diff --git a/azuread/resource_application.go b/azuread/resource_application.go
index 4eccd26549..1cd0fd75d6 100644
--- a/azuread/resource_application.go
+++ b/azuread/resource_application.go
@@ -285,6 +285,11 @@ func resourceApplication() *schema.Resource {
 					},
 				},
 			},
+			"prevent_duplicate_names": {
+				Type:     schema.TypeBool,
+				Optional: true,
+				Default:  false,
+			},
 		},
 	}
 }
@@ -294,6 +299,14 @@ func resourceApplicationCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 	ctx := meta.(*ArmClient).StopContext
 
 	name := d.Get("name").(string)
+
+	if d.Get("prevent_duplicate_names").(bool) {
+		err := aadApplicationCheckNameAvailability(client, ctx, name)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	appType := d.Get("type")
 	identUrls, hasIdentUrls := d.GetOk("identifier_uris")
 	if appType == "native" {
@@ -400,6 +413,13 @@ func resourceApplicationUpdate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 
 	name := d.Get("name").(string)
 
+	if d.Get("prevent_duplicate_names").(bool) {
+		err := aadApplicationCheckNameAvailability(client, ctx, name)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	var properties graphrbac.ApplicationUpdateParameters
 
 	if d.HasChange("name") {
@@ -591,6 +611,10 @@ func resourceApplicationRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("setting `owners`: %+v", err)
 	}
 
+	if preventDuplicates := d.Get("prevent_duplicate_names").(bool); !preventDuplicates {
+		d.Set("prevent_duplicate_names", false)
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -904,3 +928,31 @@ func adApplicationSetOwnersTo(client graphrbac.ApplicationsClient, ctx context.C
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func aadApplicationFindByName(client graphrbac.ApplicationsClient, ctx context.Context, name string) (*graphrbac.Application, error) {
+	nameFilter := fmt.Sprintf("displayName eq '%s'", name)
+	resp, err := client.List(ctx, nameFilter)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to list Applications with filter %q: %+v", nameFilter, err)
+	}
+
+	for _, app := range resp.Values() {
+		if *app.DisplayName == name {
+			return &app, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
+func aadApplicationCheckNameAvailability(client graphrbac.ApplicationsClient, ctx context.Context, name string) error {
+	existingApp, err := aadApplicationFindByName(client, ctx, name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if existingApp != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Existing Application with name %q (AppID: %q) was found and `prevent_duplicate_names` was specified", name, *existingApp.AppID)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/azuread/resource_application_test.go b/azuread/resource_application_test.go
index db184e29e5..d64d648073 100644
--- a/azuread/resource_application_test.go
+++ b/azuread/resource_application_test.go
@@ -584,6 +584,22 @@ func TestAccAzureADApplication_oauth2PermissionsUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestAccAzureADApplication_preventDuplicateNames(t *testing.T) {
+	ri := tf.AccRandTimeInt()
+
+	resource.ParallelTest(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testCheckADApplicationDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			{
+				Config:      testAccADApplication_duplicateName(ri),
+				ExpectError: regexp.MustCompile("Existing Application .+ was found"),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func testCheckADApplicationExists(name string) resource.TestCheckFunc {
 	return func(s *terraform.State) error {
 		rs, ok := s.RootModule().Resources[name]
@@ -913,3 +929,14 @@ resource "azuread_application" "test" {
 }
 `, ri)
 }
+
+func testAccADApplication_duplicateName(ri int) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`
+%s
+
+resource "azuread_application" "duplicate" {
+  name                    = azuread_application.test.name
+  prevent_duplicate_names = true
+}
+`, testAccADApplication_basic(ri))
+}
diff --git a/website/docs/r/application.html.markdown b/website/docs/r/application.html.markdown
index 3b4b821278..070511245f 100644
--- a/website/docs/r/application.html.markdown
+++ b/website/docs/r/application.html.markdown
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ The following arguments are supported:
 
 * `oauth2_permissions` - (Optional) A collection of OAuth 2.0 permission scopes that the web API (resource) app exposes to client apps. Each permission is covered by `oauth2_permissions` blocks as documented below.
 
+* `prevent_duplicate_names` - (Optional) If `true`, will return an error when an existing Application is found with the same name. Defaults to `false`.
+
 ---
 
 `required_resource_access` supports the following: