diff --git a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/audit_template.py b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/audit_template.py
index ffc2c0e8b..ca81b16a2 100644
--- a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/audit_template.py
+++ b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/audit_template.py
@@ -148,18 +148,23 @@ class AuditTemplatePostType(wtypes.Base):
                         "included and excluded together"))
 
         if audit_template.strategy:
-            available_strategies = objects.Strategy.list(
-                AuditTemplatePostType._ctx)
-            available_strategies_map = {
-                s.uuid: s for s in available_strategies}
-            if audit_template.strategy not in available_strategies_map:
+            try:
+                if (common_utils.is_uuid_like(audit_template.strategy) or
+                        common_utils.is_int_like(audit_template.strategy)):
+                    strategy = objects.Strategy.get(
+                        AuditTemplatePostType._ctx, audit_template.strategy)
+                else:
+                    strategy = objects.Strategy.get_by_name(
+                        AuditTemplatePostType._ctx, audit_template.strategy)
+            except Exception:
                 raise exception.InvalidStrategy(
                     strategy=audit_template.strategy)
 
-            strategy = available_strategies_map[audit_template.strategy]
             # Check that the strategy we indicate is actually related to the
             # specified goal
             if strategy.goal_id != goal.id:
+                available_strategies = objects.Strategy.list(
+                    AuditTemplatePostType._ctx)
                 choices = ["'%s' (%s)" % (s.uuid, s.name)
                            for s in available_strategies]
                 raise exception.InvalidStrategy(
diff --git a/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_audit_templates.py b/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_audit_templates.py
index dc990e4d2..6735fbc24 100644
--- a/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_audit_templates.py
+++ b/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_audit_templates.py
@@ -555,6 +555,35 @@ class TestPost(FunctionalTestWithSetup):
             response.json['created_at']).replace(tzinfo=None)
         self.assertEqual(test_time, return_created_at)
 
+    @mock.patch.object(timeutils, 'utcnow')
+    def test_create_audit_template_with_strategy_name(self, mock_utcnow):
+        audit_template_dict = post_get_test_audit_template(
+            goal=self.fake_goal1.uuid,
+            strategy=self.fake_strategy1.name)
+        test_time = datetime.datetime(2000, 1, 1, 0, 0)
+        mock_utcnow.return_value = test_time
+
+        response = self.post_json('/audit_templates', audit_template_dict)
+        self.assertEqual('application/json', response.content_type)
+        self.assertEqual(201, response.status_int)
+        # Check location header
+        self.assertIsNotNone(response.location)
+        expected_location = \
+            '/v1/audit_templates/%s' % response.json['uuid']
+        self.assertEqual(urlparse.urlparse(response.location).path,
+                         expected_location)
+        self.assertTrue(utils.is_uuid_like(response.json['uuid']))
+        self.assertNotIn('updated_at', response.json.keys)
+        self.assertNotIn('deleted_at', response.json.keys)
+        self.assertEqual(self.fake_goal1.uuid, response.json['goal_uuid'])
+        self.assertEqual(self.fake_strategy1.uuid,
+                         response.json['strategy_uuid'])
+        self.assertEqual(self.fake_strategy1.name,
+                         response.json['strategy_name'])
+        return_created_at = timeutils.parse_isotime(
+            response.json['created_at']).replace(tzinfo=None)
+        self.assertEqual(test_time, return_created_at)
+
     def test_create_audit_template_validation_with_aggregates(self):
         scope = [{'compute': [{'host_aggregates': [{'id': '*'}]},
                               {'availability_zones': [{'name': 'AZ1'},