diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManagerImpl.java b/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManagerImpl.java
index bf4a35d77a8..a691b1bee83 100755
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManagerImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManagerImpl.java
@@ -3134,13 +3134,20 @@ public class NetworkManagerImpl implements NetworkManager, NetworkService, Manag
                 }
             }
 
-            // check for ip address/port conflicts by checking existing forwarding and load balancing rules
-            List<FirewallRuleVO> existingNatRules = _rulesDao.findByPublicIpPrivateIpForNatRule(ipAddr, userVM.getGuestIpAddress());
+            // check for ip address/port conflicts by checking existing port/ip forwarding rules
+            List<FirewallRuleVO> existingFirewallRules = _rulesDao.findRuleByPublicIp(ipAddr);
 
-            if(existingNatRules.size() > 0){
-                throw new NetworkRuleConflictException("The specified rule for public ip:"+ipAddr+" vm id:"+virtualMachineId+" already exists");
+            if(existingFirewallRules.size() > 0){
+                throw new NetworkRuleConflictException("There already exists a firewall rule for public ip:"+ipAddr);
             }
 
+            //check for ip address/port conflicts by checking existing load balancing rules
+            List<LoadBalancerVO> existingLoadBalancerRules = _loadBalancerDao.listByIpAddress(ipAddr);
+
+            if(existingLoadBalancerRules.size() > 0){
+                throw new NetworkRuleConflictException("There already exists a load balancer rule for public ip:"+ipAddr);
+            }
+            
             //if given ip address is already source nat, return error
             if(ipAddress.isSourceNat()){
                 throw new PermissionDeniedException("Cannot create a static nat rule for the ip:"+ipAddress.getAddress()+" ,this is already a source nat ip address");
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/network/dao/FirewallRulesDao.java b/server/src/com/cloud/network/dao/FirewallRulesDao.java
index d9247c36fdf..62cb4bde12e 100644
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/network/dao/FirewallRulesDao.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/network/dao/FirewallRulesDao.java
@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@ public interface FirewallRulesDao extends GenericDao<FirewallRuleVO, Long> {
     public List<FirewallRuleVO> listByLoadBalancerId(long loadBalancerId);
     public List<FirewallRuleVO> listForwardingByPubAndPrivIp(boolean forwarding, String publicIPAddress, String privateIp);
     public FirewallRuleVO findByGroupAndPrivateIp(long groupId, String privateIp, boolean forwarding);
-	public List<FirewallRuleVO> findByPublicIpPrivateIpForNatRule(String publicIp,String privateIp);
 	public List<FirewallRuleVO> listByPrivateIp(String privateIp);
 	public boolean isPublicIpOneToOneNATted(String publicIp);
 	void deleteIPForwardingByPublicIpAndPort(String ipAddress, String port);
-	public List<FirewallRuleVO> listIPForwardingForLB(long userId, long dcId);
+	public List<FirewallRuleVO> listIPForwardingForLB(long userId, long dcId);
+	public List<FirewallRuleVO> findRuleByPublicIp(String publicIp);
 }
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/network/dao/FirewallRulesDaoImpl.java b/server/src/com/cloud/network/dao/FirewallRulesDaoImpl.java
index cd83a38d661..8a2033d7cea 100644
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/network/dao/FirewallRulesDaoImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/network/dao/FirewallRulesDaoImpl.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public class FirewallRulesDaoImpl extends GenericDaoBase<FirewallRuleVO, Long> i
     protected SearchBuilder<FirewallRuleVO> FWByIpForLB;
 
     protected SearchBuilder<FirewallRuleVO> FWByGroupAndPrivateIp;
-    protected SearchBuilder<FirewallRuleVO> FWByPrivateIpPrivatePortPublicIpPublicPortSearch;
+    protected SearchBuilder<FirewallRuleVO> FWByPublicIpSearch;
     protected SearchBuilder<FirewallRuleVO> OneToOneNATSearch;
 
 
@@ -141,12 +141,9 @@ public class FirewallRulesDaoImpl extends GenericDaoBase<FirewallRuleVO, Long> i
         FWByGroupAndPrivateIp.and("forwarding", FWByGroupAndPrivateIp.entity().isForwarding(), SearchCriteria.Op.EQ);
         FWByGroupAndPrivateIp.done();
 
-        FWByPrivateIpPrivatePortPublicIpPublicPortSearch = createSearchBuilder();
-        FWByPrivateIpPrivatePortPublicIpPublicPortSearch.and("publicIpAddress", FWByPrivateIpPrivatePortPublicIpPublicPortSearch.entity().getPublicIpAddress(), SearchCriteria.Op.EQ);
-        FWByPrivateIpPrivatePortPublicIpPublicPortSearch.and("privateIpAddress", FWByPrivateIpPrivatePortPublicIpPublicPortSearch.entity().getPrivateIpAddress(), SearchCriteria.Op.EQ);
-        FWByPrivateIpPrivatePortPublicIpPublicPortSearch.and("privatePort", FWByPrivateIpPrivatePortPublicIpPublicPortSearch.entity().getPrivatePort(), SearchCriteria.Op.NULL);
-        FWByPrivateIpPrivatePortPublicIpPublicPortSearch.and("publicPort", FWByPrivateIpPrivatePortPublicIpPublicPortSearch.entity().getPublicPort(), SearchCriteria.Op.NULL);
-        FWByPrivateIpPrivatePortPublicIpPublicPortSearch.done();
+        FWByPublicIpSearch = createSearchBuilder();
+        FWByPublicIpSearch.and("publicIpAddress", FWByPublicIpSearch.entity().getPublicIpAddress(), SearchCriteria.Op.EQ);
+        FWByPublicIpSearch.done();
         
         OneToOneNATSearch = createSearchBuilder();
         OneToOneNATSearch.and("publicIpAddress", OneToOneNATSearch.entity().getPublicIpAddress(), SearchCriteria.Op.EQ);
@@ -363,10 +360,9 @@ public class FirewallRulesDaoImpl extends GenericDaoBase<FirewallRuleVO, Long> i
     }
     
     @Override
-    public List<FirewallRuleVO> findByPublicIpPrivateIpForNatRule(String publicIp, String privateIp){
-    	SearchCriteria<FirewallRuleVO> sc = FWByPrivateIpPrivatePortPublicIpPublicPortSearch.create();
+    public List<FirewallRuleVO> findRuleByPublicIp(String publicIp){
+    	SearchCriteria<FirewallRuleVO> sc = FWByPublicIpSearch.create();
     	sc.setParameters("publicIpAddress", publicIp);
-    	sc.setParameters("privateIpAddress", privateIp);
     	return listBy(sc);
     }