diff --git a/api/src/com/cloud/template/TemplateApiService.java b/api/src/com/cloud/template/TemplateApiService.java
index 43177fc521e..7348547cee0 100644
--- a/api/src/com/cloud/template/TemplateApiService.java
+++ b/api/src/com/cloud/template/TemplateApiService.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public interface TemplateApiService {
 
     VirtualMachineTemplate copyTemplate(CopyTemplateCmd cmd) throws StorageUnavailableException, ResourceAllocationException;
 
-    VirtualMachineTemplate prepareTemplate(long templateId, long zoneId);
+    VirtualMachineTemplate prepareTemplate(long templateId, long zoneId, Long storageId);
 
     boolean detachIso(long vmId);
 
diff --git a/api/src/org/apache/cloudstack/api/command/admin/template/PrepareTemplateCmd.java b/api/src/org/apache/cloudstack/api/command/admin/template/PrepareTemplateCmd.java
index d4c26966d91..0537c01fd3c 100644
--- a/api/src/org/apache/cloudstack/api/command/admin/template/PrepareTemplateCmd.java
+++ b/api/src/org/apache/cloudstack/api/command/admin/template/PrepareTemplateCmd.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import org.apache.cloudstack.api.BaseCmd;
 import org.apache.cloudstack.api.Parameter;
 import org.apache.cloudstack.api.ResponseObject.ResponseView;
 import org.apache.cloudstack.api.response.ListResponse;
+import org.apache.cloudstack.api.response.StoragePoolResponse;
 import org.apache.cloudstack.api.response.TemplateResponse;
 import org.apache.cloudstack.api.response.ZoneResponse;
 
@@ -60,6 +61,15 @@ public class PrepareTemplateCmd extends BaseCmd {
                description = "template ID of the template to be prepared in primary storage(s).")
     private Long templateId;
 
+    @ACL(accessType = AccessType.OperateEntry)
+    @Parameter(name = ApiConstants.STORAGE_ID,
+            type = CommandType.UUID,
+            entityType = StoragePoolResponse.class,
+            required = false,
+            description = "storage pool ID of the primary storage pool to which the template should be prepared. If it is not provided the template" +
+                    " is prepared on all the available primary storage pools.")
+    private Long storageId;
+
     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     /////////////////// Accessors ///////////////////////
     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -72,6 +82,10 @@ public class PrepareTemplateCmd extends BaseCmd {
         return templateId;
     }
 
+    public Long getStorageId() {
+        return storageId;
+    }
+
     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     /////////////// API Implementation///////////////////
     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -90,7 +104,7 @@ public class PrepareTemplateCmd extends BaseCmd {
     public void execute() {
         ListResponse<TemplateResponse> response = new ListResponse<TemplateResponse>();
 
-        VirtualMachineTemplate vmTemplate = _templateService.prepareTemplate(templateId, zoneId);
+        VirtualMachineTemplate vmTemplate = _templateService.prepareTemplate(templateId, zoneId, storageId);
         List<TemplateResponse> templateResponses = _responseGenerator.createTemplateResponses(ResponseView.Full, vmTemplate, zoneId, true);
         response.setResponses(templateResponses);
         response.setResponseName(getCommandName());
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/template/TemplateManagerImpl.java b/server/src/com/cloud/template/TemplateManagerImpl.java
index 6e9af8a0441..0eeab576142 100644
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/template/TemplateManagerImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/template/TemplateManagerImpl.java
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ public class TemplateManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements TemplateManager,
     }
 
     @Override
-    public VirtualMachineTemplate prepareTemplate(long templateId, long zoneId) {
+    public VirtualMachineTemplate prepareTemplate(long templateId, long zoneId, Long storageId) {
 
         VMTemplateVO vmTemplate = _tmpltDao.findById(templateId);
         if (vmTemplate == null) {
@@ -445,7 +445,19 @@ public class TemplateManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements TemplateManager,
 
         _accountMgr.checkAccess(CallContext.current().getCallingAccount(), AccessType.OperateEntry, true, vmTemplate);
 
-        prepareTemplateInAllStoragePools(vmTemplate, zoneId);
+        if (storageId != null) {
+            StoragePoolVO pool = _poolDao.findById(storageId);
+            if (pool != null) {
+                if (pool.getStatus() == StoragePoolStatus.Up && pool.getDataCenterId() == zoneId) {
+                    prepareTemplateInOneStoragePool(vmTemplate, pool);
+                } else {
+                    s_logger.warn("Skip loading template " + vmTemplate.getId() + " into primary storage " + pool.getId() + " as either the pool zone "
+                            + pool.getDataCenterId() + " is different from the requested zone " + zoneId + " or the pool is currently not available.");
+                }
+            }
+        } else {
+            prepareTemplateInAllStoragePools(vmTemplate, zoneId);
+        }
         return vmTemplate;
     }
 
@@ -556,28 +568,32 @@ public class TemplateManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements TemplateManager,
         }
     }
 
+    private void prepareTemplateInOneStoragePool(final VMTemplateVO template, final StoragePoolVO pool) {
+        s_logger.info("Schedule to preload template " + template.getId() + " into primary storage " + pool.getId());
+        _preloadExecutor.execute(new ManagedContextRunnable() {
+            @Override
+            protected void runInContext() {
+                try {
+                    reallyRun();
+                } catch (Throwable e) {
+                    s_logger.warn("Unexpected exception ", e);
+                }
+            }
+
+            private void reallyRun() {
+                s_logger.info("Start to preload template " + template.getId() + " into primary storage " + pool.getId());
+                StoragePool pol = (StoragePool)_dataStoreMgr.getPrimaryDataStore(pool.getId());
+                prepareTemplateForCreate(template, pol);
+                s_logger.info("End of preloading template " + template.getId() + " into primary storage " + pool.getId());
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
     public void prepareTemplateInAllStoragePools(final VMTemplateVO template, long zoneId) {
         List<StoragePoolVO> pools = _poolDao.listByStatus(StoragePoolStatus.Up);
         for (final StoragePoolVO pool : pools) {
             if (pool.getDataCenterId() == zoneId) {
-                s_logger.info("Schedule to preload template " + template.getId() + " into primary storage " + pool.getId());
-                _preloadExecutor.execute(new ManagedContextRunnable() {
-                    @Override
-                    protected void runInContext() {
-                        try {
-                            reallyRun();
-                        } catch (Throwable e) {
-                            s_logger.warn("Unexpected exception ", e);
-                        }
-                    }
-
-                    private void reallyRun() {
-                        s_logger.info("Start to preload template " + template.getId() + " into primary storage " + pool.getId());
-                        StoragePool pol = (StoragePool)_dataStoreMgr.getPrimaryDataStore(pool.getId());
-                        prepareTemplateForCreate(template, pol);
-                        s_logger.info("End of preloading template " + template.getId() + " into primary storage " + pool.getId());
-                    }
-                });
+                prepareTemplateInOneStoragePool(template, pool);
             } else {
                 s_logger.info("Skip loading template " + template.getId() + " into primary storage " + pool.getId() + " as pool zone " + pool.getDataCenterId() +
                         " is different from the requested zone " + zoneId);