diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/SitesImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/SitesImpl.java
index 0147021b5a..5ac570b745 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/SitesImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/SitesImpl.java
@@ -119,7 +119,9 @@ public class SitesImpl implements Sites
     private static final int SITE_MAXLEN_DESCRIPTION = 512;
 
     private static final String SITE_ID_VALID_CHARS_PARTIAL_REGEX = "A-Za-z0-9\\-";
-    
+
+    private static final String DEFAULT_SITE_PRESET = "site-dashboard";
+
     private final static Map<String,QName> SORT_PARAMS_TO_QNAMES;
     static
     {
@@ -1102,7 +1104,7 @@ public class SitesImpl implements Sites
         SiteInfo siteInfo = null;
         try
         {
-            siteInfo = siteService.createSite(site.getPreset() != null ? site.getPreset() : "sitePreset", site.getId(), site.getTitle(), site.getDescription(), site.getVisibility());
+            siteInfo = siteService.createSite(DEFAULT_SITE_PRESET, site.getId(), site.getTitle(), site.getDescription(), site.getVisibility());
         }
         catch (SiteServiceException sse)
         {
diff --git a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/RepoService.java b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/RepoService.java
index e1567cc542..4539e077a5 100644
--- a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/RepoService.java
+++ b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/RepoService.java
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ public class RepoService
      */
 	public TestSite createSite(TestNetwork network, final SiteInformation siteInfoIn)
     {
-		SiteInfo siteInfoOut = siteService.createSite(TEST_SITE_PRESET, siteInfoIn.getShortName(), siteInfoIn.getTitle(), siteInfoIn.getDescription(), siteInfoIn.getSiteVisibility());
+		SiteInfo siteInfoOut = siteService.createSite(siteInfoIn.getSitePreset() != null ? siteInfoIn.getSitePreset() : TEST_SITE_PRESET, siteInfoIn.getShortName(), siteInfoIn.getTitle(), siteInfoIn.getDescription(), siteInfoIn.getSiteVisibility());
     	siteService.createContainer(siteInfoIn.getShortName(), "documentLibrary", ContentModel.TYPE_FOLDER, null);
 		
     	final TestSite testSite = new TestSite(network, siteInfoOut);
@@ -1378,6 +1378,13 @@ public class RepoService
 			return createSite(siteInfo);
 	    }
 
+        public TestSite createSite(String id, String title, String description, String sitePreset, SiteVisibility visibility)
+        {
+            SiteInformation siteInfo = new SiteInformation(id, title, description, sitePreset, visibility);
+            // Used deprecated createSite method until will be allowed creating a site with sitePreset
+            return createSite(siteInfo);
+        }
+
         public TestSite createSite(SiteVisibility siteVisibility)
         {
             return createSite(null, siteVisibility);
@@ -1954,6 +1961,12 @@ public class RepoService
 			this.siteVisibility = siteVisibility;
 		}
 
+        public SiteInformation(String shortName, String title, String description, String sitePreset, SiteVisibility siteVisibility)
+        {
+            this(shortName, title, description, siteVisibility);
+            this.sitePreset = sitePreset;
+        }
+
 		public String getShortName()
 		{
 			return shortName;
diff --git a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/TestSites.java b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/TestSites.java
index 8f9df6d243..68736f012d 100644
--- a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/TestSites.java
+++ b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/TestSites.java
@@ -181,25 +181,20 @@ public class TestSites extends EnterpriseTestApi
                 }
             }, network3.getId());
 
-            publicApiClient.setRequestContext(new RequestContext(network3.getId(), person4Id));
-
-            Sites sitesProxy = publicApiClient.sites();
-
-            Site site = new SiteImpl().withSiteId("a-" + GUID.generate()).withTitle("site A" + GUID.generate()).withDescription(siteDescription)
-                    .withVisibility(SiteVisibility.PRIVATE.toString()).withPreset(preset);
-            site7 = sitesProxy.createSite(site);
-
-            site = new SiteImpl().withSiteId("b-" + GUID.generate()).withTitle("site B" + GUID.generate()).withDescription(siteDescription)
-                    .withVisibility(SiteVisibility.PUBLIC.toString()).withPreset(preset);
-            site8 = sitesProxy.createSite(site);
-
-            site = new SiteImpl().withSiteId("c-" + GUID.generate()).withTitle("site C" + GUID.generate()).withDescription(siteDescription)
-                    .withVisibility(SiteVisibility.PUBLIC.toString()).withPreset(preset);
-            site9 = sitesProxy.createSite(site);
-
-            site = new SiteImpl().withSiteId("d-" + GUID.generate()).withTitle("site D" + GUID.generate()).withDescription(siteDescription)
-                    .withVisibility(SiteVisibility.MODERATED.toString()).withPreset("site-dashboard");
-            site10 = sitesProxy.createSite(site);
+            TenantUtil.runAsUserTenant(new TenantRunAsWork<Void>()
+            {
+                @Override
+                public Void doWork() throws Exception
+                {
+                    // Temporary solution for testing as for now creating a site
+                    // with site preset is not allowed (please see REPO-194)
+                    site7 = network3.createSite("a-" + GUID.generate(), "site A" + GUID.generate(), siteDescription, preset, SiteVisibility.PRIVATE);
+                    site8 = network3.createSite("b-" + GUID.generate(), "site B" + GUID.generate(), siteDescription, preset, SiteVisibility.PUBLIC);
+                    site9 = network3.createSite("c-" + GUID.generate(), "site C" + GUID.generate(), siteDescription, preset, SiteVisibility.PUBLIC);
+                    site10 = network3.createSite("d-" + GUID.generate(), "site D" + GUID.generate(), siteDescription, "site-dashboard", SiteVisibility.MODERATED);
+                    return null;
+                }
+            }, person4Id, network3.getId());
         }
     }