.GetEngine(ctx).Select("max(sorting) as MaxSorting, count(*) as IssueCount").Table("project_issue").
+		if _, err := db.GetEngine(ctx).Select("max(sorting) as max_sorting, count(*) as issue_count").Table("project_issue").
 			Where("project_id=?", newProjectID).
 			And("project_board_id=?", newColumnID).
 			Get(&res); err != nil {
diff --git a/models/project/board.go b/models/project/board.go
index 7cddd823d2..a52baa0c18 100644
--- a/models/project/board.go
+++ b/models/project/board.go
@@ -176,14 +176,14 @@ func NewBoard(ctx context.Context, board *Board) error {
 		MaxSorting  int64
 		ColumnCount int64
 	}{}
-	if _, err := db.GetEngine(ctx).Select("max(sorting) as MaxSorting, count(*) as ColumnCount").Table("project_board").
+	if _, err := db.GetEngine(ctx).Select("max(sorting) as max_sorting, count(*) as column_count").Table("project_board").
 		Where("project_id=?", board.ProjectID).Get(&res); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	if res.ColumnCount >= maxProjectColumns {
 		return fmt.Errorf("NewBoard: maximum number of columns reached")
 	}
-	board.Sorting = int8(util.Iif(res.MaxSorting > 0, res.MaxSorting+1, 0))
+	board.Sorting = int8(util.Iif(res.ColumnCount > 0, res.MaxSorting+1, 0))
 	_, err := db.GetEngine(ctx).Insert(board)
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/models/project/board_test.go b/models/project/board_test.go
index 758611a4c3..da922ff7ad 100644
--- a/models/project/board_test.go
+++ b/models/project/board_test.go
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@ func Test_MoveColumnsOnProject(t *testing.T) {
 	columns, err := project1.GetBoards(db.DefaultContext)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Len(t, columns, 3)
-	assert.EqualValues(t, 0, columns[0].Sorting)
-	assert.EqualValues(t, 1, columns[1].Sorting)
-	assert.EqualValues(t, 2, columns[2].Sorting)
+	assert.EqualValues(t, 0, columns[0].Sorting) // even if there is no default sorting, the code should also work
+	assert.EqualValues(t, 0, columns[1].Sorting)
+	assert.EqualValues(t, 0, columns[2].Sorting)
 
 	err = MoveColumnsOnProject(db.DefaultContext, project1, map[int64]int64{
 		0: columns[1].ID,
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ func Test_MoveColumnsOnProject(t *testing.T) {
 
 	columnsAfter, err := project1.GetBoards(db.DefaultContext)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Len(t, columns, 3)
+	assert.Len(t, columnsAfter, 3)
 	assert.EqualValues(t, columns[1].ID, columnsAfter[0].ID)
 	assert.EqualValues(t, columns[2].ID, columnsAfter[1].ID)
 	assert.EqualValues(t, columns[0].ID, columnsAfter[2].ID)
diff --git a/models/project/project.go b/models/project/project.go
index a1cdf56eff..8be38694c5 100644
--- a/models/project/project.go
+++ b/models/project/project.go
@@ -161,9 +161,9 @@ func (p *Project) IsRepositoryProject() bool {
 	return p.Type == TypeRepository
 }
 
-func (p *Project) CanBeAccessedByOwnerRepo(ownerID, repoID int64) bool {
+func (p *Project) CanBeAccessedByOwnerRepo(ownerID int64, repo *repo_model.Repository) bool {
 	if p.Type == TypeRepository {
-		return p.RepoID == repoID // if a project belongs to a repository, then its OwnerID is 0 and can be ignored
+		return repo != nil && p.RepoID == repo.ID // if a project belongs to a repository, then its OwnerID is 0 and can be ignored
 	}
 	return p.OwnerID == ownerID && p.RepoID == 0
 }
diff --git a/routers/web/shared/project/column.go b/routers/web/shared/project/column.go
index f20f8b3b19..599842ea9e 100644
--- a/routers/web/shared/project/column.go
+++ b/routers/web/shared/project/column.go
@@ -16,12 +16,8 @@ func MoveColumns(ctx *context.Context) {
 		ctx.NotFoundOrServerError("GetProjectByID", project_model.IsErrProjectNotExist, err)
 		return
 	}
-	if project.OwnerID > 0 && project.OwnerID != ctx.ContextUser.ID {
-		ctx.NotFound("InvalidOwnerID", nil)
-		return
-	}
-	if project.RepoID > 0 && project.RepoID != ctx.Repo.Repository.ID {
-		ctx.NotFound("InvalidRepoID", nil)
+	if !project.CanBeAccessedByOwnerRepo(ctx.ContextUser.ID, ctx.Repo.Repository) {
+		ctx.NotFound("CanBeAccessedByOwnerRepo", nil)
 		return
 	}