diff --git a/lib/openhab/dsl/items/builder.rb b/lib/openhab/dsl/items/builder.rb
index 89a6bd94f4..da4b008516 100644
--- a/lib/openhab/dsl/items/builder.rb
+++ b/lib/openhab/dsl/items/builder.rb
@@ -258,6 +258,8 @@ def normalize_tags(*tags)
         # @param tags [String, Symbol, Semantics::Tag, Array<String, Symbol, Semantics::Tag>, nil]
         #        Fluent alias for `tag`.
         # @param autoupdate [true, false, nil] Autoupdate setting (see {ItemBuilder#autoupdate})
+        # @param thing [String, Core::Things::Thing, Core::Things::ThingUID, nil]
+        #   A Thing to be used as the base for the channel
         # @param channel [String, Core::Things::ChannelUID, nil] Channel to link the item to
         # @param expire [String] An expiration specification.
         # @param alexa [String, Symbol, Array<(String, Hash<String, Object>)>, nil]
@@ -279,6 +281,7 @@ def initialize(type, name = nil, label = nil,
                        tag: nil,
                        tags: nil,
                        autoupdate: nil,
+                       thing: nil,
                        channel: nil,
                        expire: nil,
                        alexa: nil,
@@ -308,6 +311,7 @@ def initialize(type, name = nil, label = nil,
           @metadata.merge!(metadata) if metadata
           @autoupdate = autoupdate
           @channels = []
+          @thing = thing
           @expire = nil
           if expire
             expire = Array(expire)
@@ -418,6 +422,7 @@ def group(*groups)
         #   end
         #
         def channel(channel, config = {})
+          channel = "#{@thing}:#{channel}" if @thing && !channel.include?(":")
           @channels << [channel, config]
         end
 
diff --git a/spec/openhab/dsl/items/builder_spec.rb b/spec/openhab/dsl/items/builder_spec.rb
index 496974635f..c6caec23c5 100644
--- a/spec/openhab/dsl/items/builder_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/openhab/dsl/items/builder_spec.rb
@@ -326,6 +326,19 @@
       expect(StringItem1.thing).to be things["astro:sun:home"]
     end
 
+    it "can link an item to multiple channels" do
+      things.build do
+        thing "astro:moon:home", "Astro Moon Data", config: { "geolocation" => "0,0" }
+      end
+      items.build do
+        date_time_item "DateTime1" do
+          channel  "astro:sun:home:rise#start"
+          channel  "astro:moon:home:rise#start"
+        end
+      end
+      expect(DateTime1.things).to match_array([things["astro:sun:home"], things["astro:moon:home"]])
+    end
+
     it "can link to an item channel with a profile" do
       items.build do
         date_time_item "LastUpdated", channel: ["astro:sun:home:season#name", { profile: "system:timestamp-update" }]
@@ -333,6 +346,39 @@
       expect(LastUpdated.thing).to be things["astro:sun:home"]
     end
 
+    it "combines thing (string) and channel" do
+      items.build do
+        string_item "StringItem1", thing: "astro:sun:home", channel: "season#name"
+      end
+      expect(StringItem1.thing).to be things["astro:sun:home"]
+    end
+
+    it "combines thing and channel" do
+      items.build do
+        string_item "StringItem1", thing: things["astro:sun:home"], channel: "season#name"
+      end
+      expect(StringItem1.thing).to be things["astro:sun:home"]
+    end
+
+    it "ignores thing when channel contains multiple segments" do
+      items.build do
+        string_item "StringItem1", thing: "foo:baz:bar", channel: "astro:sun:home:season#name"
+      end
+      expect(StringItem1.thing).to be things["astro:sun:home"]
+    end
+
+    it "allows mixing short and fully qualified channels" do
+      things.build do
+        thing "astro:moon:home", "Astro Moon Data", config: { "geolocation" => "0,0" }
+      end
+      items.build do
+        string_item "StringItem1", thing: "astro:moon:home", channel: "astro:sun:home:rise#start" do
+          channel "rise#start"
+        end
+      end
+      expect(StringItem1.things).to match_array [things["astro:sun:home"], things["astro:moon:home"]]
+    end
+
     it "implicitly assumes a group's thing (string) for channels" do
       items.build do
         group_item "MyGroup", thing: "astro:sun:home" do
@@ -372,5 +418,17 @@
       end
       expect(StringItem1.thing).to be things["astro:sun:home"]
     end
+
+    it "item's thing overrides group's thing" do
+      things.build do
+        thing "astro:moon:home", "Astro Moon Data", config: { "geolocation" => "0,0" }
+      end
+      items.build do
+        group_item "MyGroup", thing: "astro:sun:home" do
+          string_item "StringItem1", thing: "astro:moon:home", channel: "set#start"
+        end
+      end
+      expect(StringItem1.thing).to be things["astro:moon:home"]
+    end
   end
 end