diff --git a/awx/api/permissions.py b/awx/api/permissions.py
index a655360dc8..8ec26a2cc8 100644
--- a/awx/api/permissions.py
+++ b/awx/api/permissions.py
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@
 # Python
 import logging
 
-# Django
-from django.http import Http404
-
 # Django REST Framework
 from rest_framework.exceptions import MethodNotAllowed, PermissionDenied
 from rest_framework import permissions
@@ -19,7 +16,7 @@ from awx.main.utils import get_object_or_400
 logger = logging.getLogger('awx.api.permissions')
 
 __all__ = ['ModelAccessPermission', 'JobTemplateCallbackPermission',
-           'TaskPermission', 'ProjectUpdatePermission', 'UserPermission']
+           'TaskPermission', 'ProjectUpdatePermission', 'UserPermission',]
 
 
 class ModelAccessPermission(permissions.BasePermission):
@@ -96,13 +93,6 @@ class ModelAccessPermission(permissions.BasePermission):
         method based on the request method.
         '''
 
-        # Check that obj (if given) is active, otherwise raise a 404.
-        active = getattr(obj, 'active', getattr(obj, 'is_active', True))
-        if callable(active):
-            active = active()
-        if not active:
-            raise Http404()
-
         # Don't allow anonymous users. 401, not 403, hence no raised exception.
         if not request.user or request.user.is_anonymous():
             return False
@@ -216,3 +206,5 @@ class UserPermission(ModelAccessPermission):
         elif request.user.is_superuser:
             return True
         raise PermissionDenied()
+
+
diff --git a/awx/api/views.py b/awx/api/views.py
index bf59089cdf..f36404d710 100644
--- a/awx/api/views.py
+++ b/awx/api/views.py
@@ -1685,6 +1685,7 @@ class HostList(ListCreateAPIView):
 
 class HostDetail(RetrieveUpdateDestroyAPIView):
 
+    always_allow_superuser = False
     model = Host
     serializer_class = HostSerializer
 
diff --git a/awx/main/access.py b/awx/main/access.py
index 196d58b6c6..9417563f75 100644
--- a/awx/main/access.py
+++ b/awx/main/access.py
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ class BaseAccess(object):
 
         return True  # User has access to both, permission check passed
 
-    def check_license(self, add_host=False, feature=None, check_expiration=True):
+    def check_license(self, add_host_name=None, feature=None, check_expiration=True):
         validation_info = TaskEnhancer().validate_enhancements()
         if ('test' in sys.argv or 'py.test' in sys.argv[0] or 'jenkins' in sys.argv) and not os.environ.get('SKIP_LICENSE_FIXUP_FOR_TEST', ''):
             validation_info['free_instances'] = 99999999
@@ -299,11 +299,14 @@ class BaseAccess(object):
 
         free_instances = validation_info.get('free_instances', 0)
         available_instances = validation_info.get('available_instances', 0)
-        if add_host and free_instances == 0:
-            raise PermissionDenied(_("License count of %s instances has been reached.") % available_instances)
-        elif add_host and free_instances < 0:
-            raise PermissionDenied(_("License count of %s instances has been exceeded.") % available_instances)
-        elif not add_host and free_instances < 0:
+
+        if add_host_name:
+            host_exists = Host.objects.filter(name=add_host_name).exists()
+            if not host_exists and free_instances == 0:
+                raise PermissionDenied(_("License count of %s instances has been reached.") % available_instances)
+            elif not host_exists and free_instances < 0:
+                raise PermissionDenied(_("License count of %s instances has been exceeded.") % available_instances)
+        elif not add_host_name and free_instances < 0:
             raise PermissionDenied(_("Host count exceeds available instances."))
 
         if feature is not None:
@@ -612,7 +615,7 @@ class HostAccess(BaseAccess):
             return False
 
         # Check to see if we have enough licenses
-        self.check_license(add_host=True)
+        self.check_license(add_host_name=data.get('name', None))
         return True
 
     def can_change(self, obj, data):
@@ -620,6 +623,11 @@ class HostAccess(BaseAccess):
         inventory_pk = get_pk_from_dict(data, 'inventory')
         if obj and inventory_pk and obj.inventory.pk != inventory_pk:
             raise PermissionDenied(_('Unable to change inventory on a host.'))
+
+        # Prevent renaming a host that might exceed license count
+        if 'name' in data:
+            self.check_license(add_host_name=data['name'])
+
         # Checks for admin or change permission on inventory, controls whether
         # the user can edit variable data.
         return obj and self.user in obj.inventory.admin_role
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/test_access.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/test_access.py
index 8a6687ba2f..05199fd5e3 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/unit/test_access.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/unit/test_access.py
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 import pytest
 import mock
+import os
 
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.forms.models import model_to_dict
 from rest_framework.exceptions import ParseError
+from rest_framework.exceptions import PermissionDenied
 
 from awx.main.access import (
     BaseAccess,
@@ -14,7 +16,14 @@ from awx.main.access import (
 )
 
 from awx.conf.license import LicenseForbids
-from awx.main.models import Credential, Inventory, Project, Role, Organization, Instance
+from awx.main.models import (
+    Credential,
+    Inventory,
+    Project,
+    Role,
+    Organization,
+    Instance,
+)
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -247,6 +256,41 @@ class TestWorkflowAccessMethods:
                 assert access.can_add({'organization': 1})
 
 
+class TestCheckLicense:
+    @pytest.fixture
+    def validate_enhancements_mocker(self, mocker):
+        os.environ['SKIP_LICENSE_FIXUP_FOR_TEST'] = '1'
+
+        def fn(available_instances=1, free_instances=0, host_exists=False):
+
+            class MockFilter:
+                def exists(self):
+                    return host_exists
+
+            mocker.patch('awx.main.tasks.TaskEnhancer.validate_enhancements', return_value={'free_instances': free_instances, 'available_instances': available_instances, 'date_warning': True})
+
+            mock_filter = MockFilter()
+            mocker.patch('awx.main.models.Host.objects.filter', return_value=mock_filter)
+
+        return fn
+
+    def test_check_license_add_host_duplicate(self, validate_enhancements_mocker, user_unit):
+        validate_enhancements_mocker(available_instances=1, free_instances=0, host_exists=True)
+
+        BaseAccess(None).check_license(add_host_name='blah', check_expiration=False)
+
+    def test_check_license_add_host_new_exceed_licence(self, validate_enhancements_mocker, user_unit, mocker):
+        validate_enhancements_mocker(available_instances=1, free_instances=0, host_exists=False)
+        exception = None
+
+        try:
+            BaseAccess(None).check_license(add_host_name='blah', check_expiration=False)
+        except PermissionDenied as e:
+            exception = e
+
+        assert "License count of 1 instances has been reached." == str(exception)
+
+
 def test_user_capabilities_method():
     """Unit test to verify that the user_capabilities method will defer
     to the appropriate sub-class methods of the access classes.