diff --git a/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/DeployVMCmd.java b/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/DeployVMCmd.java
index bea7e431721..b0a8a973bb6 100644
--- a/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/DeployVMCmd.java
+++ b/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/DeployVMCmd.java
@@ -145,24 +145,27 @@ public class DeployVMCmd extends BaseAsyncCreateCmd {
     }
 
     public List<Long> getSecurityGroupIdList() {
-        if (securityGroupIdList != null && securityGroupIdList != null) {
+        if (securityGroupNameList != null && securityGroupIdList != null) {
             throw new InvalidParameterValueException("securitygroupids parameter is mutually exclusive with securitygroupnames parameter");
+        } else if (securityGroupNameList == null && securityGroupIdList == null) {
+            throw new InvalidParameterValueException("securitygroupids or securitygroupnames must be specified");
         }
         
        //transform group names to ids here
        if (securityGroupNameList != null) {
-            securityGroupIdList = new ArrayList<Long>();
+            List<Long> securityGroupIds = new ArrayList<Long>();
             for (String groupName : securityGroupNameList) {
                 Long groupId = _responseGenerator.getSecurityGroupId(groupName, getEntityOwnerId());
                 if (groupId == null) {
                     throw new InvalidParameterValueException("Unable to find group by name " + groupName + " for account " + getEntityOwnerId());
                 } else {
-                    securityGroupIdList.add(groupId);
+                    securityGroupIds.add(groupId);
                 }
             }    
+            return securityGroupIds;
+        } else {
+            return securityGroupIdList;
         }
-       
-       return securityGroupIdList;
     }
 
     public Long getServiceOfferingId() {
@@ -320,15 +323,15 @@ public class DeployVMCmd extends BaseAsyncCreateCmd {
                     if (getNetworkIds() != null) {
                         throw new InvalidParameterValueException("Can't specify network Ids in Basic zone");
                     } else {
-                        vm = _userVmService.createBasicSecurityGroupVirtualMachine(zone, serviceOffering, template, securityGroupIdList, owner, name,
+                        vm = _userVmService.createBasicSecurityGroupVirtualMachine(zone, serviceOffering, template, getSecurityGroupIdList(), owner, name,
                                 displayName, diskOfferingId, size, group, getHypervisor(), userData, sshKeyPairName);
                     }
                 } else {
                     if (zone.isSecurityGroupEnabled()) {
-                        vm = _userVmService.createAdvancedSecurityGroupVirtualMachine(zone, serviceOffering, template, getNetworkIds(), securityGroupIdList,
+                        vm = _userVmService.createAdvancedSecurityGroupVirtualMachine(zone, serviceOffering, template, getNetworkIds(), getSecurityGroupIdList(),
                                 owner, name, displayName, diskOfferingId, size, group, getHypervisor(), userData, sshKeyPairName);
                     } else {
-                        if (securityGroupIdList != null && !securityGroupIdList.isEmpty()) {
+                        if (getSecurityGroupIdList() != null && !getSecurityGroupIdList().isEmpty()) {
                             throw new InvalidParameterValueException("Can't create vm with security groups; security group feature is not enabled per zone");
                         }
                         vm = _userVmService.createAdvancedVirtualMachine(zone, serviceOffering, template, getNetworkIds(), owner, name, displayName,