diff --git a/server/src/main/java/com/cloud/vm/UserVmManager.java b/server/src/main/java/com/cloud/vm/UserVmManager.java
index 8d4cf453a56..cde2d04970d 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/com/cloud/vm/UserVmManager.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/com/cloud/vm/UserVmManager.java
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ public interface UserVmManager extends UserVmService {
     Pair<UserVmVO, Map<VirtualMachineProfile.Param, Object>> startVirtualMachine(long vmId, Long podId, Long clusterId, Long hostId, Map<VirtualMachineProfile.Param, Object> additionalParams, String deploymentPlannerToUse)
             throws ConcurrentOperationException, ResourceUnavailableException, InsufficientCapacityException, ResourceAllocationException;
 
+    Pair<UserVmVO, Map<VirtualMachineProfile.Param, Object>> startVirtualMachine(long vmId, Long podId, Long clusterId, Long hostId, Map<VirtualMachineProfile.Param, Object> additionalParams, String deploymentPlannerToUse, boolean isExplicitHost)
+            throws ConcurrentOperationException, ResourceUnavailableException, InsufficientCapacityException, ResourceAllocationException;
+
     boolean upgradeVirtualMachine(Long id, Long serviceOfferingId, Map<String, String> customParameters) throws ResourceUnavailableException,
         ConcurrentOperationException, ManagementServerException,
         VirtualMachineMigrationException;
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/com/cloud/vm/UserVmManagerImpl.java b/server/src/main/java/com/cloud/vm/UserVmManagerImpl.java
index d7c90b305c8..463e17730b8 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/com/cloud/vm/UserVmManagerImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/com/cloud/vm/UserVmManagerImpl.java
@@ -1078,7 +1078,7 @@ public class UserVmManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements UserVmManager, Vir
                     params = new HashMap();
                     params.put(VirtualMachineProfile.Param.BootIntoSetup, Boolean.TRUE);
                 }
-                return startVirtualMachine(vmId, null, null, hostId, params, null).first();
+                return startVirtualMachine(vmId, null, null, hostId, params, null, false).first();
             }
         } catch (ResourceUnavailableException e) {
             throw new CloudRuntimeException("Unable to reboot the VM: " + vmId, e);
@@ -5063,6 +5063,13 @@ public class UserVmManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements UserVmManager, Vir
     public Pair<UserVmVO, Map<VirtualMachineProfile.Param, Object>> startVirtualMachine(long vmId, Long podId, Long clusterId, Long hostId,
             Map<VirtualMachineProfile.Param, Object> additionalParams, String deploymentPlannerToUse)
             throws ConcurrentOperationException, ResourceUnavailableException, InsufficientCapacityException, ResourceAllocationException {
+        return startVirtualMachine(vmId, podId, clusterId, hostId, additionalParams, deploymentPlannerToUse, true);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Pair<UserVmVO, Map<VirtualMachineProfile.Param, Object>> startVirtualMachine(long vmId, Long podId, Long clusterId, Long hostId,
+            Map<VirtualMachineProfile.Param, Object> additionalParams, String deploymentPlannerToUse, boolean isExplicitHost)
+            throws ConcurrentOperationException, ResourceUnavailableException, InsufficientCapacityException, ResourceAllocationException {
         // Input validation
         final Account callerAccount = CallContext.current().getCallingAccount();
         UserVO callerUser = _userDao.findById(CallContext.current().getCallingUserId());
@@ -5118,7 +5125,7 @@ public class UserVmManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements UserVmManager, Vir
         boolean isRootAdmin = _accountService.isRootAdmin(callerAccount.getId());
         Pod destinationPod = getDestinationPod(podId, isRootAdmin);
         Cluster destinationCluster = getDestinationCluster(clusterId, isRootAdmin);
-        Host destinationHost = getDestinationHost(hostId, isRootAdmin);
+        Host destinationHost = getDestinationHost(hostId, isRootAdmin, isExplicitHost);
         DataCenterDeployment plan = null;
         boolean deployOnGivenHost = false;
         if (destinationHost != null) {
@@ -5271,10 +5278,10 @@ public class UserVmManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements UserVmManager, Vir
         return destinationCluster;
     }
 
-    private Host getDestinationHost(Long hostId, boolean isRootAdmin) {
+    private Host getDestinationHost(Long hostId, boolean isRootAdmin, boolean isExplicitHost) {
         Host destinationHost = null;
         if (hostId != null) {
-            if (!isRootAdmin) {
+            if (isExplicitHost && !isRootAdmin) {
                 throw new PermissionDeniedException(
                         "Parameter " + ApiConstants.HOST_ID + " can only be specified by a Root Admin, permission denied");
             }
@@ -5615,7 +5622,7 @@ public class UserVmManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements UserVmManager, Vir
         boolean isRootAdmin = _accountService.isRootAdmin(callerId);
 
         Long hostId = cmd.getHostId();
-        getDestinationHost(hostId, isRootAdmin);
+        getDestinationHost(hostId, isRootAdmin, true);
 
         String ipAddress = cmd.getIpAddress();
         String ip6Address = cmd.getIp6Address();