diff --git a/plugins/hypervisors/vmware/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/vmware/resource/VmwareResource.java b/plugins/hypervisors/vmware/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/vmware/resource/VmwareResource.java
index 7b73b19e34d..0c4ab20a195 100755
--- a/plugins/hypervisors/vmware/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/vmware/resource/VmwareResource.java
+++ b/plugins/hypervisors/vmware/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/vmware/resource/VmwareResource.java
@@ -1832,7 +1832,8 @@ public class VmwareResource implements StoragePoolResource, ServerResource, Vmwa
             vmInternalCSName = vmSpec.getName();
             if (_instanceNameFlag == true) {
                 String[] tokens = vmInternalCSName.split("-");
-                vmNameOnVcenter = String.format("%s-%s-%s", tokens[0], tokens[1], vmSpec.getHostName());
+                assert (tokens.length >= 3); // vmInternalCSName has format i-x-y-<instance.name>
+                vmNameOnVcenter = String.format("%s-%s-%s-%s", tokens[0], tokens[1], tokens[2], vmSpec.getHostName());
             }
             else
                 vmNameOnVcenter = vmSpec.getName();