diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/NodesImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/NodesImpl.java
index bc03c0f4c2..15127ae42e 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/NodesImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/NodesImpl.java
@@ -1900,7 +1900,13 @@ public class NodesImpl implements Nodes
             if (isCopy)
             {
                 // copy
-                return fileFolderService.copy(nodeRef, parentNodeRef, name);
+                FileInfo newFileInfo = fileFolderService.copy(nodeRef, parentNodeRef, name);
+                if (newFileInfo.getNodeRef().equals(nodeRef))
+                {
+                    // copy did not happen - eg. same parent folder and name (name can be null or same)
+                    throw new FileExistsException(nodeRef, "");
+                }
+                return newFileInfo;
             }
             else
             {
diff --git a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/NodeApiTest.java b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/NodeApiTest.java
index 9e73a16aa7..14d0dd0a9a 100644
--- a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/NodeApiTest.java
+++ b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/NodeApiTest.java
@@ -1476,12 +1476,17 @@ public class NodeApiTest extends AbstractBaseApiTest
         tgt.setName("new name");
         post("nodes/"+d1Id+"/copy", user1, toJsonAsStringNonNull(tgt), null, 400);
 
-        // name already exists
+        // name already exists - different parent
         tgt = new NodeTarget();
         tgt.setName(newD2Name);
         tgt.setTargetParentId(targetId);
         post("nodes/"+d1Id+"/copy", user1, toJsonAsStringNonNull(tgt), null, 409);
 
+        // name already exists - same parent
+        tgt = new NodeTarget();
+        tgt.setTargetParentId(sourceId);
+        post("nodes/"+d1Id+"/copy", user1, toJsonAsStringNonNull(tgt), null, 409);
+
         // unknown source nodeId
         tgt = new NodeTarget();
         tgt.setTargetParentId(targetId);