diff --git a/omod-1.8/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_8/PersonAttributeResource1_8.java b/omod-1.8/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_8/PersonAttributeResource1_8.java
index 324f58ee2..76ea3282b 100644
--- a/omod-1.8/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_8/PersonAttributeResource1_8.java
+++ b/omod-1.8/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_8/PersonAttributeResource1_8.java
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 import io.swagger.models.properties.RefProperty;
 import io.swagger.models.properties.StringProperty;
 import org.openmrs.Attributable;
-import org.openmrs.Concept;
+import org.openmrs.Location;
 import org.openmrs.Person;
 import org.openmrs.PersonAttribute;
 import org.openmrs.PersonAttributeType;
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.ConversionUtil;
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.RequestContext;
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.RestConstants;
+import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.RestUtil;
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.annotation.PropertyGetter;
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.annotation.PropertySetter;
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.annotation.Resource;
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.response.ConversionException;
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.response.ResponseException;
 import org.openmrs.util.OpenmrsClassLoader;
+import java.util.UUID;
 
 /**
  * {@link Resource} for PersonAttributes, supporting standard CRUD operations
@@ -96,9 +98,17 @@ public void setHydratedObject(PersonAttribute personAttribute, String attributab
 			throw new APIException("Could not convert value to Attributable", e);
 		}
 	}
-	
+
 	@PropertySetter("value")
 	public void setValue(PersonAttribute personAttribute, String value) {
+		if (RestUtil.isValidUuid(value)) {
+			Location location = Context.getLocationService().getLocationByUuid(value);
+			if (location != null) {
+				personAttribute.setValue(location.getUuid());
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+
 		PersonAttributeType attributeType = personAttribute.getAttributeType();
 		if (attributeType == null) {
 			personAttribute.setValue(value);
@@ -297,10 +307,10 @@ public String getDisplayString(PersonAttribute pa) {
 		String value = pa.toString();
 		return value == null ? "" : value;
 	}
-	
+
 	/**
 	 * Gets the hydrated object of person attribute.
-	 * 
+	 *
 	 * @param pa the person attribute.
 	 * @return an object containing the hydrated object.
 	 */
@@ -310,8 +320,7 @@ public Object getValue(PersonAttribute pa) {
 		if (value == null) {
 			return null;
 		}
-		
+
 		return ConversionUtil.convertToRepresentation(value, Representation.REF);
 	}
-	
 }
diff --git a/omod-1.8/src/test/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_8/PersonAttributeResource1_8Test.java b/omod-1.8/src/test/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_8/PersonAttributeResource1_8Test.java
index 5ab6df5fc..7c620f738 100644
--- a/omod-1.8/src/test/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_8/PersonAttributeResource1_8Test.java
+++ b/omod-1.8/src/test/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_8/PersonAttributeResource1_8Test.java
@@ -34,10 +34,11 @@
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalToIgnoringCase;
 
 public class PersonAttributeResource1_8Test extends BaseModuleWebContextSensitiveTest {
-	
-	public static final String PERSON_ATTRIBUTE_JSON = "{" + "    \"value\": \"Bangalore\"," + "    \"attributeType\": {"
-	        + "        \"uuid\": \"54fc8400-1683-4d71-a1ac-98d40836ff7c\"" + "    }" + "}";
-	
+
+	public static final String PERSON_ATTRIBUTE_JSON = "{\"value\": \"Bangalore\", \"uuid\": \"592349ed-d012-4552-a274-d5d8e73b9401\", \"attributeType\": { \"uuid\": \"54fc8400-1683-4d71-a1ac-98d40836ff7c\" }}";
+
+	public static final String PERSON_ATTRIBUTE_JSON_WITHOUT_UUID = "{\"value\": \"Bangalore\", \"uuid\": \"\", \"attributeType\": { \"uuid\": \"54fc8400-1683-4d71-a1ac-98d40836ff7c\" }}";
+
 	private SimpleObject personAttributeSimpleObject = new SimpleObject();
 	
 	private PersonAttributeResource1_8 resource;
@@ -65,6 +66,14 @@ public void shouldCreatePersonAttribute() throws Exception {
 		Assert.assertEquals("Bangalore", created.get("value"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void getValue_shouldFallBackToHydratedObjectWhenUuidIsEmpty() throws Exception {
+		personAttributeSimpleObject.putAll(new ObjectMapper().readValue(PERSON_ATTRIBUTE_JSON_WITHOUT_UUID, HashMap.class));
+		SimpleObject created = (SimpleObject) resource.create("da7f524f-27ce-4bb2-86d6-6d1d05312bd5",
+				personAttributeSimpleObject, new RequestContext());
+		Assert.assertEquals("Bangalore", created.get("value"));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void getDisplayString_shouldGetDisplayStringForConcept() {
 		// arrange
@@ -138,11 +147,9 @@ public void setValue_shouldSetProperAttributableIdIfFound() {
 		
 		PersonAttribute attribute = new PersonAttribute(type, null);
 		attribute.setAttributeType(type);
-		
 		Assert.assertNull(attribute.getValue());
 		
 		resource.setValue(attribute, location.getUuid());
-		
 		Assert.assertEquals(location.getUuid(), attribute.getValue());
 	}