diff --git a/include/HostPool.h b/include/HostPool.h
index d9cde67bb0..834b2b52fa 100644
--- a/include/HostPool.h
+++ b/include/HostPool.h
@@ -67,7 +67,19 @@ public:
     {
         return static_cast<Host *>(PoolSQL::get(oid,lock));
     };
-    
+
+    /**
+     *  Function to get a Host from the pool, if the object is not in memory
+     *  it is loaded from the DB
+     *    @param hostname
+     *    @param lock locks the Host mutex
+     *    @return a pointer to the Host, 0 if the Host could not be loaded
+     */
+    Host * get(string name, bool lock)
+    {
+        return static_cast<Host *>(PoolSQL::get(name,-1,lock));
+    };
+
     /**
      *  Bootstraps the database table(s) associated to the Host pool
      */
diff --git a/src/host/HostPool.cc b/src/host/HostPool.cc
index 9773408871..6df3fb827a 100644
--- a/src/host/HostPool.cc
+++ b/src/host/HostPool.cc
@@ -144,18 +144,32 @@ int HostPool::allocate (
 {
     Host *        host;
 
-    // Build a new Host object
+    host = get(hostname,false);
 
-    host = new Host(-1,
-        hostname,
-        im_mad_name,
-        vmm_mad_name,
-        tm_mad_name,
-        ClusterPool::DEFAULT_CLUSTER_NAME);
+    if ( host !=0)
+    {
+        ostringstream oss;
 
-    // Insert the Object in the pool
+        oss << "NAME is already taken by HOST " << host->get_oid() << ".";
+        error_str = oss.str();
 
-    *oid = PoolSQL::allocate(host, error_str);
+        *oid = -1;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        // Build a new Host object
+
+        host = new Host(-1,
+            hostname,
+            im_mad_name,
+            vmm_mad_name,
+            tm_mad_name,
+            ClusterPool::DEFAULT_CLUSTER_NAME);
+
+        // Insert the Object in the pool
+
+        *oid = PoolSQL::allocate(host, error_str);
+    }
 
     return *oid;
 }
diff --git a/src/vnm/test/VirtualNetworkPoolTest.cc b/src/vnm/test/VirtualNetworkPoolTest.cc
index d3d6900b41..93340f9432 100644
--- a/src/vnm/test/VirtualNetworkPoolTest.cc
+++ b/src/vnm/test/VirtualNetworkPoolTest.cc
@@ -409,12 +409,12 @@ public:
         CPPUNIT_ASSERT( rc == oid_0 );
         CPPUNIT_ASSERT( rc == 0 );
 
-        // Allocate the same vnet twice, with the same user ID
+        // Allocate the same vnet twice, with the same user ID. Should fail
         rc = vnpool->allocate(uids[0], user_names[0], templates[0], &oid_1);
         CPPUNIT_ASSERT( rc ==  oid_1 );
         CPPUNIT_ASSERT( rc == -1 );
 
-        // Same VNet, with different user ID
+        // Same VNet, with different user ID. Should succeed
         rc = vnpool->allocate(uids[1], user_names[1], templates[0], &oid_2);
         CPPUNIT_ASSERT( rc ==  oid_2 );
         CPPUNIT_ASSERT( rc == 1 );
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ public:
         CPPUNIT_ASSERT( rc == 2 );
 
 
-        // Make sure the table contains only one vnet with name[0]
+        // Make sure the table contains two vnets with name[0]
         vector<int>     results;
         int             ret;
         const char *    table   = "network_pool";