diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/resources/machine/MachineCRUDController.java b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/resources/machine/MachineCRUDController.java
index d6c3296ab..48a20c660 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/resources/machine/MachineCRUDController.java
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/resources/machine/MachineCRUDController.java
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ import org.navalplanner.web.resources.worker.CriterionsMachineController;
 import org.navalplanner.web.resources.worker.WorkerCRUDController.LimitingResourceEnum;
 import org.zkoss.zk.ui.Component;
 import org.zkoss.zk.ui.WrongValueException;
+import org.zkoss.zk.ui.event.CheckEvent;
+import org.zkoss.zk.ui.event.Event;
 import org.zkoss.zk.ui.util.GenericForwardComposer;
 import org.zkoss.zul.Combobox;
 import org.zkoss.zul.Comboitem;
@@ -578,4 +580,14 @@ public class MachineCRUDController extends GenericForwardComposer {
         return (getMachine() != null && !getMachine().isNewObject());
     }
 
+    public void onCheckGenerateCode(Event e) {
+        CheckEvent ce = (CheckEvent) e;
+        if(ce.isChecked()) {
+            //we have to auto-generate the code if it's unsaved
+            if(getMachine().isNewObject()) {
+                getMachine().setCodeAutogenerated();
+                Util.reloadBindings(editWindow);
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/resources/machine/MachineModel.java b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/resources/machine/MachineModel.java
index 0796c8821..e8feed668 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/resources/machine/MachineModel.java
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/resources/machine/MachineModel.java
@@ -130,8 +130,13 @@ public class MachineModel implements IMachineModel {
     }
 
     @Override
+    @Transactional(readOnly = true)
     public void initCreate() {
         machine = Machine.create();
+        machine.setGenerateCode(configurationDAO.getConfiguration().getGenerateCodeForResources());
+        if(!machine.getGenerateCode()) {
+            machine.setCode("");
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/resources/machine/_editMachine.zul b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/resources/machine/_editMachine.zul
index e2d4f8f44..f9552aade 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/resources/machine/_editMachine.zul
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/resources/machine/_editMachine.zul
@@ -41,8 +41,14 @@
                     <rows>
                         <row>
                             <label value="${i18n:_('Code')}" />
-                            <textbox value="@{controller.machine.code}" width="500px"
-                                constraint="no empty:${i18n:_('Code cannot be null or empty')}" />
+                            <hbox>
+                                <textbox width="350px" value="@{controller.machine.code}"
+                                    constraint="no empty:${i18n:_('cannot be null or empty')}"
+                                    disabled="@{controller.machine.generateCode}" />
+                                <checkbox id="generateCode" label="${i18n:_('Generate code')}"
+                                    onCheck="controller.onCheckGenerateCode(event)"
+                                    checked="@{controller.machine.generateCode}" />
+                            </hbox>
                         </row>
                         <row>
                             <label value="${i18n:_('Name')}" />