diff --git a/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini b/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini
index 411a585c81..92ca5be8d3 100644
--- a/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini
+++ b/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini
@@ -2152,6 +2152,7 @@ settings.choose_branch = Choose a branch…
 settings.no_protected_branch = There are no protected branches.
 settings.edit_protected_branch = Edit
 settings.protected_branch_required_rule_name = Required rule name
+settings.protected_branch_duplicate_rule_name = Duplicate rule name
 settings.protected_branch_required_approvals_min = Required approvals cannot be negative.
 settings.tags = Tags
 settings.tags.protection = Tag Protection
diff --git a/routers/web/repo/setting_protected_branch.go b/routers/web/repo/setting_protected_branch.go
index a54565c1f1..0a8c39fef0 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/setting_protected_branch.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/setting_protected_branch.go
@@ -166,10 +166,36 @@ func SettingsProtectedBranchPost(ctx *context.Context) {
 	}
 
 	var err error
-	protectBranch, err = git_model.GetProtectedBranchRuleByName(ctx, ctx.Repo.Repository.ID, f.RuleName)
-	if err != nil {
-		ctx.ServerError("GetProtectBranchOfRepoByName", err)
-		return
+	if f.RuleID > 0 {
+		// If the RuleID isn't 0, it must be an edit operation. So we get rule by id.
+		protectBranch, err = git_model.GetProtectedBranchRuleByID(ctx, ctx.Repo.Repository.ID, f.RuleID)
+		if err != nil {
+			ctx.ServerError("GetProtectBranchOfRepoByID", err)
+			return
+		}
+		if protectBranch != nil && protectBranch.RuleName != f.RuleName {
+			// RuleName changed. We need to check if there is a rule with the same name.
+			// If a rule with the same name exists, an error should be returned.
+			sameNameProtectBranch, err := git_model.GetProtectedBranchRuleByName(ctx, ctx.Repo.Repository.ID, f.RuleName)
+			if err != nil {
+				ctx.ServerError("GetProtectBranchOfRepoByName", err)
+				return
+			}
+			if sameNameProtectBranch != nil {
+				ctx.Flash.Error(ctx.Tr("repo.settings.protected_branch_duplicate_rule_name"))
+				ctx.Redirect(fmt.Sprintf("%s/settings/branches/edit?rule_name=%s", ctx.Repo.RepoLink, protectBranch.RuleName))
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	} else {
+		// FIXME: If a new ProtectBranch has a duplicate RuleName, an error should be returned.
+		// Currently, if a new ProtectBranch with a duplicate RuleName is created, the existing ProtectBranch will be updated.
+		// But we cannot modify this logic now because many unit tests rely on it.
+		protectBranch, err = git_model.GetProtectedBranchRuleByName(ctx, ctx.Repo.Repository.ID, f.RuleName)
+		if err != nil {
+			ctx.ServerError("GetProtectBranchOfRepoByName", err)
+			return
+		}
 	}
 	if protectBranch == nil {
 		// No options found, create defaults.
diff --git a/services/forms/repo_form.go b/services/forms/repo_form.go
index ff0916f8e1..374ae0ac5c 100644
--- a/services/forms/repo_form.go
+++ b/services/forms/repo_form.go
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ func (f *RepoSettingForm) Validate(req *http.Request, errs binding.Errors) bindi
 // ProtectBranchForm form for changing protected branch settings
 type ProtectBranchForm struct {
 	RuleName                      string `binding:"Required"`
+	RuleID                        int64
 	EnablePush                    string
 	WhitelistUsers                string
 	WhitelistTeams                string