diff --git a/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.module b/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.module
index dc2847d..10bdd3c 100644
--- a/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.module
+++ b/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.module
@@ -876,7 +876,7 @@ function taxonomy_get_parents_all($tid) {
  * @param $tid
  *   A taxonomy term ID.
  * @param $vid
- *   An optional vocabulary ID to restrict the child search.
+ *   (optional) Vocabulary ID to restrict the child search.
  *
  * @return
  *   An array of term objects which are the children of the term $tid.
@@ -1028,12 +1028,19 @@ function taxonomy_get_tree($vid, $parent = 0, $max_depth = NULL, $load_entities
  *
  * @param name
  *   Name of the term to search for.
+ * @param vocabulary
+ *   (optional) Vocabulary machine name to limit the search by.
  *
  * @return
  *   An array of matching term objects.
  */
-function taxonomy_get_term_by_name($name) {
-  return taxonomy_term_load_multiple(array(), array('name' => trim($name)));
+function taxonomy_get_term_by_name($name, $vocabulary = NULL) {
+  $conditions = array('name' => trim($name));
+  if ($vocabulary) {
+    $vocabularies = taxonomy_vocabulary_get_names();
+    $conditions['vid'] = $vocabularies[$vocabulary]->vid;
+  }
+  return taxonomy_term_load_multiple(array(), $conditions);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.test b/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.test
index 97cfe44..d6a1640 100644
--- a/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.test
+++ b/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.test
@@ -789,6 +789,30 @@ class TaxonomyTermTestCase extends TaxonomyWebTestCase {
     // Try to load the term using a substring of the name.
     $terms = taxonomy_get_term_by_name(drupal_substr($term->name, 2));
     $this->assertFalse($terms);
+
+    // Create a new term in a different vocabulary with the same name.
+    $new_vocabulary = $this->createVocabulary();
+    $new_term = new stdClass();
+    $new_term->name = $term->name;
+    $new_term->vid = $new_vocabulary->vid;
+    taxonomy_term_save($new_term);
+
+    // Load multiple terms with the same name.
+    $terms = taxonomy_get_term_by_name($term->name);
+    $this->assertEqual(count($terms), 2, t('Two terms loaded with the same name.'));
+
+    // Load single term when restricted to one vocabulary.
+    $terms = taxonomy_get_term_by_name($term->name, $this->vocabulary->machine_name);
+    $this->assertEqual(count($terms), 1, t('One term loaded when restricted by vocabulary.'));
+    $this->assertTrue(isset($terms[$term->tid]), t('Term loaded using exact name and vocabulary machine name.'));
+
+    // Create a new term with another name.
+    $term2 = $this->createTerm($this->vocabulary);
+
+    // Try to load a term by name that doesn't exist in this vocabulary but
+    // exists in another vocabulary.
+    $terms = taxonomy_get_term_by_name($term2->name, $new_vocabulary->machine_name);
+    $this->assertFalse($terms, t('Invalid term name restricted by vocabulary machine name not loaded.'));
   }
 }