diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Api/DepartmentsController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Api/DepartmentsController.php
index adbe4bc35c3c..92008bddefe7 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Api/DepartmentsController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Api/DepartmentsController.php
@@ -27,18 +27,19 @@ public function index(Request $request) : JsonResponse | array
         $allowed_columns = ['id', 'name', 'image', 'users_count', 'notes'];
 
         $departments = Department::select(
-            'departments.id',
-            'departments.name',
-            'departments.phone',
-            'departments.fax',
-            'departments.location_id',
-            'departments.company_id',
-            'departments.manager_id',
-            'departments.created_at',
-            'departments.updated_at',
-            'departments.image',
-            'departments.notes',
-        )->with('users')->with('location')->with('manager')->with('company')->withCount('users as users_count');
+            [
+                'departments.id',
+                'departments.name',
+                'departments.phone',
+                'departments.fax',
+                'departments.location_id',
+                'departments.company_id',
+                'departments.manager_id',
+                'departments.created_at',
+                'departments.updated_at',
+                'departments.image',
+                'departments.notes'
+            ])->with('users')->with('location')->with('manager')->with('company')->withCount('users as users_count');
 
         if ($request->filled('search')) {
             $departments = $departments->TextSearch($request->input('search'));
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ public function store(StoreDepartmentRequest $request): JsonResponse
         $department->manager_id = ($request->filled('manager_id') ? $request->input('manager_id') : null);
 
         if ($department->save()) {
-            return response()->json(Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('success', $department, trans('admin/departments/message.create.success')));
+            return response()->json(Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('success', (new DepartmentsTransformer)->transformDepartment($department), trans('admin/departments/message.create.success')));
         }
         return response()->json(Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('error', null, $department->getErrors()));
 
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ public function store(StoreDepartmentRequest $request): JsonResponse
     public function show($id) : array
     {
         $this->authorize('view', Department::class);
-        $department = Department::findOrFail($id);
+        $department = Department::withCount('users as users_count')->findOrFail($id);
         return (new DepartmentsTransformer)->transformDepartment($department);
     }
 
diff --git a/app/Http/Transformers/DepartmentsTransformer.php b/app/Http/Transformers/DepartmentsTransformer.php
index e072585a125b..267413e10402 100644
--- a/app/Http/Transformers/DepartmentsTransformer.php
+++ b/app/Http/Transformers/DepartmentsTransformer.php
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public function transformDepartment(Department $department = null)
                     'id' => (int) $department->location->id,
                     'name' => e($department->location->name),
                 ] : null,
-                'users_count' => e($department->users_count),
+                'users_count' => (int) ($department->users_count),
                 'notes' => Helper::parseEscapedMarkedownInline($department->notes),
                 'created_at' => Helper::getFormattedDateObject($department->created_at, 'datetime'),
                 'updated_at' => Helper::getFormattedDateObject($department->updated_at, 'datetime'),
diff --git a/app/Models/Department.php b/app/Models/Department.php
index 4fc72e474f65..fda461bdad5a 100644
--- a/app/Models/Department.php
+++ b/app/Models/Department.php
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class Department extends SnipeModel
     ];
 
     protected $rules = [
-        'name'        => 'required|max:255|is_unique_department',
+        'name'        => 'required|max:255|is_unique_across_company_and_location:departments,name',
         'location_id' => 'numeric|nullable|exists:locations,id',
         'company_id'  => 'numeric|nullable|exists:companies,id',
         'manager_id'  => 'numeric|nullable|exists:users,id',
diff --git a/app/Providers/ValidationServiceProvider.php b/app/Providers/ValidationServiceProvider.php
index 13ee6c57296e..26bc9ada07a9 100644
--- a/app/Providers/ValidationServiceProvider.php
+++ b/app/Providers/ValidationServiceProvider.php
@@ -283,41 +283,36 @@ public function boot()
             }
         });
 
-        Validator::extend('is_unique_department', function ($attribute, $value, $parameters, $validator) {
+        /**
+         * Check that the 'name' field is unique in the table while within both company_id and location_id
+         * This is only used by Departments right now, but could be used elsewhere in the future.
+         */
+        Validator::extend('is_unique_across_company_and_location', function ($attribute, $value, $parameters, $validator) {
             $data = $validator->getData();
+            $table = array_get($parameters, 0);
 
-            if (
-                array_key_exists('location_id', $data) && $data['location_id'] !== null &&
-                array_key_exists('company_id', $data) && $data['company_id'] !== null
-            ) {
-                //for updating existing departments
-                if(array_key_exists('id', $data) && $data['id'] !== null){
-                    $count = Department::where('name', $data['name'])
-                        ->where('location_id', $data['location_id'])
-                        ->where('company_id', $data['company_id'])
-                        ->whereNotNull('company_id')
-                        ->whereNotNull('location_id')
-                        ->where('id', '!=', $data['id'])
-                        ->count('name');
-
-                    return $count < 1;
-                }else // for entering in new departments
-                {
-                $count = Department::where('name', $data['name'])
-                    ->where('location_id', $data['location_id'])
-                    ->where('company_id', $data['company_id'])
-                    ->whereNotNull('company_id')
-                    ->whereNotNull('location_id')
-                    ->count('name');
+            $count = DB::table($table)->select($attribute)
+                ->where($attribute, $value)
+                ->whereNull('deleted_at');
 
-                return $count < 1;
+            if (array_key_exists('id', $data) && $data['id'] !== null) {
+                $count = $count->where('id', '!=', $data['id']);
             }
-        }
-            else {
-                return true;
-        }
+
+            if (array_key_exists('location_id', $data) && $data['location_id'] !== null) {
+                $count = $count->where('location_id', $data['location_id']);
+            }
+
+            if (array_key_exists('company_id', $data) && $data['company_id'] !== null) {
+                $count = $count->where('company_id', $data['company_id']);
+            }
+
+            $count = $count->count('name');
+            return $count < 1;
+
         });
 
+
         Validator::extend('not_array', function ($attribute, $value, $parameters, $validator) {
             return !is_array($value);
         });
diff --git a/resources/lang/en-US/validation.php b/resources/lang/en-US/validation.php
index f80dd70163bd..2d4af64fb430 100644
--- a/resources/lang/en-US/validation.php
+++ b/resources/lang/en-US/validation.php
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@
     'ulid' => 'The :attribute field must be a valid ULID.',
     'uuid' => 'The :attribute field must be a valid UUID.',
     'fmcs_location' => 'Full multiple company support and location scoping is enabled in the Admin Settings, and the selected location and selected company are not compatible.',
-
+    'is_unique_across_company_and_location' => 'The :attribute must be unique within the selected company and location.',
 
     /*
     |--------------------------------------------------------------------------