diff --git a/awx/api/serializers.py b/awx/api/serializers.py
index 4a674a3a6d..4d03ba7616 100644
--- a/awx/api/serializers.py
+++ b/awx/api/serializers.py
@@ -946,6 +946,12 @@ class ProjectSerializer(UnifiedJobTemplateSerializer, ProjectOptionsSerializer):
                                          args=(obj.last_update.pk,))
         return res
 
+    def validate(self, attrs):
+        if 'organization' not in attrs or type(attrs['organization']) is not Organization:
+            raise serializers.ValidationError('Missing organization')
+        return super(ProjectSerializer, self).validate(attrs)
+
+
 
 class ProjectPlaybooksSerializer(ProjectSerializer):
 
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/functional/test_projects.py b/awx/main/tests/functional/test_projects.py
index 07917acde7..8cf7b18ccb 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/functional/test_projects.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/functional/test_projects.py
@@ -108,12 +108,19 @@ def test_create_project(post, organization, org_admin, org_member, admin, rando)
             'name': 'Project %d' % i,
             'organization': organization.id,
         }, u)
+        print(result.data)
         assert result.status_code == expected_status_codes[i]
         if expected_status_codes[i] == 201:
             assert Project.objects.filter(name='Project %d' % i, organization=organization).exists()
         else:
             assert not Project.objects.filter(name='Project %d' % i, organization=organization).exists()
 
+
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+def test_cant_create_project_without_org(post, organization, org_admin, org_member, admin, rando):
+    assert post(reverse('api:project_list'), { 'name': 'Project foo', }, admin).status_code == 400
+    assert post(reverse('api:project_list'), { 'name': 'Project foo', 'organization': None}, admin).status_code == 400
+
 @pytest.mark.django_db
 def test_create_project_through_org_link(post, organization, org_admin, org_member, admin, rando):
     test_list = [rando, org_member, org_admin, admin]