diff --git a/.rubocop_todo.yml b/.rubocop_todo.yml
index d084ee0c8a7..bd997da77ba 100644
--- a/.rubocop_todo.yml
+++ b/.rubocop_todo.yml
@@ -609,6 +609,7 @@ Rails/OutputSafety:
     - 'src/api/app/helpers/webui/package_helper.rb'
     - 'src/api/app/helpers/webui/project_helper.rb'
     - 'src/api/app/helpers/webui/webui_helper.rb'
+    - 'src/api/app/helpers/webui/request_helper.rb'
 
 # Offense count: 136
 # Cop supports --auto-correct.
diff --git a/src/api/app/helpers/webui/request_helper.rb b/src/api/app/helpers/webui/request_helper.rb
index ea6e81172a6..5ded99839bf 100644
--- a/src/api/app/helpers/webui/request_helper.rb
+++ b/src/api/app/helpers/webui/request_helper.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ def request_state_color(state)
     STATE_COLORS[state.to_s] || ''
   end
 
+  def new_or_update_request(row)
+    if row.target_package_id
+      row.request_type
+    else
+      "#{row.request_type} <small>(new package)</small>".html_safe
+    end
+  end
+
   def merge_opt(res, opt, value)
     res[opt] ||= value
     res[opt] = :multiple if value != res[opt]
@@ -29,6 +37,7 @@ def common_parts(req)
         merge_opt(res, :target_package, ae.target_package)
         merge_opt(res, :target_project, ae.target_project)
         merge_opt(res, :request_type, ae.action_type)
+        res[:target_package_id] ||= ae.target_package_id
       end
 
       res[:request_type] = map_request_type(res[:request_type])
diff --git a/src/api/app/models/bs_request/data_table/row.rb b/src/api/app/models/bs_request/data_table/row.rb
index 228e822da8b..a2a4edd11b9 100644
--- a/src/api/app/models/bs_request/data_table/row.rb
+++ b/src/api/app/models/bs_request/data_table/row.rb
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ def request_type
         cache[:request_type]
       end
 
+      def target_package_id
+        cache[:target_package_id]
+      end
+
       def target_project
         cache[:target_project]
       end
diff --git a/src/api/app/views/webui/shared/bs_requests/index.json.erb b/src/api/app/views/webui/shared/bs_requests/index.json.erb
index 614da11d280..b621bc172b9 100644
--- a/src/api/app/views/webui/shared/bs_requests/index.json.erb
+++ b/src/api/app/views/webui/shared/bs_requests/index.json.erb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
           "<%= escape_javascript(project_or_package_link(project: row.source_project, package: row.source_package, creator: row.creator, trim_to: 40, short: true)) %>",
           "<%= escape_javascript(target_project_link(row)) %>",
           "<%= escape_javascript(user_with_realname_and_icon(row.creator, short: true)) %>",
-          "<%= escape_javascript(row.request_type) %>",
+          "<%= escape_javascript(new_or_update_request(row)) %>",
           "<%= escape_javascript(row.priority) %>",
           "<%= escape_javascript(link_to(sprite_tag('req-showdiff', title: "Show request ##{row.number}"), request_show_path(row.number), { class: :request_link })) %>"
         <% end %>
diff --git a/src/api/spec/helpers/webui/request_helper_spec.rb b/src/api/spec/helpers/webui/request_helper_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3325de1d540
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/api/spec/helpers/webui/request_helper_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+require 'rails_helper'
+
+RSpec.describe Webui::RequestHelper do
+
+  describe '#new_or_update' do
+    context 'for a new package' do
+      let(:request) { create(:bs_request) }
+      let(:row) { BsRequest::DataTable::Row .new(request) }
+
+      it { expect(new_or_update_request(row)).to eq("BsRequestAction <small>(new package)</small>") }
+      it { expect(new_or_update_request(row)).to be_a(ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer) }
+    end
+
+    context 'for an existing package' do
+      let(:target_package) { create(:package) }
+      let(:target_project) { target_package.project }
+      let(:source_package) { create(:package) }
+      let(:source_project) { source_package.project }
+      let(:bs_request_with_submit_action) do
+        create(:bs_request_with_submit_action,
+               target_project: target_project,
+               target_package: target_package,
+               source_project: source_project,
+               source_package: source_package
+              )
+      end
+      let(:row) { BsRequest::DataTable::Row .new(bs_request_with_submit_action) }
+
+      it { expect(new_or_update_request(row)).to eq("submit") }
+    end
+  end
+end