diff --git a/gns3server/controller/project.py b/gns3server/controller/project.py
index f7179c2b..6801cb01 100644
--- a/gns3server/controller/project.py
+++ b/gns3server/controller/project.py
@@ -368,7 +368,8 @@ class Project:
         if base_name is None:
             return None
         base_name = re.sub(r"[ ]", "", base_name)
-        base_name = re.sub(r"[0-9]+$", "{0}", base_name)
+        if base_name in self._allocated_node_names:
+            base_name = re.sub(r"[0-9]+$", "{0}", base_name)
 
         if '{0}' in base_name or '{id}' in base_name:
             # base name is a template, replace {0} or {id} by an unique identifier
diff --git a/tests/controller/test_project.py b/tests/controller/test_project.py
index bbc0a5f7..1fd54d47 100644
--- a/tests/controller/test_project.py
+++ b/tests/controller/test_project.py
@@ -602,6 +602,9 @@ def test_node_name(project, async_run):
     node = async_run(project.add_node(compute, "VPCS-1", None, node_type="vpcs", properties={"startup_config": "test.cfg"}))
     assert node.name == "VPCS-2"
 
+    node = async_run(project.add_node(compute, "R3", None, node_type="vpcs", properties={"startup_config": "test.cfg"}))
+    assert node.name == "R3"
+
 
 def test_add_iou_node_and_check_if_gets_application_id(project, async_run):
     compute = MagicMock()