diff --git a/common/models/role.js b/common/models/role.js
index c86049b74..b8c1242d5 100644
--- a/common/models/role.js
+++ b/common/models/role.js
@@ -445,4 +445,6 @@ module.exports = function(Role) {
       if (callback) callback(err, roles);
     });
   };
+
+  Role.validatesUniquenessOf('name', { message: 'already exists' });
 };
diff --git a/test/role.test.js b/test/role.test.js
index 7ac313bb7..e2de4f928 100644
--- a/test/role.test.js
+++ b/test/role.test.js
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ var async = require('async');
 var expect = require('chai').expect;
 
 function checkResult(err, result) {
-  // console.log(err, result);
   assert(!err);
 }
 
@@ -65,11 +64,10 @@ describe('role model', function() {
   });
 
   it('should define role/user relations', function() {
-
-    User.create({name: 'Raymond', email: 'x@y.com', password: 'foobar'}, function(err, user) {
-      // console.log('User: ', user.id);
-      Role.create({name: 'userRole'}, function(err, role) {
-        role.principals.create({principalType: RoleMapping.USER, principalId: user.id}, function(err, p) {
+    User.create({ name: 'Raymond', email: 'x@y.com', password: 'foobar' }, function(err, user) {
+      Role.create({ name: 'userRole' }, function(err, role) {
+        role.principals.create({ principalType: RoleMapping.USER, principalId: user.id },
+        function(err, p) {
           Role.find(function(err, roles) {
             assert(!err);
             assert.equal(roles.length, 1);
@@ -77,7 +75,6 @@ describe('role model', function() {
           });
           role.principals(function(err, principals) {
             assert(!err);
-            // console.log(principals);
             assert.equal(principals.length, 1);
             assert.equal(principals[0].principalType, RoleMapping.USER);
             assert.equal(principals[0].principalId, user.id);
@@ -93,11 +90,25 @@ describe('role model', function() {
 
   });
 
-  it('should automatically generate role id', function() {
+  it('should not allow duplicate role name', function(done) {
+    Role.create({ name: 'userRole' }, function(err, role) {
+      if (err) return done(err);
 
-    User.create({name: 'Raymond', email: 'x@y.com', password: 'foobar'}, function(err, user) {
-      // console.log('User: ', user.id);
-      Role.create({name: 'userRole'}, function(err, role) {
+      Role.create({ name: 'userRole' }, function(err, role) {
+        expect(err).to.exist; //jshint ignore:line
+        expect(err).to.have.property('name', 'ValidationError');
+        expect(err).to.have.deep.property('details.codes.name');
+        expect(err.details.codes.name).to.contain('uniqueness');
+        expect(err).to.have.property('statusCode', 422);
+
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should automatically generate role id', function() {
+    User.create({ name: 'Raymond', email: 'x@y.com', password: 'foobar' }, function(err, user) {
+      Role.create({ name: 'userRole' }, function(err, role) {
         assert(role.id);
         role.principals.create({principalType: RoleMapping.USER, principalId: user.id}, function(err, p) {
           assert(p.id);
@@ -109,7 +120,6 @@ describe('role model', function() {
           });
           role.principals(function(err, principals) {
             assert(!err);
-            // console.log(principals);
             assert.equal(principals.length, 1);
             assert.equal(principals[0].principalType, RoleMapping.USER);
             assert.equal(principals[0].principalId, user.id);
@@ -126,13 +136,12 @@ describe('role model', function() {
   });
 
   it('should support getRoles() and isInRole()', function() {
-    User.create({name: 'Raymond', email: 'x@y.com', password: 'foobar'}, function(err, user) {
-      // console.log('User: ', user.id);
-      Role.create({name: 'userRole'}, function(err, role) {
-        role.principals.create({principalType: RoleMapping.USER, principalId: user.id}, function(err, p) {
-          // Role.find(console.log);
-          // role.principals(console.log);
-          Role.isInRole('userRole', {principalType: RoleMapping.USER, principalId: user.id}, function(err, exists) {
+    User.create({ name: 'Raymond', email: 'x@y.com', password: 'foobar' }, function(err, user) {
+      Role.create({ name: 'userRole' }, function(err, role) {
+        role.principals.create({ principalType: RoleMapping.USER, principalId: user.id },
+        function(err, p) {
+          Role.isInRole('userRole', { principalType: RoleMapping.USER, principalId: user.id },
+          function(err, exists) {
             assert(!err && exists === true);
           });
 
