diff --git a/app/models/member.rb b/app/models/member.rb
index 784c98098..5a0692a5d 100644
--- a/app/models/member.rb
+++ b/app/models/member.rb
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ class Member < ActiveRecord::Base
       project_ids = Array.wrap(attributes[:project_ids] || attributes[:project_id])
       role_ids = Array.wrap(attributes[:role_ids])
       project_ids.each do |project_id|
-        member = Member.find_or_new(project_id, principal)
+        member = Member.find_or_initialize_by(:project_id => project_id, :user_id => principal.id)
         member.role_ids |= role_ids
         member.save
         members << member
@@ -217,16 +217,6 @@ class Member < ActiveRecord::Base
     members
   end
 
-  # Finds or initializes a Member for the given project and principal
-  def self.find_or_new(project, principal)
-    project_id = project.is_a?(Project) ? project.id : project
-    principal_id = principal.is_a?(Principal) ? principal.id : principal
-
-    member = Member.find_by_project_id_and_user_id(project_id, principal_id)
-    member ||= Member.new(:project_id => project_id, :user_id => principal_id)
-    member
-  end
-
   protected
 
   def validate_role
diff --git a/app/models/project.rb b/app/models/project.rb
index 4e15b19c8..90ef0e2e9 100644
--- a/app/models/project.rb
+++ b/app/models/project.rb
@@ -1001,7 +1001,7 @@ class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
   def add_inherited_member_roles
     if inherit_members? && parent
       parent.memberships.each do |parent_member|
-        member = Member.find_or_new(self.id, parent_member.user_id)
+        member = Member.find_or_initialize_by(:project_id => self.id, :user_id => parent_member.user_id)
         parent_member.member_roles.each do |parent_member_role|
           member.member_roles <<
             MemberRole.new(:role => parent_member_role.role,
diff --git a/test/integration/api_test/issues_test.rb b/test/integration/api_test/issues_test.rb
index 64ac2d4c8..29b3390d2 100644
--- a/test/integration/api_test/issues_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/api_test/issues_test.rb
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ class Redmine::ApiTest::IssuesTest < Redmine::ApiTest::Base
     issue = Issue.find(1)
     assert_equal 1, issue.tracker_id  # Bug
     issue.update(:status_id => 2)     # Assigned
-    member = Member.find_or_new(issue.project, User.find_by_login('dlopper'))
+    member = Member.find_by(:project => issue.project, :user => User.find_by(:login => 'dlopper'))
     assert_equal [2], member.role_ids # Developer
 
     get '/issues/1.xml?include=allowed_statuses', :headers => credentials('dlopper', 'foo')