diff --git a/app/controllers/concerns/creates_commit.rb b/app/controllers/concerns/creates_commit.rb
index 5009bf7ff0ced6c14456637c42c01de856e06bad..5389cba957797ca2e7800b2fe205a936038d52af 100644
--- a/app/controllers/concerns/creates_commit.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/concerns/creates_commit.rb
@@ -138,7 +138,8 @@ def create_merge_request?
     # Even if the field is set, if we're checking the same branch
     # as the target branch in the same project,
     # we don't want to create a merge request.
-    params[:create_merge_request].present? &&
+    # FIXME: We should use either 1 or true, not both.
+    ActiveModel::Type::Boolean.new.cast(params[:create_merge_request]) &&
       (@different_project || @start_branch != @branch_name) # rubocop:disable Gitlab/ModuleWithInstanceVariables
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/controllers/projects/tree_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/projects/tree_controller_spec.rb
index 4e00d58bf17dbca22c3f95b12ab77df0e0384b4c..1244668c659e2f3bbf5f6b3b3454a025f8c65ac1 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/projects/tree_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/projects/tree_controller_spec.rb
@@ -294,6 +294,8 @@
   end
 
   describe '#create_dir' do
+    let(:create_merge_request) { nil }
+
     render_views
 
     before do
@@ -303,18 +305,57 @@
         id: 'master',
         dir_name: path,
         branch_name: branch_name,
-        commit_message: 'Test commit message'
+        commit_message: 'Test commit message',
+        create_merge_request: create_merge_request
       }
     end
 
     context 'successful creation' do
       let(:path) { 'files/new_dir' }
-      let(:branch_name) { 'master-test' }
+      let(:branch_name) { "main-test-#{SecureRandom.hex}" }
 
-      it 'redirects to the new directory' do
-        expect(subject)
-            .to redirect_to("/#{project.full_path}/-/tree/#{branch_name}/#{path}")
-        expect(flash[:notice]).to eq('The directory has been successfully created.')
+      context 'when not creating a new MR' do
+        let(:create_merge_request) { 'false' }
+
+        it 'redirects to the new directory' do
+          expect(subject)
+              .to redirect_to("/#{project.full_path}/-/tree/#{branch_name}/#{path}")
+          expect(flash[:notice]).to eq('The directory has been successfully created.')
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'when creating a new MR' do
+        shared_examples 'a new MR from branch redirection' do
+          it 'redirects to the new MR page' do
+            expect(subject)
+                .to redirect_to("/#{project.full_path}/-/merge_requests/new?merge_request%5Bsource_branch%5D=#{branch_name}&merge_request%5Btarget_branch%5D=master&merge_request%5Btarget_project_id%5D=#{project.id}")
+            expect(flash[:notice]).to eq('The directory has been successfully created. You can now submit a merge request to get this change into the original branch.')
+          end
+        end
+
+        context "and the passed create_merge_request value is true" do
+          it_behaves_like 'a new MR from branch redirection' do
+            let(:create_merge_request) { true }
+          end
+        end
+
+        context "and the passed create_merge_request value is 'true'" do
+          it_behaves_like 'a new MR from branch redirection' do
+            let(:create_merge_request) { 'true' }
+          end
+        end
+
+        context "and the passed create_merge_request value is '1'" do
+          it_behaves_like 'a new MR from branch redirection' do
+            let(:create_merge_request) { '1' }
+          end
+        end
+
+        context "and the passed create_merge_request value is 1" do
+          it_behaves_like 'a new MR from branch redirection' do
+            let(:create_merge_request) { 1 }
+          end
+        end
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/features/projects/files/user_creates_files_spec.rb b/spec/features/projects/files/user_creates_files_spec.rb
index edc504240a7d87526a5b0597bdb12fca173fe9f4..c104f43c4af9b0021d2fe798dc6361880ed6cd52 100644
--- a/spec/features/projects/files/user_creates_files_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/projects/files/user_creates_files_spec.rb
@@ -56,7 +56,13 @@
   end
 
   context 'with committing a new file' do
+    let(:file_name) { 'a_file.md' }
+    let(:file_content) { 'some file content' }
+    let(:can_submit_mr_content) { 'You can now submit a merge request to get this change into the original branch.' }
+
     context 'when an user has write access' do
+      let(:branch_name) { 'new_branch_name' }
+
       before do
         visit(project_tree_path_root_ref)
 
@@ -94,28 +100,30 @@ def submit_new_file(options)
         expect(page).to have_content 'Path cannot include directory traversal'
       end
 
