diff --git a/api/src/org/apache/cloudstack/api/command/user/volume/CreateVolumeCmd.java b/api/src/org/apache/cloudstack/api/command/user/volume/CreateVolumeCmd.java
index 1e3c01cec9e0..54c376e22657 100644
--- a/api/src/org/apache/cloudstack/api/command/user/volume/CreateVolumeCmd.java
+++ b/api/src/org/apache/cloudstack/api/command/user/volume/CreateVolumeCmd.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ public class CreateVolumeCmd extends BaseAsyncCreateCustomIdCmd {
                description = "the ID of the disk offering. Either diskOfferingId or snapshotId must be passed in.")
     private Long diskOfferingId;
 
-    @Parameter(name = ApiConstants.NAME, type = CommandType.STRING, required = true, description = "the name of the disk volume")
+    @Parameter(name = ApiConstants.NAME, type = CommandType.STRING, description = "the name of the disk volume")
     private String volumeName;
 
     @Parameter(name = ApiConstants.SIZE, type = CommandType.LONG, description = "Arbitrary volume size")
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/storage/VolumeApiServiceImpl.java b/server/src/com/cloud/storage/VolumeApiServiceImpl.java
index 0874a6c2c53b..b60ecd38041f 100644
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/storage/VolumeApiServiceImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/storage/VolumeApiServiceImpl.java
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ public VolumeVO allocVolume(CreateVolumeCmd cmd) throws ResourceAllocationExcept
         }
 
         String userSpecifiedName = cmd.getVolumeName();
-        if (userSpecifiedName == null) {
+        if (userSpecifiedName == null || userSpecifiedName.isEmpty()) {
             userSpecifiedName = getRandomVolumeName();
         }
 
diff --git a/ui/scripts/docs.js b/ui/scripts/docs.js
index ed6ab0c938c1..a2e333eeaed6 100755
--- a/ui/scripts/docs.js
+++ b/ui/scripts/docs.js
@@ -1008,7 +1008,7 @@ cloudStack.docs = {
     },
     // Add volume
     helpVolumeName: {
-        desc: 'Give the volume a unique name so you can find it later.',
+        desc: 'Give the volume a unique name. If not, it will be generated randomly.',
         externalLink: ''
     },
     helpVolumeAvailabilityZone: {
diff --git a/ui/scripts/storage.js b/ui/scripts/storage.js
index 599802a45ab0..1e1f1a57d753 100644
--- a/ui/scripts/storage.js
+++ b/ui/scripts/storage.js
@@ -80,10 +80,7 @@
                                 fields: {
                                     name: {
                                         docID: 'helpVolumeName',
-                                        label: 'label.name',
-                                        validation: {
-                                            required: true
-                                        }
+                                        label: 'label.name'
                                     },
                                     availabilityZone: {
                                         label: 'label.availability.zone',