diff --git a/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/CreateVolumeCmd.java b/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/CreateVolumeCmd.java
index a8a7ad035b7..913fc992eac 100644
--- a/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/CreateVolumeCmd.java
+++ b/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/CreateVolumeCmd.java
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public class CreateVolumeCmd extends BaseAsyncCreateCmd {
     @Parameter(name=ApiConstants.SIZE, type=CommandType.LONG, description="Arbitrary volume size. Mutually exclusive with diskOfferingId")
     private Long size;
 
-    @Parameter(name=ApiConstants.SNAPSHOT_ID, type=CommandType.LONG, description="the snapshot ID for the disk volume. Either diskOfferingId or snapshotId must be passed in.")
+    @Parameter(name=ApiConstants.SNAPSHOT_ID, type=CommandType.LONG, description="the snapshot ID for the disk volume. If snapshot id is passed in, a private disk offering id must be passed in as well (no disk size, only tags).")
     private Long snapshotId;
 
     @Parameter(name=ApiConstants.ZONE_ID, type=CommandType.LONG, description="the ID of the availability zone")
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ public class CreateVolumeCmd extends BaseAsyncCreateCmd {
     
     @Override
     public void create() throws ResourceAllocationException{
-        
+
         Volume volume = _storageService.allocVolume(this);
         if (volume != null) {
             this.setEntityId(volume.getId());
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/storage/StorageManagerImpl.java b/server/src/com/cloud/storage/StorageManagerImpl.java
index a13944a2768..62c4a40c12d 100755
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/storage/StorageManagerImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/storage/StorageManagerImpl.java
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ public class StorageManagerImpl implements StorageManager, StorageService, Manag
         // Create an event
         Long templateId = originalVolume.getTemplateId();
         ;
-        Long diskOfferingId = originalVolume.getDiskOfferingId();
+        Long diskOfferingId = volume.getDiskOfferingId();
 
         if (createdVolume.getPath() != null) {
             Long offeringId = null;
@@ -1442,16 +1442,29 @@ public class StorageManagerImpl implements StorageManager, StorageService, Manag
                 size = (size * 1024 * 1024 * 1024);// custom size entered is in GB, to be converted to bytes
             }
         } else {
+            DiskOfferingVO privOffering = null;
             Long snapshotId = cmd.getSnapshotId();
             Snapshot snapshotCheck = _snapshotDao.findById(snapshotId);
+            diskOfferingId = cmd.getDiskOfferingId();
             if (snapshotCheck == null) {
                 throw new InvalidParameterValueException("unable to find a snapshot with id " + snapshotId);
             }
 
+            if(diskOfferingId == null) {
+                throw new InvalidParameterValueException("Please specify a valid private disk offering");
+            } else {
+                privOffering = _diskOfferingDao.findById(diskOfferingId);
+                if(privOffering == null) {
+                    throw new InvalidParameterValueException("Please specify a valid private disk offering");
+                } else {
+                    if(!privOffering.isCustomized())
+                        throw new InvalidParameterValueException("Please specify a valid private disk offering");
+                }
+            }
+            
             VolumeVO vol = _volsDao.findByIdIncludingRemoved(snapshotCheck.getVolumeId());
             zoneId = vol.getDataCenterId();
-            diskOfferingId = vol.getDiskOfferingId();
-            size = vol.getSize();
+            size = vol.getSize(); //we maintain size from org vol ; disk offering is used for tags purposes
 
             if (account != null) {
                 if (isAdmin(account.getType())) {