diff --git a/common/models/role.js b/common/models/role.js
index c86049b7..b8c1242d 100644
--- a/common/models/role.js
+++ b/common/models/role.js
@@ -445,4 +445,6 @@ module.exports = function(Role) {
       if (callback) callback(err, roles);
     });
   };
+
+  Role.validatesUniquenessOf('name', { message: 'already exists' });
 };
diff --git a/test/role.test.js b/test/role.test.js
index 7ac313bb..d11f4b37 100644
--- a/test/role.test.js
+++ b/test/role.test.js
@@ -93,6 +93,22 @@ describe('role model', function() {
 
   });
 
+  it('should not allow duplicate role name', function(done) {
+    Role.create({ name: 'userRole' }, function(err, role) {
+      if (err) return done(err);
+
+      Role.create({ name: 'userRole' }, function(err, role) {
+        expect(err).to.exist; //jshint ignore:line
+        expect(err).to.have.property('name', 'ValidationError');
+        expect(err).to.have.deep.property('details.codes.name');
+        expect(err.details.codes.name).to.contain('uniqueness');
+        expect(err).to.have.property('statusCode', 422);
+
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   it('should automatically generate role id', function() {
 
     User.create({name: 'Raymond', email: 'x@y.com', password: 'foobar'}, function(err, user) {
@@ -233,6 +249,7 @@ describe('role model', function() {
         password: 'jpass'
       }, function(err, u) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         user = u;
         User.create({
           username: 'mary',
@@ -240,15 +257,18 @@ describe('role model', function() {
           password: 'mpass'
         }, function(err, u) {
           if (err) return done(err);
+
           Application.create({
             name: 'demo'
           }, function(err, a) {
             if (err) return done(err);
+
             app = a;
             Role.create({
               name: 'admin'
             }, function(err, r) {
               if (err) return done(err);
+
               role = r;
               var principals = [
                 {
@@ -272,7 +292,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should resolve user by id', function(done) {
       ACL.resolvePrincipal(ACL.USER, user.id, function(err, u) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(u.id).to.eql(user.id);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -280,7 +302,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should resolve user by username', function(done) {
       ACL.resolvePrincipal(ACL.USER, user.username, function(err, u) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(u.username).to.eql(user.username);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -288,7 +312,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should resolve user by email', function(done) {
       ACL.resolvePrincipal(ACL.USER, user.email, function(err, u) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(u.email).to.eql(user.email);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -296,7 +322,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should resolve app by id', function(done) {
       ACL.resolvePrincipal(ACL.APP, app.id, function(err, a) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(a.id).to.eql(app.id);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -304,7 +332,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should resolve app by name', function(done) {
       ACL.resolvePrincipal(ACL.APP, app.name, function(err, a) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(a.name).to.eql(app.name);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -312,7 +342,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should report isMappedToRole by user.username', function(done) {
       ACL.isMappedToRole(ACL.USER, user.username, 'admin', function(err, flag) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(flag).to.eql(true);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -320,7 +352,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should report isMappedToRole by user.email', function(done) {
       ACL.isMappedToRole(ACL.USER, user.email, 'admin', function(err, flag) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(flag).to.eql(true);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -329,7 +363,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
       function(done) {
         ACL.isMappedToRole(ACL.USER, 'mary', 'admin', function(err, flag) {
           if (err) return done(err);
+
           expect(flag).to.eql(false);
+
           done();
         });
       });
@@ -337,7 +373,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should report isMappedToRole by app.name', function(done) {
       ACL.isMappedToRole(ACL.APP, app.name, 'admin', function(err, flag) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(flag).to.eql(true);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -345,7 +383,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should report isMappedToRole by app.name', function(done) {
       ACL.isMappedToRole(ACL.APP, app.name, 'admin', function(err, flag) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(flag).to.eql(true);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -383,6 +423,7 @@ describe('role model', function() {
               role[pluralName](function(err, models) {
                 assert(!err);
                 assert.equal(models.length, 1);
+
                 if (++runs === mappings.length) {
                   done();
                 }
@@ -404,6 +445,7 @@ describe('role model', function() {
               assert.equal(users.length, 1);
               assert.equal(users[0].id, user.id);
               assert(User.find.calledWith(query));
+
               done();
             });
           });