diff --git a/doc/org.texi b/doc/org.texi
index ae7f1308b..a14917cac 100644
--- a/doc/org.texi
+++ b/doc/org.texi
@@ -5446,7 +5446,7 @@ CLOCKSUM_T   @r{The sum of CLOCK intervals in the subtree for today.}
 CLOSED       @r{When was this entry closed?}
 DEADLINE     @r{The deadline time string, without the angular brackets.}
 FILE         @r{The filename the entry is located in.}
-ITEM         @r{The headline of the entry, with stars.}
+ITEM         @r{The headline of the entry.}
 PRIORITY     @r{The priority of the entry, a string with a single letter.}
 SCHEDULED    @r{The scheduling timestamp, without the angular brackets.}
 TAGS         @r{The tags defined directly in the headline.}
diff --git a/etc/ORG-NEWS b/etc/ORG-NEWS
index 9a833ae70..53fd34d1b 100644
--- a/etc/ORG-NEWS
+++ b/etc/ORG-NEWS
@@ -289,13 +289,13 @@ to the article's original group.
 
 *** ~org-babel-check-confirm-evaluate~ is now a function instead of a macro
 The calling convention has changed.
-
 *** HTML export table row customization changes
 Variable ~org-html-table-row-tags~ has been split into
 ~org-html-table-row-open-tag~ and ~org-html-table-row-close-tag~.
 Both new variables can be either a string or a function which will be
 called with 6 parameters.
 
+*** =ITEM= special property returns headline without stars
 * Version 8.3
 
 ** Incompatible changes
diff --git a/lisp/org-colview.el b/lisp/org-colview.el
index 732cb6ccb..2b1a5c4c7 100644
--- a/lisp/org-colview.el
+++ b/lisp/org-colview.el
@@ -162,7 +162,8 @@ This is the compiled version of the format.")
   (interactive)
   (save-excursion
     (beginning-of-line)
-    (let* ((level-face (and (looking-at "\\(\\**\\)\\(\\* \\)")
+    (let* ((level (org-current-level))
+	   (level-face (and (looking-at "\\(\\**\\)\\(\\* \\)")
 			    (org-get-level-face 2)))
 	   (ref-face (or level-face
 			 (and (eq major-mode 'org-agenda-mode)
@@ -211,7 +212,10 @@ This is the compiled version of the format.")
 		 ((functionp org-columns-modify-value-for-display-function)
 		  (funcall org-columns-modify-value-for-display-function
 			   title val))
-		 ((equal property "ITEM") (org-columns-compact-links val))
+		 ((equal property "ITEM")
+		  (concat (make-string level ?*)
+			  " "
+			  (org-columns-compact-links val)))
 		 (fc (org-columns-number-to-string
 		      (org-columns-string-to-number val fm) fm fc))
 		 ((and calc (functionp calc)
diff --git a/lisp/org.el b/lisp/org.el
index 9c6f5d084..5a6c74e71 100644
--- a/lisp/org.el
+++ b/lisp/org.el
@@ -15622,11 +15622,10 @@ strings."
 	    (when (or (not specific) (string= specific "ITEM"))
 	      (when (looking-at org-complex-heading-regexp)
 		(push (cons "ITEM"
-			    (concat
-			     (org-match-string-no-properties 1)
-			     (let ((title (org-match-string-no-properties 4)))
-			       (when (org-string-nw-p title)
-				 (concat " " (org-remove-tabs title))))))
+			    (let ((title (match-string-no-properties 4)))
+			      (if (org-string-nw-p title)
+				  (org-remove-tabs title)
+				"")))
 		      props))
 	      (when specific (throw 'exit props)))
 	    (when (or (not specific) (string= specific "TODO"))
diff --git a/testing/lisp/test-org.el b/testing/lisp/test-org.el
index 9edc9e0b7..b0b7539f9 100644
--- a/testing/lisp/test-org.el
+++ b/testing/lisp/test-org.el
@@ -3622,11 +3622,11 @@ Paragraph<point>"
   "Test `org-entry-properties' specifications."
   ;; Get "ITEM" property.
   (should
-   (equal "* H"
+   (equal "H"
 	  (org-test-with-temp-text "* TODO H"
 	    (cdr (assoc "ITEM" (org-entry-properties nil "ITEM"))))))
   (should
-   (equal "* H"
+   (equal "H"
 	  (org-test-with-temp-text "* TODO H"
 	    (cdr (assoc "ITEM" (org-entry-properties))))))
   ;; Get "TODO" property.  TODO keywords are case sensitive.