diff --git a/api/src/com/cloud/api/ApiConstants.java b/api/src/com/cloud/api/ApiConstants.java
index 03d233115cd..27b8ef82c6b 100755
--- a/api/src/com/cloud/api/ApiConstants.java
+++ b/api/src/com/cloud/api/ApiConstants.java
@@ -353,6 +353,7 @@ public class ApiConstants {
     public static final String VSM_CONFIG_MODE = "vsmconfigmode";
     public static final String VSM_CONFIG_STATE = "vsmconfigstate";
     public static final String VSM_DEVICE_STATE = "vsmdevicestate";
+    public static final String ADD_VSM_FLAG = "addvsmflag";
     
     public enum HostDetails {
         all, capacity, events, stats, min;
diff --git a/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/AddClusterCmd.java b/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/AddClusterCmd.java
index 17d1b32910c..4776ee97e81 100755
--- a/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/AddClusterCmd.java
+++ b/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/AddClusterCmd.java
@@ -79,6 +79,13 @@ public class AddClusterCmd extends BaseCmd {
     @Parameter(name = ApiConstants.VCENTER_DC_NAME, type = CommandType.STRING, required = false, description = "the name of the vCenter Data Center the VSM associated with this cluster will serve")
     private String vcenterdcname;
     
+    @Parameter(name = ApiConstants.ADD_VSM_FLAG, type = CommandType.STRING, required = false, description = "flag that indicates a Cisco Nexus 1000v VSM is being associated with this cluster")
+    private String addVSMFlag;
+    
+    public String getAddVSMFlag() {
+    	return addVSMFlag;
+    }
+    
     public String getvCenterDCName() {
     	return vcenterdcname;
     }
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/resource/ResourceManagerImpl.java b/server/src/com/cloud/resource/ResourceManagerImpl.java
index b143931a4f1..a67a834edd0 100755
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/resource/ResourceManagerImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/resource/ResourceManagerImpl.java
@@ -414,48 +414,53 @@ public class ResourceManagerImpl implements ResourceManager, ResourceService, Ma
         }
         clusterId = cluster.getId();
         result.add(cluster);
+        
+        if (cmd.getAddVSMFlag().equalsIgnoreCase("true")) {
 
-        String vsmIp = cmd.getVSMIpaddress();
-        String vsmUser = cmd.getVSMUsername();
-        String vsmPassword = cmd.getVSMPassword();
-        String vCenterIpaddr = cmd.getvCenterIPAddr();
-        String vCenterDcName = cmd.getvCenterDCName();
+        	String vsmIp = cmd.getVSMIpaddress();
+        	String vsmUser = cmd.getVSMUsername();
+        	String vsmPassword = cmd.getVSMPassword();
+        	String vCenterIpaddr = cmd.getvCenterIPAddr();
+        	String vCenterDcName = cmd.getvCenterDCName();
 
-        if (vsmIp != null && vsmUser != null && vsmPassword != null) {
-            NetconfHelper netconfClient;
-            try {
-                netconfClient = new NetconfHelper(vsmIp, vsmUser, vsmPassword);
-                netconfClient.disconnect();
-            } catch (CloudRuntimeException e) {
-                String msg = "Invalid credentials supplied for user " + vsmUser + " for Cisco Nexus 1000v VSM at " + vsmIp;
-                s_logger.error(msg);
-                throw new CloudRuntimeException(msg);
-            }
-            // persist credentials in database
-            CiscoNexusVSMDeviceVO vsm = new CiscoNexusVSMDeviceVO(vsmIp, vsmUser, vsmPassword, vCenterIpaddr, vCenterDcName);
+        	if (vsmIp != null && vsmUser != null && vsmPassword != null && vCenterIpaddr != null && vCenterDcName != null) {
+        		NetconfHelper netconfClient;
+        		try {
+        			netconfClient = new NetconfHelper(vsmIp, vsmUser, vsmPassword);
+        			netconfClient.disconnect();
+        		} catch (CloudRuntimeException e) {
+        			String msg = "Invalid credentials supplied for user " + vsmUser + " for Cisco Nexus 1000v VSM at " + vsmIp;
+        			s_logger.error(msg);
+        			throw new CloudRuntimeException(msg);
+        		}
+        		// persist credentials in database
+        		CiscoNexusVSMDeviceVO vsm = new CiscoNexusVSMDeviceVO(vsmIp, vsmUser, vsmPassword, vCenterIpaddr, vCenterDcName);
             
-            Transaction txn = Transaction.currentTxn();
-            try {
-                txn.start();
-                vsm = _vsmDao.persist(vsm);
-                txn.commit();
-            } catch (Exception e) {
-                txn.rollback();
-                s_logger.error("Failed to persist VSM details to database. Exception: " + e.getMessage());
-                throw new CloudRuntimeException(e.getMessage());
-            }
+        		Transaction txn = Transaction.currentTxn();
+        		try {
+        			txn.start();
+        			vsm = _vsmDao.persist(vsm);
+        			txn.commit();
+        		} catch (Exception e) {
+        			txn.rollback();
+        			s_logger.error("Failed to persist VSM details to database. Exception: " + e.getMessage());
+        			throw new CloudRuntimeException(e.getMessage());
+        		}
             
-            ClusterVSMMapVO connectorObj = new ClusterVSMMapVO(clusterId, vsm.getId());
-            txn = Transaction.currentTxn();
-            try {
-                txn.start();
-                _clusterVSMDao.persist(connectorObj);
-                txn.commit();
-            } catch (Exception e) {
-                txn.rollback();
-                s_logger.error("Failed to associate VSM with cluster: " + clusterName + ". Exception: " + e.getMessage());
-                throw new CloudRuntimeException(e.getMessage());
-            }
+        		ClusterVSMMapVO connectorObj = new ClusterVSMMapVO(clusterId, vsm.getId());
+        		txn = Transaction.currentTxn();
+        		try {
+        			txn.start();
+        			_clusterVSMDao.persist(connectorObj);
+        			txn.commit();
+        		} catch (Exception e) {
+        			txn.rollback();
+        			s_logger.error("Failed to associate VSM with cluster: " + clusterName + ". Exception: " + e.getMessage());
+        			throw new CloudRuntimeException(e.getMessage());
+        		}
+        	} else {
+        		throw new CloudRuntimeException("All required parameters for VSM not specified");
+        	}
         }
 
         if (clusterType == Cluster.ClusterType.CloudManaged) {