diff --git a/opennebula_api/serializers.py b/opennebula_api/serializers.py
index 20befbc7..622e2969 100644
--- a/opennebula_api/serializers.py
+++ b/opennebula_api/serializers.py
@@ -26,13 +26,18 @@ def strip_template_prefix(name):
     return name
 
 
-def template_name_from_vm_name(vm_name):
+def template_name_from_vm_name(vm_name, vm_id):
     """
-    VMs are named '<template name>-<vm id>' at creation time (see
+    VMs created by dynamicweb are named '<template name>-<vm id>' (see
     OpenNebulaManager.create_vm), so the template name can be recovered
-    from the VM name when the template itself has been deleted.
+    from the VM name when the template itself has been deleted. VMs that
+    were created or renamed outside dynamicweb do not follow that pattern
+    and are returned unchanged.
     """
-    return vm_name.rsplit('-', 1)[0]
+    suffix = '-%s' % vm_id
+    if vm_name.endswith(suffix):
+        return vm_name[:-len(suffix)]
+    return vm_name
 
 
 class VirtualMachineTemplateSerializer(serializers.Serializer):
@@ -188,13 +193,13 @@ class VirtualMachineSerializer(serializers.Serializer):
             logger.warning(
                 "VM %s: %s, falling back to VM name" % (obj.id, err)
             )
-            name = template_name_from_vm_name(obj.name)
+            name = template_name_from_vm_name(obj.name, obj.id)
         except ConnectionRefusedError:
             logger.error(
                 "VM %s: could not fetch template pool, falling back to "
                 "VM name" % obj.id
             )
-            name = template_name_from_vm_name(obj.name)
+            name = template_name_from_vm_name(obj.name, obj.id)
         return strip_template_prefix(name)
 
     def get_ipv4(self, obj):
diff --git a/opennebula_api/tests.py b/opennebula_api/tests.py
index fbb2e749..e342688a 100644
--- a/opennebula_api/tests.py
+++ b/opennebula_api/tests.py
@@ -173,10 +173,19 @@ class TemplateNameHelpersTestCase(TestCase):
 
     def test_template_name_from_vm_name(self):
         self.assertEqual(
-            template_name_from_vm_name('public-Ubuntu 20.10-26623'),
+            template_name_from_vm_name('public-Ubuntu 20.10-26623', 26623),
             'public-Ubuntu 20.10'
         )
 
+    def test_template_name_from_vm_name_keeps_custom_names(self):
+        # VMs created or renamed outside dynamicweb
+        self.assertEqual(template_name_from_vm_name('gitea', 27001), 'gitea')
+        self.assertEqual(
+            template_name_from_vm_name('ipv6only-Alpine 3.15-27397-Jonas',
+                                       27397),
+            'ipv6only-Alpine 3.15-27397-Jonas'
+        )
+
 
 def _fake_vm(vm_id, name, template_id):
     vm = MagicMock()