diff --git a/api/src/com/cloud/api/ApiConstants.java b/api/src/com/cloud/api/ApiConstants.java
index 49ef2b94ef5..7dea9207153 100755
--- a/api/src/com/cloud/api/ApiConstants.java
+++ b/api/src/com/cloud/api/ApiConstants.java
@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ public class ApiConstants {
     public static final String CHANGE_CIDR = "changecidr";
     public static final String PURPOSE = "purpose";
     public static final String IS_TAGGED = "istagged";
+    public static final String INSTANCE_NAME = "instancename";
     
     public enum HostDetails {
         all, capacity, events, stats, min;
diff --git a/api/src/com/cloud/api/response/UserVmResponse.java b/api/src/com/cloud/api/response/UserVmResponse.java
index a415e552b78..5bd68cf10f6 100755
--- a/api/src/com/cloud/api/response/UserVmResponse.java
+++ b/api/src/com/cloud/api/response/UserVmResponse.java
@@ -152,6 +152,9 @@ public class UserVmResponse extends BaseResponse implements ControlledEntityResp
     
     @SerializedName(ApiConstants.PUBLIC_IP) @Param(description="public IP address id associated with vm via Static nat rule")
     private String publicIp;
+    
+    @SerializedName(ApiConstants.INSTANCE_NAME) @Param(description="instance name of the user vm; this parameter is returned to the ROOT admin only")
+    private String instanceName;
 
 	public void setHypervisor(String hypervisor) {
 		this.hypervisor = hypervisor;
@@ -335,4 +338,8 @@ public class UserVmResponse extends BaseResponse implements ControlledEntityResp
     public void setPublicIp(String publicIp) {
         this.publicIp = publicIp;
     }
+
+    public void setInstanceName(String instanceName) {
+        this.instanceName = instanceName;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/api/ApiResponseHelper.java b/server/src/com/cloud/api/ApiResponseHelper.java
index 071479b71fb..ff176499b21 100755
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/api/ApiResponseHelper.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/api/ApiResponseHelper.java
@@ -1268,7 +1268,12 @@ public class ApiResponseHelper implements ResponseGenerator {
             } else {
                 userVmResponse.setDisplayName(userVm.getHostName());
             }
-
+            
+            if (caller.getType() == Account.ACCOUNT_TYPE_ADMIN) {
+                userVmResponse.setInstanceName(userVm.getInstanceName());
+            }
+            
+ 
             if (userVm.getPassword() != null) {
                 userVmResponse.setPassword(userVm.getPassword());
             }
@@ -2904,6 +2909,8 @@ public class ApiResponseHelper implements ResponseGenerator {
         } else {
             userVmData.setDisplayName(userVm.getHostName());
         }
+        userVmData.setInstanceName(userVm.getInstanceName());
+        
         userVmData.setDomainId(userVm.getDomainId());
 
         Account caller = UserContext.current().getCaller();
@@ -2939,6 +2946,7 @@ public class ApiResponseHelper implements ResponseGenerator {
         userVmResponse.setZoneId(userVmData.getZoneId());
         userVmResponse.setZoneName(userVmData.getZoneName());
         if (caller_is_admin) {
+            userVmResponse.setInstanceName(userVmData.getInstanceName());
             userVmResponse.setHostId(userVmData.getHostId());
             userVmResponse.setHostName(userVmData.getHostName());
         }
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/vm/dao/UserVmData.java b/server/src/com/cloud/vm/dao/UserVmData.java
index e07beae0bec..2f2b1d3e6fe 100644
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/vm/dao/UserVmData.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/vm/dao/UserVmData.java
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ public class UserVmData {
     private long accountId;
     private Long publicIpId;
     private String publicIp;
+    private String instanceName;
     
     private boolean initialized;
     
@@ -701,6 +702,14 @@ public class UserVmData {
 
     public void setPublicIp(String publicIp) {
         this.publicIp = publicIp;
-    } 
+    }
+
+    public String getInstanceName() {
+        return instanceName;
+    }
+
+    public void setInstanceName(String instanceName) {
+        this.instanceName = instanceName;
+    }
 }