-      it 'creates and commit a new file' do
-        editor_set_value('*.rbca')
-        fill_in(:file_name, with: 'not_a_file.md')
+      it 'creates and commits a new file' do
+        editor_set_value(file_content)
+        fill_in(:file_name, with: file_name)
         fill_in(:commit_message, with: 'New commit message', visible: true)
+
         click_button('Commit changes')
 
-        new_file_path = project_blob_path(project, 'master/not_a_file.md')
+        new_file_path = project_blob_path(project, "master/#{file_name}")
 
         expect(page).to have_current_path(new_file_path, ignore_query: true)
 
         wait_for_requests
 
-        expect(page).to have_content('*.rbca')
+        expect(page).to have_content(file_content)
       end
 
-      it 'creates and commit a new file with new lines at the end of file' do
+      it 'creates and commits a new file with new lines at the end of file' do
         editor_set_value('Sample\n\n\n')
-        fill_in(:file_name, with: 'not_a_file.md')
+        fill_in(:file_name, with: file_name)
         fill_in(:commit_message, with: 'New commit message', visible: true)
+
         click_button('Commit changes')
 
-        new_file_path = project_blob_path(project, 'master/not_a_file.md')
+        new_file_path = project_blob_path(project, "master/#{file_name}")
 
         expect(page).to have_current_path(new_file_path, ignore_query: true)
 
@@ -124,38 +132,64 @@ def submit_new_file(options)
         expect(find('.monaco-editor')).to have_content('Sample\n\n\n')
       end
 
-      it 'creates and commit a new file with a directory name' do
+      it 'creates and commits a new file with a directory name' do
         fill_in(:file_name, with: 'foo/bar/baz.txt')
 
         expect(page).to have_selector('.file-editor')
 
-        editor_set_value('*.rbca')
+        editor_set_value(file_content)
         fill_in(:commit_message, with: 'New commit message', visible: true)
+
         click_button('Commit changes')
 
         expect(page).to have_current_path(project_blob_path(project, 'master/foo/bar/baz.txt'), ignore_query: true)
 
         wait_for_requests
 
-        expect(page).to have_content('*.rbca')
+        expect(page).to have_content(file_content)
       end
 
-      it 'creates and commit a new file specifying a new branch' do
-        expect(page).to have_selector('.file-editor')
+      context 'when not creating a new MR' do
+        it 'creates and commits a new file specifying a new branch' do
+          expect(page).to have_selector('.file-editor')
 
-        editor_set_value('*.rbca')
-        fill_in(:file_name, with: 'not_a_file.md')
-        fill_in(:commit_message, with: 'New commit message', visible: true)
-        fill_in(:branch_name, with: 'new_branch_name', visible: true)
-        click_button('Commit changes')
+          editor_set_value(file_content)
+          fill_in(:file_name, with: file_name)
+          fill_in(:commit_message, with: 'New commit message', visible: true)
+          fill_in(:branch_name, with: branch_name, visible: true)
+          find_field('Start a new merge request with these changes').uncheck
 
-        expect(page).to have_current_path(project_new_merge_request_path(project), ignore_query: true)
+          click_button('Commit changes')
 
-        click_link('Changes')
+          new_file_path = project_blob_path(project, "#{branch_name}/#{file_name}")
 
-        wait_for_requests
+          expect(page).to have_current_path(new_file_path)
+
+          wait_for_requests
+
+          expect(page).not_to have_content(can_submit_mr_content)
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'when creating a new MR' do
+        it 'creates and commits a new file specifying a new branch and creates an MR' do
+          expect(page).to have_selector('.file-editor')
+
+          editor_set_value(file_content)
+          fill_in(:file_name, with: file_name)
+          fill_in(:commit_message, with: 'New commit message', visible: true)
+          fill_in(:branch_name, with: branch_name, visible: true)
+
+          click_button('Commit changes')
+
+          expect(page).to have_current_path(project_new_merge_request_path(project), ignore_query: true)
+
+          click_link('Changes')
+
+          wait_for_requests
 
-        expect(page).to have_content('*.rbca')
+          expect(page).to have_content(can_submit_mr_content)
+        end
       end
     end
 
@@ -174,12 +208,12 @@ def submit_new_file(options)
         expect(page).to have_content(message)
       end
 
-      it 'creates and commit new file in forked project' do
+      it 'creates and commits a new file in forked project' do
         expect(page).to have_selector('.file-editor')
 
-        editor_set_value('*.rbca')
+        editor_set_value(file_content)
 
-        fill_in(:file_name, with: 'not_a_file.md')
+        fill_in(:file_name, with: file_name)
         fill_in(:commit_message, with: 'New commit message', visible: true)
         click_button('Commit changes')