diff --git a/app/Models/Asset.php b/app/Models/Asset.php
index 477b35b7df..2909f97aa5 100644
--- a/app/Models/Asset.php
+++ b/app/Models/Asset.php
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class Asset extends Depreciable
     'checkout_date'   => 'date|max:10|min:10',
     'checkin_date'    => 'date|max:10|min:10',
     'supplier_id'     => 'integer',
-    'asset_tag'       => 'required|min:1|max:255|unique:assets,asset_tag,NULL,deleted_at',
+    'asset_tag'       => 'required|min:1|max:255|unique_undeleted:assets',
     'status'          => 'integer',
     ];
 
diff --git a/app/Models/Category.php b/app/Models/Category.php
index 0cd4f84d39..d86a155495 100755
--- a/app/Models/Category.php
+++ b/app/Models/Category.php
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class Category extends Model
     */
     public $rules = array(
         'user_id' => 'numeric',
-        'name'   => 'required|min:1|max:255|unique:categories,name,NULL,deleted_at',
+        'name'   => 'required|min:1|max:255|unique_undeleted:categories',
         'category_type'   => 'required',
     );
 
diff --git a/app/Models/Company.php b/app/Models/Company.php
index c63b6134b9..17d52b9d7d 100644
--- a/app/Models/Company.php
+++ b/app/Models/Company.php
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ final class Company extends Model
     protected $table = 'companies';
 
     // Declare the rules for the model validation
-    protected $rules = ['name' => 'required|min:1|max:255|unique:companies,name'];
+    protected $rules = [
+        'name' => 'required|min:1|max:255|unique_undeleted:companies'
+    ];
+
+
     /**
     * Whether the model should inject it's identifier to the unique
     * validation rules before attempting validation. If this property
diff --git a/app/Models/Location.php b/app/Models/Location.php
index a6767eca5d..43d9d591cb 100755
--- a/app/Models/Location.php
+++ b/app/Models/Location.php
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class Location extends Model
     protected $dates = ['deleted_at'];
     protected $table = 'locations';
     protected $rules = array(
-      'name'        => 'required|min:3|max:255|unique:locations,name,NULL,deleted_at',
+      'name'        => 'required|min:3|max:255|unique_undeleted:locations',
       'city'        => 'min:3|max:255',
       'state'           => 'min:2|max:32',
       'country'     => 'min:2|max:2|max:2',
diff --git a/app/Models/Statuslabel.php b/app/Models/Statuslabel.php
index d99f8df2cc..cc331a54e7 100755
--- a/app/Models/Statuslabel.php
+++ b/app/Models/Statuslabel.php
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class Statuslabel extends Model
 
 
     protected $rules = array(
-        'name'  => 'required|string|unique:status_labels,name,NULL,deleted_at',
+        'name'  => 'required|string|unique_undeleted:status_labels',
         'notes'   => 'string',
         'deployable' => 'required',
         'pending' => 'required',
diff --git a/app/Models/Supplier.php b/app/Models/Supplier.php
index bbaac8953d..254e49b190 100755
--- a/app/Models/Supplier.php
+++ b/app/Models/Supplier.php
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class Supplier extends Model
     protected $dates = ['deleted_at'];
 
     protected $rules = array(
-        'name'              => 'required|min:3|max:255|unique:suppliers,name,NULL,deleted_at',
+        'name'              => 'required|min:3|max:255|unique_undeleted:suppliers',
         'address'           => 'min:3|max:255',
         'address2'          => 'min:2|max:255',
         'city'              => 'min:3|max:255',
diff --git a/app/Models/User.php b/app/Models/User.php
index 762153d033..ace1351feb 100755
--- a/app/Models/User.php
+++ b/app/Models/User.php
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class User extends Model implements AuthenticatableContract, CanResetPasswordCon
 
     protected $rules = [
         'first_name'              => 'required|string|min:1',
-        'username'                => 'required|string|min:2|unique:users,username,NULL,deleted_at',
+        'username'                => 'required|string|min:2|unique_undeleted:users',
         'email'                   => 'email',
         'password'                => 'required|min:6',
     ];
diff --git a/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php b/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
index 99a492ba85..4617a50e58 100644
--- a/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
+++ b/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ namespace App\Providers;
 
 use Validator;
 use Illuminate\Support\ServiceProvider;
+use Log;
+use DB;
 
 /**
  * This service provider handles a few custom validation rules.
@@ -47,6 +49,21 @@ class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
             }
 
         });
+
+        // Unique only if undeleted
+        // This works around the use case where multiple deleted items have the same unique attribute.
+        // (I think this is a bug in Laravel's validator?)
+        Validator::extend('unique_undeleted', function($attribute, $value, $parameters, $validator) {
+
+            $count = DB::table($parameters[0])->where($attribute,'=',$value)->whereNull('deleted_at')->count();
+
+            if ($count < 1) {
+                return true;
+            }
+            return false;
+
+
+        });
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/resources/lang/en/validation.php b/resources/lang/en/validation.php
index 2d4fda6f7a..03c7471cab 100644
--- a/resources/lang/en/validation.php
+++ b/resources/lang/en/validation.php
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ return array(
     "unique"           => "The :attribute has already been taken.",
     "url"              => "The :attribute format is invalid.",
     "statuslabel_type" => "You must select a valid status label type",
+    "unique_undeleted" => "The :attribute must be unique.",
 
 
     /*