diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/clarin/ClarinItemServiceImpl.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/clarin/ClarinItemServiceImpl.java
index 936d1e136545..08d5106491c4 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/clarin/ClarinItemServiceImpl.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/clarin/ClarinItemServiceImpl.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import org.dspace.content.Community;
 import org.dspace.content.DSpaceObject;
 import org.dspace.content.Item;
+import org.dspace.content.MetadataField;
 import org.dspace.content.dao.clarin.ClarinItemDAO;
 import org.dspace.content.service.CollectionService;
 import org.dspace.content.service.clarin.ClarinItemService;
@@ -45,6 +46,11 @@ public List<Item> findByBitstreamUUID(Context context, UUID bitstreamUUID) throw
         return clarinItemDAO.findByBitstreamUUID(context, bitstreamUUID);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public List<Item> findByHandle(Context context, MetadataField metadataField, String handle) throws SQLException {
+        return clarinItemDAO.findByHandle(context, metadataField, handle);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public Community getOwningCommunity(Context context, DSpaceObject dso) {
         if (Objects.isNull(dso)) {
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/dao/clarin/ClarinItemDAO.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/dao/clarin/ClarinItemDAO.java
index 2618214585f6..ac10470a9d77 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/dao/clarin/ClarinItemDAO.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/dao/clarin/ClarinItemDAO.java
@@ -12,8 +12,11 @@
 import java.util.UUID;
 
 import org.dspace.content.Item;
+import org.dspace.content.MetadataField;
 import org.dspace.core.Context;
 
 public interface ClarinItemDAO {
     List<Item> findByBitstreamUUID(Context context, UUID bitstreamUUID) throws SQLException;
+
+    List<Item> findByHandle(Context context, MetadataField metadataField, String handle) throws SQLException;
 }
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/dao/impl/clarin/ClarinItemDAOImpl.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/dao/impl/clarin/ClarinItemDAOImpl.java
index c4ec8a674f71..5301b0463e81 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/dao/impl/clarin/ClarinItemDAOImpl.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/dao/impl/clarin/ClarinItemDAOImpl.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import javax.persistence.Query;
 
 import org.dspace.content.Item;
+import org.dspace.content.MetadataField;
 import org.dspace.content.dao.clarin.ClarinItemDAO;
 import org.dspace.core.AbstractHibernateDAO;
 import org.dspace.core.Context;
@@ -29,4 +30,16 @@ public List<Item> findByBitstreamUUID(Context context, UUID bitstreamUUID) throw
 
         return list(query);
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public List<Item> findByHandle(Context context, MetadataField metadataField, String handle) throws SQLException {
+        Query query = createQuery(context, "SELECT item FROM Item as item join item.metadata metadata " +
+                "WHERE metadata.value = :handle AND metadata.metadataField = :metadata_field");
+
+        query.setParameter("handle", handle);
+        query.setParameter("metadata_field", metadataField);
+        query.setHint("org.hibernate.cacheable", Boolean.TRUE);
+
+        return list(query);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/service/clarin/ClarinItemService.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/service/clarin/ClarinItemService.java
index 029b251571d3..1ea0643bc965 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/service/clarin/ClarinItemService.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/service/clarin/ClarinItemService.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import org.dspace.content.Community;
 import org.dspace.content.DSpaceObject;
 import org.dspace.content.Item;
+import org.dspace.content.MetadataField;
 import org.dspace.core.Context;
 
 /**
@@ -33,6 +34,15 @@ public interface ClarinItemService {
      */
     List<Item> findByBitstreamUUID(Context context, UUID bitstreamUUID) throws SQLException;
 
