diff --git a/kallithea/controllers/pullrequests.py b/kallithea/controllers/pullrequests.py
--- a/kallithea/controllers/pullrequests.py
+++ b/kallithea/controllers/pullrequests.py
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ class PullrequestsController(BaseRepoCon
         org_repo_name = _form['org_repo']
         org_ref = _form['org_ref'] # will have merge_rev as rev but symbolic name
         org_repo = RepoModel()._get_repo(org_repo_name)
-        (_org_ref_type,
+        (org_ref_type,
          org_ref_name,
          org_rev) = org_ref.split(':')
 
@@ -392,7 +392,8 @@ class PullrequestsController(BaseRepoCon
 
         title = _form['pullrequest_title']
         if not title:
-            title = '%s#%s to %s#%s' % (org_repo_name, org_ref_name, other_repo_name, other_ref_name)
+            title = '%s#%s to %s#%s' % (org_repo_name, h.short_ref(org_ref_type, org_ref_name),
+                                        other_repo_name, h.short_ref(other_ref_type, other_ref_name))
         description = _form['pullrequest_desc'].strip() or _('No description')
         try:
             pull_request = PullRequestModel().create(
diff --git a/kallithea/lib/helpers.py b/kallithea/lib/helpers.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/helpers.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/helpers.py
@@ -1379,6 +1379,11 @@ def rst_w_mentions(source):
     return literal('<div class="rst-block">%s</div>' %
                    MarkupRenderer.rst_with_mentions(source))
 
+def short_ref(ref_type, ref_name):
+    if ref_type == 'rev':
+        return short_id(ref_name)
+    return ref_name
+
 def link_to_ref(repo_name, ref_type, ref_name, rev=None):
     """
     Return full markup for a href to changeset_home for a changeset.
@@ -1386,10 +1391,7 @@ def link_to_ref(repo_name, ref_type, ref
     ref_name is shortened if ref_type is 'rev'.
     if rev is specified show it too, explicitly linking to that revision.
     """
-    if ref_type == 'rev':
-        txt = short_id(ref_name)
-    else:
-        txt = ref_name
+    txt = short_ref(ref_type, ref_name)
     if ref_type == 'branch':
         u = url('changelog_home', repo_name=repo_name, branch=ref_name)
     else: