diff --git a/docs/examples.rst b/docs/examples.rst
index d4e6e1cfa..bba30bf75 100644
--- a/docs/examples.rst
+++ b/docs/examples.rst
@@ -184,10 +184,16 @@ If you only want a few specific fields, save time by asking for them explicitly:
 
     issue = jira.issue('JRA-1330', fields='summary,comment')
 
-Reassign an issue::
+Reassign an issue:
+Reassigning an issue can be done either by providing the username/accountId (hosted/cloud) or the User Resource object itself::
 
     # requires issue assign permission, which is different from issue editing permission!
+    # via username, for hosted instances
     jira.assign_issue(issue, 'newassignee')
+    # or accountId, for cloud instances
+    jira.assign_issue(issue, 'gweg3:5fr23r23r-3041-4342-23f2-2g3g232c2e1234:8008sdg3-441a-12f2-9sg1-erbwer3q3r3')
+    # or via the User retrieved from search_users()
+    jira.assign_issue(issue, user_resource)
 
 If you want to unassign it again, just do::
 
@@ -421,15 +427,17 @@ Watchers are objects, represented by :class:`jira.resources.Watchers`::
         # watcher is instance of jira.resources.User:
         print(watcher.emailAddress)
 
-You can add users to watchers by their name::
+You can add users to watchers by their name (hosted) / accountId (cloud) or the User resource itself::
 
     jira.add_watcher(issue, 'username')
     jira.add_watcher(issue, user_resource.name)
+    jira.add_watcher(issue, user_resource)
 
 And of course you can remove users from watcher::
 
     jira.remove_watcher(issue, 'username')
     jira.remove_watcher(issue, user_resource.name)
+    jira.remove_watcher(issue, user_resource)
 
 Attachments
 -----------
diff --git a/jira/client.py b/jira/client.py
index 36dc2fea9..d4af4698c 100644
--- a/jira/client.py
+++ b/jira/client.py
@@ -473,6 +473,7 @@ def __init__(
         kerberos_options: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
         validate=False,
         get_server_info: bool = True,
+        with_lookup: bool = True,
         async_: bool = False,
         async_workers: int = 5,
         logging: bool = True,
@@ -665,6 +666,14 @@ def __init__(
         else:
             self._version = (0, 0, 0)
 
+        self.with_lookup = with_lookup
+        if with_lookup:
+            warnings.warn(
+                "Auto-lookup (with_lookup) has been set to True, the library will look-up the provided user "
+                "for its 'add_watcher', 'remove_watcher' and 'assign_issue' methods; this functionality "
+                "will be deprecated in future releases"
+            )
+
         if self._options["check_update"] and not JIRA.checked_version:
             self._check_update_()
             JIRA.checked_version = True
@@ -2264,18 +2273,25 @@ def _get_user_id(self, user: str | None) -> str | None:
 
     # non-resource
     @translate_resource_args
-    def assign_issue(self, issue: int | str, assignee: str | None) -> bool:
+    def assign_issue(self, issue: int | str, assignee: str | User | None) -> bool:
         """Assign an issue to a user.
 
         Args:
             issue (Union[int, str]): the issue ID or key to assign
-            assignee (str): the user to assign the issue to. None will set it to unassigned. -1 will set it to Automatic.
+            assignee (Union[str, User]): username (for hosted) or account ID (for cloud) of the user to add to the
+                watchers list. Alternatively, you can provide the User object itself.
+                None will set it to unassigned. -1 will set it to Automatic.
 
         Returns:
             bool
         """
         url = self._get_latest_url(f"issue/{issue}/assignee")
-        user_id = self._get_user_id(assignee)
+        if isinstance(assignee, User):
+            user_id: str | None = self._get_user_identifier(assignee)
+        else:
+            user_id = assignee
+        if self.with_lookup:
+            user_id = self._get_user_id(user_id)
         payload = {"accountId": user_id} if self._is_cloud else {"name": user_id}
         self._session.put(url, data=json.dumps(payload))
         return True
@@ -2720,23 +2736,28 @@ def watchers(self, issue: str | int) -> Watchers:
         return self._find_for_resource(Watchers, issue)
 
     @translate_resource_args
-    def add_watcher(self, issue: str | int, watcher: str) -> Response:
+    def add_watcher(self, issue: str | int, watcher: str | User) -> Response:
         """Add a user to an issue's watchers list.
 
         Args:
             issue (Union[str, int]): ID or key of the issue affected
-            watcher (str): name of the user to add to the watchers list
+            watcher (str | User): username (for hosted) or account ID (for cloud) of the user to add to the watchers
+                list
 
         Returns:
             Response
         """
         url = self._get_url("issue/" + str(issue) + "/watchers")
-        # Use user_id when adding watcher
-        watcher_id = self._get_user_id(watcher)
+        if isinstance(watcher, User):
+            watcher_id: str | None = self._get_user_identifier(watcher)
+        else:
+            watcher_id = watcher
+        if self.with_lookup:
+            watcher_id = self._get_user_id(watcher_id)
         return self._session.post(url, data=json.dumps(watcher_id))
 
     @translate_resource_args
-    def remove_watcher(self, issue: str | int, watcher: str) -> Response:
+    def remove_watcher(self, issue: str | int, watcher: str | User) -> Response:
         """Remove a user from an issue's watch list.
 
         Args:
@@ -2748,8 +2769,15 @@ def remove_watcher(self, issue: str | int, watcher: str) -> Response:
         """
         url = self._get_url("issue/" + str(issue) + "/watchers")
         # https://docs.atlassian.com/software/jira/docs/api/REST/8.13.6/#api/2/issue-removeWatcher
-        user_id = self._get_user_id(watcher)
-        payload = {"accountId": user_id} if self._is_cloud else {"username": user_id}
+        if isinstance(watcher, User):
+            watcher_id: str | None = self._get_user_identifier(watcher)
+        else:
+            watcher_id = watcher
+        if self.with_lookup:
+            watcher_id = self._get_user_id(watcher_id)
+        payload = (
+            {"accountId": watcher_id} if self._is_cloud else {"username": watcher_id}
+        )
         result = self._session.delete(url, params=payload)
         return result
 
diff --git a/tests/resources/test_issue.py b/tests/resources/test_issue.py
index a496edb2e..6b80cf7a1 100644
--- a/tests/resources/test_issue.py
+++ b/tests/resources/test_issue.py
@@ -429,12 +429,20 @@ def test_createmeta_expand(self):
         )
         self.assertTrue("fields" in meta["projects"][0]["issuetypes"][0])
 
-    def test_assign_issue(self):
+    def test_assign_issue_username(self):
+        # Assign issue via username
         self.assertTrue(self.jira.assign_issue(self.issue_1, self.user_normal.name))
         self.assertEqual(
             self.jira.issue(self.issue_1).fields.assignee.name, self.user_normal.name
         )
 
+    def test_assign_issue_user_obj(self):
+        # Assign issue via User object
+        self.assertTrue(self.jira.assign_issue(self.issue_1, self.user_normal))
+        self.assertEqual(
+            self.jira.issue(self.issue_1).fields.assignee.name, self.user_normal.name
+        )
+
     def test_assign_issue_with_issue_obj(self):
         issue = self.jira.issue(self.issue_1)
         x = self.jira.assign_issue(issue, self.user_normal.name)
diff --git a/tests/resources/test_watchers.py b/tests/resources/test_watchers.py
index 7e7c991be..28549fa07 100644
--- a/tests/resources/test_watchers.py
+++ b/tests/resources/test_watchers.py
@@ -21,3 +21,12 @@ def test_add_remove_watcher(self):
         self.jira.remove_watcher(self.issue_1, self.test_manager.user_normal.name)
         new_watchers = self.jira.watchers(self.issue_1).watchCount
         self.assertEqual(init_watchers, new_watchers)
+
+        # verify passing the user object also words
+        self.jira.add_watcher(self.issue_1, self.test_manager.user_normal)
+        self.assertEqual(self.jira.watchers(self.issue_1).watchCount, init_watchers + 1)
+
+        # same, but for removing
+        self.jira.remove_watcher(self.issue_1, self.test_manager.user_normal)
+        new_watchers = self.jira.watchers(self.issue_1).watchCount
+        self.assertEqual(init_watchers, new_watchers)