diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/SitesImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/SitesImpl.java
index 0efd1669ef..0147021b5a 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/SitesImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/SitesImpl.java
@@ -1102,7 +1102,7 @@ public class SitesImpl implements Sites
         SiteInfo siteInfo = null;
         try
         {
-            siteInfo = siteService.createSite(site.getPreset(), site.getId(), site.getTitle(), site.getDescription(), site.getVisibility());
+            siteInfo = siteService.createSite(site.getPreset() != null ? site.getPreset() : "sitePreset", site.getId(), site.getTitle(), site.getDescription(), site.getVisibility());
         }
         catch (SiteServiceException sse)
         {
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/sites/SiteEntityResource.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/sites/SiteEntityResource.java
index 6e58b06826..ea82313d64 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/sites/SiteEntityResource.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/sites/SiteEntityResource.java
@@ -150,6 +150,10 @@ public class SiteEntityResource implements EntityResourceAction.Read<Site>,
         {
             throw new InvalidArgumentException("Site update does not support field: role");
         }
+        if (site.getPreset() != null)
+        {
+            throw new InvalidArgumentException("Site update does not support field: preset");
+        }
 
         // Bind valid fields to a SiteUpdate instance.
         final String title = site.getTitle();
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 bdf997f82b..8f9df6d243 100644
--- a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/TestSites.java
+++ b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/TestSites.java
@@ -706,6 +706,17 @@ public class TestSites extends EnterpriseTestApi
                     null,
                     "Expected 400 response when updating "+site.getSiteId(), 400);
 
+            sitesProxy.update(
+                    "sites",
+                    site.getSiteId(),
+                    null,
+                    null,
+                    "{\n" +
+                            "  \"preset\": \"sitePreset\"" +
+                            "}",
+                    null,
+                    "Expected 400 response when updating "+site.getSiteId(), 400);
+
             // Details should not have changed.
             Site fresh = sitesProxy.getSite(site.getSiteId(), 200);
             site.expected(fresh);