+    /**
+     * Find Item by the Handle
+     * @param context DSpace context object
+     * @param handle String of the finding item
+     * @return found Item or null
+     * @throws SQLException database error
+     */
+    List<Item> findByHandle(Context context, MetadataField metadataField, String handle) throws SQLException;
+
     /**
      * Get item/collection/community's owning community
      * @param context DSpace context object
diff --git a/dspace-server-webapp/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/repository/ItemRestRepository.java b/dspace-server-webapp/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/repository/ItemRestRepository.java
index 9fc443046b94..e1ab6d2b2fb6 100644
--- a/dspace-server-webapp/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/repository/ItemRestRepository.java
+++ b/dspace-server-webapp/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/repository/ItemRestRepository.java
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 import org.dspace.content.Bundle;
 import org.dspace.content.Collection;
 import org.dspace.content.Item;
+import org.dspace.content.MetadataField;
 import org.dspace.content.Relationship;
 import org.dspace.content.RelationshipType;
 import org.dspace.content.WorkspaceItem;
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@
 import org.dspace.content.service.CollectionService;
 import org.dspace.content.service.InstallItemService;
 import org.dspace.content.service.ItemService;
+import org.dspace.content.service.MetadataFieldService;
 import org.dspace.content.service.RelationshipService;
 import org.dspace.content.service.RelationshipTypeService;
 import org.dspace.content.service.WorkspaceItemService;
@@ -103,6 +105,9 @@ public class ItemRestRepository extends DSpaceObjectRestRepository<Item, ItemRes
     @Autowired
     private ClarinItemService clarinItemService;
 
+    @Autowired
+    private MetadataFieldService metadataFieldService;
+
     @Autowired
     private SolrOAIReindexer solrOAIReindexer;
 
@@ -392,4 +397,19 @@ public Page<ItemRest> findByValue(@Parameter(value = "bitstreamUUID", required =
 
         return converter.toRestPage(itemList, pageable, utils.obtainProjection());
     }
+
+    @SearchRestMethod(name = "byHandle")
+    public Page<ItemRest> findByHandle(@Parameter(value = "handle", required = true) String
+                                              handle,
+                                      Pageable pageable) throws SQLException {
+        Context context = obtainContext();
+        MetadataField metadataField = metadataFieldService.findByString(context, "dc.identifier.uri", '.');
+        if (Objects.isNull(metadataField)) {
+            throw new UnprocessableEntityException("Cannot get item by handle because the metadata field ID for " +
+                    "`dc.identifier.uri` wasn't found.");
+        }
+
+        List<Item> itemList = clarinItemService.findByHandle(context, metadataField, handle);
+        return converter.toRestPage(itemList, pageable, utils.obtainProjection());
+    }
 }
diff --git a/dspace-server-webapp/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/rest/ItemRestRepositoryIT.java b/dspace-server-webapp/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/rest/ItemRestRepositoryIT.java
index e583499e181e..46d0bc062cfe 100644
--- a/dspace-server-webapp/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/rest/ItemRestRepositoryIT.java
+++ b/dspace-server-webapp/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/rest/ItemRestRepositoryIT.java
@@ -4767,4 +4767,40 @@ public void submitterShouldSeeLocalNoteMetadata() throws Exception {
                 .andExpect(jsonPath("$", existDescriptionProvenanceMetadataMatcher));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Should find Item by the full handle identifier.
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void searchByHandle() throws Exception {
+        context.turnOffAuthorisationSystem();
+        //** GIVEN **
+        parentCommunity = CommunityBuilder.createCommunity(context)
+                .withName("Parent Community")
+                .build();
+        Community child1 = CommunityBuilder.createSubCommunity(context, parentCommunity)
+                .withName("Sub Community")
+                .build();
+        Collection col1 = CollectionBuilder.createCollection(context, child1).withName("Collection 1").build();
+        Collection col2 = CollectionBuilder.createCollection(context, child1).withName("Collection 2").build();
+
+        Item publicItem1 = ItemBuilder.createItem(context, col1)
+                .withTitle("Public item 1")
+                .withIssueDate("2017-10-17")
+                .withAuthor("Smith, Donald").withAuthor("Doe, John")
+                .withSubject("ExtraEntry")
+                .build();
+        context.restoreAuthSystemState();
+
+        String handlePrefix = configurationService.getProperty("handle.canonical.prefix");
+        String fullHandleIdentifier = handlePrefix + publicItem1.getHandle();
+        String token = getAuthToken(admin.getEmail(), password);
+        getClient(token).perform(get("/api/core/items/search/byHandle")
+                .param("handle", fullHandleIdentifier))
+        .andExpect(status().isOk())
+        .andExpect(content().contentType(contentType))
+        .andExpect(jsonPath("$._embedded.items", Matchers.containsInRelativeOrder(
+                ItemMatcher.matchItemProperties(publicItem1)
+        )));
+    }
+
 }