diff --git a/src/authentic2/api_views.py b/src/authentic2/api_views.py
index 3efc2764f..f3266f402 100644
--- a/src/authentic2/api_views.py
+++ b/src/authentic2/api_views.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
 from django.contrib.auth.hashers import identify_hasher
 from django.core.exceptions import MultipleObjectsReturned
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
+from django.utils.text import slugify
 from django.utils.encoding import force_text
 from django.utils.dateparse import parse_datetime
 from django.views.decorators.vary import vary_on_headers
@@ -887,13 +888,31 @@ class RoleMembershipsAPI(ExceptionHandlerMixin, APIView):
 role_memberships = RoleMembershipsAPI.as_view()
 
 
+class SlugFromNameDefault:
+    requires_context = False
+    serializer_instance = None
+
+    def set_context(self, instance):
+        self.serializer_instance = instance
+
+    def __call__(self):
+        name = self.serializer_instance.context['request'].data.get('name', '')
+        return slugify(name)
+
+
 class BaseOrganizationalUnitSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
+    slug = serializers.SlugField(
+            required=False,
+            allow_blank=False,
+            max_length=256,
+            default=SlugFromNameDefault(),
+        )
     class Meta:
         model = get_ou_model()
         fields = '__all__'
 
 
-class OrganizationalUnitAPI(ExceptionHandlerMixin, ModelViewSet):
+class OrganizationalUnitAPI(api_mixins.GetOrCreateMixinView, ExceptionHandlerMixin, ModelViewSet):
     permission_classes = (DjangoPermission('a2_rbac.search_organizationalunit'),)
     serializer_class = BaseOrganizationalUnitSerializer
     lookup_field = 'uuid'
diff --git a/tests/test_api.py b/tests/test_api.py
index 483224ad6..cbfa99132 100644
--- a/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_api.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
 from django.core import mail
 from django.urls import reverse
 from django.utils.encoding import force_text
+from django.utils.text import slugify
 from django.utils.timezone import now
 from django.utils.http import urlencode
 
@@ -1254,6 +1255,63 @@ def test_api_post_role_no_ou(app, superuser):
     assert role.ou == get_default_ou()
 
 
+def test_api_post_ou_no_slug(app, superuser):
+    app.authorization = ('Basic', (superuser.username, superuser.username))
+    OU = get_ou_model()
+
+    ou_data = {
+        'name': 'Some Organizational Unit',
+        }
+    resp = app.post_json('/api/ous/', params=ou_data)
+    uuid = resp.json['uuid']
+    ou = OU.objects.get(uuid=uuid)
+    assert ou.id != get_default_ou().id
+    assert ou.slug == slugify(ou.name)
+    assert ou.slug == slugify(ou_data['name'])
+    # another call with same ou name
+    ou_data = {
+        'name': 'Some Organizational Unit',
+        }
+    resp = app.post_json('/api/ous/', params=ou_data, status=400)
+    assert resp.json['errors']['__all__'] == [
+            "The fields name must make a unique set.",
+            "The fields slug must make a unique set."
+        ]
+    # no slug no name
+    ou_data = {
+        'id': 42,
+        }
+    resp = app.post_json('/api/ous/', params=ou_data, status=400)
+    assert resp.json['errors']['name'] == ['This field is required.']
+
+
+def test_api_post_ou_get_or_create(app, superuser):
+    app.authorization = ('Basic', (superuser.username, superuser.username))
+    OU = get_ou_model()
+    # first get-or-create? -> create
+    ou_data = {
+        'name': 'Some Organizational Unit',
+        }
+    resp = app.post_json('/api/ous/', params=ou_data)
+    uuid = resp.json['uuid']
+    ou = OU.objects.get(uuid=uuid)
+    # second get-or-create? -> get
+    ou_data = {
+        'name': 'Some Organizational Unit',
+        'slug': ou.slug,
+        }
+    resp = app.post_json('/api/ous/?get_or_create=slug', params=ou_data)
+    assert resp.json['uuid'] == ou.uuid
+    # update-or-create? -> update
+    ou_data = {
+        'name': 'Another name',
+        'slug': ou.slug,
+        }
+    resp = app.post_json('/api/ous/?update_or_create=slug', params=ou_data)
+    assert resp.json['uuid'] == ou.uuid
+    assert OU.objects.get(uuid=resp.json['uuid']).name == ou_data['name']
+
+
 def test_api_post_role_unauthorized(app, simple_user, ou1):
     app.authorization = ('Basic', (simple_user.username, simple_user.username))
     Role = get_role_model()