diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFWorkbook.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFWorkbook.java
index 33e9e7622..8d6533252 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFWorkbook.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFWorkbook.java
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ public class HSSFWorkbook
 
     public HSSFSheet createSheet(String sheetname)
     {
-        if (workbook.doesContainsSheetName( sheetname, -1 ))
+        if (workbook.doesContainsSheetName( sheetname, sheets.size() ))
             throw new IllegalArgumentException( "The workbook already contains a sheet of this name" );
 
         HSSFSheet sheet = new HSSFSheet(workbook);
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFWorkbook.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFWorkbook.java
index 92ff4fce7..d07ed38b0 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFWorkbook.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFWorkbook.java
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ public class TestHSSFWorkbook extends TestCase
             throws Exception
     {
         HSSFWorkbook b = new HSSFWorkbook( );
-        b.createSheet();
+        b.createSheet("Sheet1");
         b.createSheet();
         b.createSheet("name1");
         try
@@ -56,6 +56,12 @@ public class TestHSSFWorkbook extends TestCase
         b.setSheetName( 3,  "name2", HSSFWorkbook.ENCODING_UTF_16 );
         b.setSheetName( 3,  "name2", HSSFWorkbook.ENCODING_UTF_16 );
         b.setSheetName( 3,  "name2" );
+        
+        HSSFWorkbook c = new HSSFWorkbook( );
+        c.createSheet("Sheet1");
+        c.createSheet("Sheet2");
+        c.createSheet("Sheet3");
+        c.createSheet("Sheet4");
 
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file