diff --git a/erpnext/stock/doctype/item/item.py b/erpnext/stock/doctype/item/item.py
index 47ace46..6a3cf6f 100644
--- a/erpnext/stock/doctype/item/item.py
+++ b/erpnext/stock/doctype/item/item.py
@@ -30,9 +30,18 @@
 		self.get("__onload").sle_exists = self.check_if_sle_exists()
 
 	def autoname(self):
-		if frappe.db.get_default("item_naming_by")=="Naming Series" and not self.variant_of:
-			from frappe.model.naming import make_autoname
-			self.item_code = make_autoname(self.naming_series+'.#####')
+		if frappe.db.get_default("item_naming_by")=="Naming Series":
+			if self.variant_of:
+				if not self.item_code:
+					item_code_suffix = ""
+					for attribute in self.attributes:
+						attribute_abbr = frappe.db.get_value("Item Attribute Value", 
+							{"parent": attribute.attribute, "attribute_value": attribute.attribute_value}, "abbr")
+						item_code_suffix += "-" + str(attribute_abbr or attribute.attribute_value)
+					self.item_code = str(self.variant_of) + item_code_suffix
+			else:
+				from frappe.model.naming import make_autoname
+				self.item_code = make_autoname(self.naming_series+'.#####')
 		elif not self.item_code:
 			msgprint(_("Item Code is mandatory because Item is not automatically numbered"), raise_exception=1)