diff --git a/cinder/api/contrib/qos_specs_manage.py b/cinder/api/contrib/qos_specs_manage.py
index 2dc95d34b2e..b24d220f329 100644
--- a/cinder/api/contrib/qos_specs_manage.py
+++ b/cinder/api/contrib/qos_specs_manage.py
@@ -83,10 +83,15 @@ class QoSSpecsController(wsgi.Controller):
             msg = _("Please specify a name for QoS specs.")
             raise webob.exc.HTTPBadRequest(explanation=msg)
 
-        utils.validate_dictionary_string_length(specs)
+        self.validate_string_length(name, 'name', min_length=1,
+                                    max_length=255, remove_whitespaces=True)
         name = name.strip()
         # Remove name from 'specs' since passing it in as separate param
         del specs['name']
+
+        # Validate the key-value pairs in the qos spec.
+        utils.validate_dictionary_string_length(specs)
+
         try:
             spec = qos_specs.create(context, name, specs)
             notifier_info = dict(name=name, specs=specs)
diff --git a/cinder/tests/unit/api/contrib/test_qos_specs_manage.py b/cinder/tests/unit/api/contrib/test_qos_specs_manage.py
index b24bab88a74..ca672a05809 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/unit/api/contrib/test_qos_specs_manage.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/unit/api/contrib/test_qos_specs_manage.py
@@ -458,8 +458,7 @@ class QoSSpecManageApiTest(test.TestCase):
 
     @ddt.data({'name': 'fake_name', 'a' * 256: 'a'},
               {'name': 'fake_name', 'a': 'a' * 256},
-              {'name': 'fake_name' * 256, 'a': 'a'},
-              {'name': 'fake_name' * 256, '': 'a'})
+              {'name': 'fake_name', '': 'a'})
     def test_create_qos_with_invalid_specs(self, value):
         body = {'qos_specs': value}
         req = fakes.HTTPRequest.blank('/v2/%s/qos-specs' % fake.PROJECT_ID,
@@ -468,6 +467,18 @@ class QoSSpecManageApiTest(test.TestCase):
         self.assertRaises(exception.InvalidInput,
                           self.controller.create, req, body)
 
+    @ddt.data({'name': None},
+              {'name': 'n' * 256},
+              {'name': ''},
+              {'name': '  '})
+    def test_create_qos_with_invalid_spec_name(self, value):
+        body = {'qos_specs': value}
+        req = fakes.HTTPRequest.blank('/v2/%s/qos-specs' % fake.PROJECT_ID,
+                                      use_admin_context=True)
+        req.method = 'POST'
+        self.assertRaises(webob.exc.HTTPBadRequest,
+                          self.controller.create, req, body)
+
     @mock.patch('cinder.volume.qos_specs.update',
                 side_effect=return_qos_specs_update)
     def test_update(self, mock_qos_update):