diff --git a/taiga/permissions/service.py b/taiga/permissions/service.py
index 3ee86821..d9df5bd7 100644
--- a/taiga/permissions/service.py
+++ b/taiga/permissions/service.py
@@ -105,10 +105,15 @@ def get_user_project_permissions(user, project):
     return set(owner_permissions + members_permissions + public_permissions + anon_permissions)
 
 
-def set_base_permissions_for_public_project(project):
-    """
-    If a project is public anonymous and registered users should have at least visualization permissions
-    """
-    anon_permissions = list(map(lambda perm: perm[0], ANON_PERMISSIONS))
-    project.anon_permissions = list(set(project.anon_permissions + anon_permissions))
-    project.public_permissions = list(set(project.public_permissions + anon_permissions))
+def set_base_permissions_for_project(project):
+    if project.is_private:
+        project.anon_permissions = []
+        project.public_permissions = []
+
+    else:
+        """
+        If a project is public anonymous and registered users should have at least visualization permissions
+        """
+        anon_permissions = list(map(lambda perm: perm[0], ANON_PERMISSIONS))
+        project.anon_permissions = list(set(project.anon_permissions + anon_permissions))
+        project.public_permissions = list(set(project.public_permissions + anon_permissions))
diff --git a/taiga/projects/api.py b/taiga/projects/api.py
index 3f64ba8e..92ce7e28 100644
--- a/taiga/projects/api.py
+++ b/taiga/projects/api.py
@@ -168,6 +168,20 @@ class ProjectViewSet(ModelCrudViewSet):
         services.remove_user_from_project(request.user, project)
         return response.Ok()
 
+    def _set_base_permissions(self, obj):
+        update_permissions = False
+        if not obj.id:
+            if not obj.is_private:
+                # Creating a public project
+                update_permissions = True
+        else:
+            if self.get_object().is_private != obj.is_private:
+                # Changing project public state
+                update_permissions = True
+
+        if update_permissions:
+            permissions_service.set_base_permissions_for_project(obj)
+
     def pre_save(self, obj):
         if not obj.id:
             obj.owner = self.request.user
@@ -176,10 +190,7 @@ class ProjectViewSet(ModelCrudViewSet):
         if not obj.id:
             obj.template = self.request.QUERY_PARAMS.get('template', None)
 
-        # Update anon permissions if the project is public
-        if obj.is_private == False:
-            permissions_service.set_base_permissions_for_public_project(obj)
-
+        self._set_base_permissions(obj)
         super().pre_save(obj)
 
     def destroy(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/taiga/projects/migrations/0017_fix_is_private_for_projects.py b/taiga/projects/migrations/0017_fix_is_private_for_projects.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c94e6a63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/taiga/projects/migrations/0017_fix_is_private_for_projects.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+from django.db import models, migrations
+
+def update_existing_projects(apps, schema_editor):
+    Project = apps.get_model("projects", "Project")
+    Project.objects.filter(is_private=False).update(is_private=True)
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('projects', '0016_fix_json_field_not_null'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name='project',
+            name='is_private',
+            field=models.BooleanField(verbose_name='is private', default=True),
+            preserve_default=True,
+        ),
+        migrations.RunPython(update_existing_projects),
+    ]
diff --git a/taiga/projects/models.py b/taiga/projects/models.py
index 7912ceab..05551d92 100644
--- a/taiga/projects/models.py
+++ b/taiga/projects/models.py
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ class Project(ProjectDefaults, TaggedMixin, models.Model):
                                         default=[],
                                         verbose_name=_("user permissions"),
                                         choices=USER_PERMISSIONS)
-    is_private = models.BooleanField(default=False, null=False, blank=True,
+    is_private = models.BooleanField(default=True, null=False, blank=True,
                                      verbose_name=_("is private"))
 
     tags_colors = TextArrayField(dimension=2, null=False, blank=True, verbose_name=_("tags colors"), default=[])