diff --git a/lib/types/application/ApplicationFormatter.js b/lib/types/application/ApplicationFormatter.js
index 433462035..24795bb77 100644
--- a/lib/types/application/ApplicationFormatter.js
+++ b/lib/types/application/ApplicationFormatter.js
@@ -20,12 +20,26 @@ class ApplicationFormatter extends AbstractFormatter {
 			};
 
 			return this.readManifest(project).then(function(manifest) {
-				if (!manifest["sap.app"] || !manifest["sap.app"].id) {
+				// check for a proper sap.app/id in manifest.json to determine namespace
+				const appId = manifest["sap.app"] && manifest["sap.app"].id;
+				if (!appId) {
 					log.warn(`No "sap.app" ID configuration found in manifest of project ${project.metadata.name}`);
 					return;
 				}
-				project.metadata.namespace = manifest["sap.app"].id.replace(/\./g, "/");
-			}).catch((err) => {
+				// check app id for placeholder and try to guess namespace from component controller
+				const parts = appId.match(/^\$\{(.*)\}$/);
+				if (parts) {
+					log.warn(`No valid "sap.app" ID found in manifest of project ${project.metadata.name}. Guessing from Component.js...`);
+					return this.readComponentController(project).then((code) => {
+						// use regex to determine namespace from component controller
+						const namespaceParts = code.match(/\.(?:\s+)?extend(?:\s+)?\((?:\s+)?["'](.*)\.Component["'](?:\s+)?,/);
+						if (namespaceParts) {
+							project.metadata.namespace = namespaceParts[1].replace(/\./g, "/");
+						}
+					});
+				}
+				project.metadata.namespace = appId.replace(/\./g, "/");
+			}.bind(this)).catch((err) => {
 				log.verbose(`No manifest found for project ${project.metadata.name}.`);
 			});
 		});
@@ -33,20 +47,33 @@ class ApplicationFormatter extends AbstractFormatter {
 
 	/**
 	 * Reads the manifest
-  *
+	 *
 	 * @param {Object} project
 	 * @returns {Promise<Object>} resolves with the json object
 	 */
 	readManifest(project) {
-		return readFile(path.join(project.path, project.resources.pathMappings["/"], "manifest.json"))
+		return readFile(path.join(project.path, project.resources.pathMappings["/"], "manifest.json"), "utf-8")
 			.then((file) => {
 				return JSON.parse(file);
 			});
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Reads the Component Controller
+	 *
+	 * @param {Object} project
+	 * @returns {Promise<Object>} resolves with the code of the Component Controller
+	 */
+	readComponentController(project) {
+		return readFile(path.join(project.path, project.resources.pathMappings["/"], "Component.js"), "utf-8")
+			.then((file) => {
+				return file;
+			});
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Validates a project
-  *
+	 *
 	 * @param {Object} project
 	 * @returns {Promise} resolves if successfully validated
 	 * @throws {Error} if validation fails
diff --git a/test/expected/build/application.h/dest/manifest.json b/test/expected/build/application.h/dest/manifest.json
index 0c7cbf74c..7de6072ce 100644
--- a/test/expected/build/application.h/dest/manifest.json
+++ b/test/expected/build/application.h/dest/manifest.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
     "_version": "1.1.0",
     "sap.app": {
         "_version": "1.1.0",
-        "id": "application.g",
+        "id": "${project.artifactId}",
         "type": "application",
         "applicationVersion": {
             "version": "1.2.2"
diff --git a/test/fixtures/application.h/webapp/manifest.json b/test/fixtures/application.h/webapp/manifest.json
index 0c7cbf74c..7de6072ce 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/application.h/webapp/manifest.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/application.h/webapp/manifest.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
     "_version": "1.1.0",
     "sap.app": {
         "_version": "1.1.0",
-        "id": "application.g",
+        "id": "${project.artifactId}",
         "type": "application",
         "applicationVersion": {
             "version": "1.2.2"
diff --git a/test/lib/types/application/ApplicationFormatter.js b/test/lib/types/application/ApplicationFormatter.js
index c9520b54d..1e07c2905 100644
--- a/test/lib/types/application/ApplicationFormatter.js
+++ b/test/lib/types/application/ApplicationFormatter.js
@@ -155,3 +155,35 @@ test("format: set namespace to id", async (t) => {
 	t.deepEqual(project.metadata.namespace, "my/id",
 		"namespace was successfully set since readManifest provides the correct object structure");
 });
+
+const applicationHPath = path.join(__dirname, "..", "..", "..", "fixtures", "application.h");
+const applicationHTree = {
+	id: "application.h",
+	version: "1.0.0",
+	path: applicationHPath,
+	dependencies: [],
+	_level: 0,
+	specVersion: "0.1",
+	type: "application",
+	metadata: {
+		name: "application.h"
+	},
+	resources: {
+		configuration: {
+			paths: {
+				webapp: "webapp"
+			}
+		}
+	}
+};
+
+
+test("namespace: detect namespace from component", async (t) => {
+	const myProject = clone(applicationHTree);
+	const applicationFormatter = new ApplicationFormatter();
+
+	await applicationFormatter.format(myProject);
+	t.deepEqual(myProject.metadata.namespace, "application/h",
+		"namespace was successfully set since readManifest provides the correct object structure");
+});
+