diff --git a/frontend/sw360-portlet/src/main/java/org/eclipse/sw360/portal/common/PortletUtils.java b/frontend/sw360-portlet/src/main/java/org/eclipse/sw360/portal/common/PortletUtils.java
index 3bda3e0655..77c03010bc 100644
--- a/frontend/sw360-portlet/src/main/java/org/eclipse/sw360/portal/common/PortletUtils.java
+++ b/frontend/sw360-portlet/src/main/java/org/eclipse/sw360/portal/common/PortletUtils.java
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@
 import javax.portlet.ResourceResponse;
 
 import java.util.*;
+import java.util.Map.Entry;
+import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
@@ -76,6 +78,16 @@ public class PortletUtils {
     private static final String TEMPLATE_FILE = "/welcomePageGuideline.html";
     private static final ObjectMapper objectMapper = new ObjectMapper();
     private static ChangeLogsPortletUtils changeLogsPortletUtils = null;
+    private static String EXTERNALID_BLOCKLIST_CLONING_RELEASE;
+    private static final String PROPERTIES_FILE_PATH = "/sw360.properties";
+    
+    static {
+        CommonUtils.loadProperties(PortletUtils.class, PROPERTIES_FILE_PATH);
+        Properties props = CommonUtils.loadProperties(PortletUtils.class, PROPERTIES_FILE_PATH);
+
+        EXTERNALID_BLOCKLIST_CLONING_RELEASE = props.getProperty("release.externalId.to.be.removed.while.cloning", "");
+    }
+
 
     private PortletUtils() {
         // Utility class with only static functions
@@ -289,6 +301,14 @@ public static Set<Attachment> updateAttachmentsFromRequest(PortletRequest reques
     public static Release cloneRelease(String emailFromRequest, Release release) {
 
         Release newRelease = release.deepCopy();
+        Map<String, String> extIdHmap = new ConcurrentHashMap<String, String>();
+        extIdHmap = release.getExternalIds();
+        for (Entry<String, String> names : extIdHmap.entrySet()) {
+            if (names.getKey() != null && names.getKey().equals(EXTERNALID_BLOCKLIST_CLONING_RELEASE)) {
+                extIdHmap.remove(names.getKey());
+            }
+        }
+        newRelease.setExternalIds(extIdHmap);
 
         //new DB object
         newRelease.unsetId();
diff --git a/frontend/sw360-portlet/src/main/java/org/eclipse/sw360/portal/portlets/components/ComponentPortlet.java b/frontend/sw360-portlet/src/main/java/org/eclipse/sw360/portal/portlets/components/ComponentPortlet.java
index 4d044eb8c0..97238c01a8 100644
--- a/frontend/sw360-portlet/src/main/java/org/eclipse/sw360/portal/portlets/components/ComponentPortlet.java
+++ b/frontend/sw360-portlet/src/main/java/org/eclipse/sw360/portal/portlets/components/ComponentPortlet.java
@@ -1077,6 +1077,7 @@ private void prepareReleaseDuplicate(RenderRequest request, RenderResponse respo
             request.setAttribute(RELEASE_LIST, Collections.emptyList());
             request.setAttribute(TOTAL_INACCESSIBLE_ROWS, 0);
             setUsingDocs(request, null, user, client);
+            release.unsetExternalIds();
             request.setAttribute(RELEASE, release);
             request.setAttribute(PortalConstants.ATTACHMENTS, Collections.emptySet());
 
diff --git a/frontend/sw360-portlet/src/main/resources/sw360.properties b/frontend/sw360-portlet/src/main/resources/sw360.properties
index e3cb00e685..76d7f914d3 100644
--- a/frontend/sw360-portlet/src/main/resources/sw360.properties
+++ b/frontend/sw360-portlet/src/main/resources/sw360.properties
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@
 #key.auth.givenname=GIVENNAME
 #key.auth.surname=SURNAME
 #key.auth.department=DEPARTMENT
+release.externalId.to.be.removed.while.cloning=
 
 ## OrganizationHelper
 #match.prefix=false