diff --git a/magnum/api/controllers/v1/bay.py b/magnum/api/controllers/v1/bay.py
index 962d3d2007..d756653086 100644
--- a/magnum/api/controllers/v1/bay.py
+++ b/magnum/api/controllers/v1/bay.py
@@ -266,6 +266,10 @@ class BaysController(rest.RestController):
         auth_token = context.auth_token_info['token']
         bay_dict['project_id'] = auth_token['project']['id']
         bay_dict['user_id'] = auth_token['user']['id']
+        # NOTE(suro-patz): Apply default node_count is 1, None -> 1
+        if bay_dict.get('node_count', None) is None:
+            bay_dict['node_count'] = 1
+
         new_bay = objects.Bay(context, **bay_dict)
         if isinstance(bay.bay_create_timeout, wsme.types.UnsetType):
             bay.bay_create_timeout = 0
diff --git a/magnum/tests/unit/api/controllers/v1/test_bay.py b/magnum/tests/unit/api/controllers/v1/test_bay.py
index fc04aca83f..091584eb4d 100644
--- a/magnum/tests/unit/api/controllers/v1/test_bay.py
+++ b/magnum/tests/unit/api/controllers/v1/test_bay.py
@@ -469,6 +469,14 @@ class TestPost(api_base.FunctionalTest):
         self.assertEqual(400, response.status_int)
         self.assertTrue(response.json['error_message'])
 
+    def test_create_bay_with_no_node_count(self):
+        bdict = apiutils.bay_post_data()
+        del bdict['node_count']
+        response = self.post_json('/bays', bdict, expect_errors=True)
+        self.assertEqual('application/json', response.content_type)
+        self.assertEqual(201, response.status_int)
+        self.assertEqual(1, response.json['node_count'])
+
     def test_create_bay_with_invalid_long_name(self):
         bdict = apiutils.bay_post_data(name='x' * 256)
         response = self.post_json('/bays', bdict, expect_errors=True)