@@ -209,9 +218,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
         assert(!err && yes);
       });
 
-      // console.log('User: ', user.id);
-      Album.create({name: 'Album 1', userId: user.id}, function(err, album1) {
-        Role.isInRole(Role.OWNER, {principalType: ACL.USER, principalId: user.id, model: Album, id: album1.id}, function(err, yes) {
+      Album.create({ name: 'Album 1', userId: user.id }, function(err, album1) {
+        var role = { principalType: ACL.USER, principalId: user.id, model: Album, id: album1.id };
+        Role.isInRole(Role.OWNER, role, function(err, yes) {
           assert(!err && yes);
         });
         Album.create({name: 'Album 2'}, function(err, album2) {
@@ -233,6 +242,7 @@ describe('role model', function() {
         password: 'jpass'
       }, function(err, u) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         user = u;
         User.create({
           username: 'mary',
@@ -240,15 +250,18 @@ describe('role model', function() {
           password: 'mpass'
         }, function(err, u) {
           if (err) return done(err);
+
           Application.create({
             name: 'demo'
           }, function(err, a) {
             if (err) return done(err);
+
             app = a;
             Role.create({
               name: 'admin'
             }, function(err, r) {
               if (err) return done(err);
+
               role = r;
               var principals = [
                 {
@@ -272,7 +285,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should resolve user by id', function(done) {
       ACL.resolvePrincipal(ACL.USER, user.id, function(err, u) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(u.id).to.eql(user.id);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -280,7 +295,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should resolve user by username', function(done) {
       ACL.resolvePrincipal(ACL.USER, user.username, function(err, u) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(u.username).to.eql(user.username);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -288,7 +305,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should resolve user by email', function(done) {
       ACL.resolvePrincipal(ACL.USER, user.email, function(err, u) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(u.email).to.eql(user.email);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -296,7 +315,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should resolve app by id', function(done) {
       ACL.resolvePrincipal(ACL.APP, app.id, function(err, a) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(a.id).to.eql(app.id);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -304,7 +325,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should resolve app by name', function(done) {
       ACL.resolvePrincipal(ACL.APP, app.name, function(err, a) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(a.name).to.eql(app.name);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -312,7 +335,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should report isMappedToRole by user.username', function(done) {
       ACL.isMappedToRole(ACL.USER, user.username, 'admin', function(err, flag) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(flag).to.eql(true);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -320,7 +345,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should report isMappedToRole by user.email', function(done) {
       ACL.isMappedToRole(ACL.USER, user.email, 'admin', function(err, flag) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(flag).to.eql(true);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -329,7 +356,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
       function(done) {
         ACL.isMappedToRole(ACL.USER, 'mary', 'admin', function(err, flag) {
           if (err) return done(err);
+
           expect(flag).to.eql(false);
+
           done();
         });
       });
@@ -337,7 +366,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should report isMappedToRole by app.name', function(done) {
       ACL.isMappedToRole(ACL.APP, app.name, 'admin', function(err, flag) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(flag).to.eql(true);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -345,7 +376,9 @@ describe('role model', function() {
     it('should report isMappedToRole by app.name', function(done) {
       ACL.isMappedToRole(ACL.APP, app.name, 'admin', function(err, flag) {
         if (err) return done(err);
+
         expect(flag).to.eql(true);
+
         done();
       });
     });
@@ -383,6 +416,7 @@ describe('role model', function() {
               role[pluralName](function(err, models) {
                 assert(!err);
                 assert.equal(models.length, 1);
+
                 if (++runs === mappings.length) {
                   done();
                 }
@@ -404,6 +438,7 @@ describe('role model', function() {
               assert.equal(users.length, 1);
               assert.equal(users[0].id, user.id);
               assert(User.find.calledWith(query));
+
               done();
             });
           });