diff --git a/platform-api/che-core-api-factory/src/main/java/org/eclipse/che/api/factory/FactoryBaseValidator.java b/platform-api/che-core-api-factory/src/main/java/org/eclipse/che/api/factory/FactoryBaseValidator.java
index e9a6ad9d8..d171eb2c9 100644
--- a/platform-api/che-core-api-factory/src/main/java/org/eclipse/che/api/factory/FactoryBaseValidator.java
+++ b/platform-api/che-core-api-factory/src/main/java/org/eclipse/che/api/factory/FactoryBaseValidator.java
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ protected void validateProjectRunnerNames(Factory factory) throws BadRequestExce
         NewProject project = factory.getProject();
         if (project != null && project.getRunners() != null && project.getRunners().getConfigs() != null) {
             for (String runnerName : project.getRunners().getConfigs().keySet()) {
-                if (!RUNNER_NAME_VALIDATOR.matcher(runnerName).matches()) {
+                if (!runnerName.startsWith("system:") && !RUNNER_NAME_VALIDATOR.matcher(runnerName).matches()) {
                     throw new BadRequestException("Invalid runner name " + runnerName);
                 }
             }
diff --git a/platform-api/che-core-api-project/src/main/java/org/eclipse/che/api/project/server/ProjectService.java b/platform-api/che-core-api-project/src/main/java/org/eclipse/che/api/project/server/ProjectService.java
index 6723dc9a3..19b378c38 100644
--- a/platform-api/che-core-api-project/src/main/java/org/eclipse/che/api/project/server/ProjectService.java
+++ b/platform-api/che-core-api-project/src/main/java/org/eclipse/che/api/project/server/ProjectService.java
@@ -1572,7 +1572,7 @@ void checkProjectName(String name) throws BadRequestException {
     void checkProjectRunners(RunnersDescriptor runnersDescriptor) throws BadRequestException {
         if (runnersDescriptor != null && runnersDescriptor.getConfigs() != null && !runnersDescriptor.getConfigs().isEmpty()) {
             for (String runnerName : runnersDescriptor.getConfigs().keySet()) {
-                if (!RUNNER_NAME_VALIDATOR.matcher(runnerName).matches()) {
+                if (!runnerName.startsWith("system:") && !RUNNER_NAME_VALIDATOR.matcher(runnerName).matches()) {
                     throw new BadRequestException("Runner name " + runnerName + " is invalid");
                 }
             }
diff --git a/platform-api/che-core-api-project/src/test/java/org/eclipse/che/api/project/server/ProjectServiceTest.java b/platform-api/che-core-api-project/src/test/java/org/eclipse/che/api/project/server/ProjectServiceTest.java
index fe79dcf00..8abeabfaf 100644
--- a/platform-api/che-core-api-project/src/test/java/org/eclipse/che/api/project/server/ProjectServiceTest.java
+++ b/platform-api/che-core-api-project/src/test/java/org/eclipse/che/api/project/server/ProjectServiceTest.java
@@ -3036,6 +3036,16 @@ public void shouldThrowExceptionWhenProjectNameIsInvalid() throws Exception {
         projectService.checkProjectName("!#project-name#!");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void shouldNotThrowExceptionIfRunnerIsSystemScope() throws Exception {
+        RunnersDescriptor runnersDescriptor = mock(RunnersDescriptor.class);
+        ProjectService projectService = spy(new ProjectService());
+        RunnerConfiguration config = mock(RunnerConfiguration.class);
+        when(runnersDescriptor.getConfigs()).thenReturn(ImmutableMap.of("system:/javascript/web/simple", config));
+
+        projectService.checkProjectRunners(runnersDescriptor);
+    }
+
     @Test(expectedExceptions = BadRequestException.class, expectedExceptionsMessageRegExp = "Runner name !#runenr#! is invalid")
     public void shouldThrowExceptionWhenRunnerNameIsInvalid() throws Exception {
         RunnersDescriptor runnersDescriptor = mock(RunnersDescriptor.class);