diff --git a/hosting.api.php b/hosting.api.php
index 31fc154..cc7ed60 100644
--- a/hosting.api.php
+++ b/hosting.api.php
@@ -461,3 +461,43 @@ function hook_hosting_task_dangerous_tasks_alter(&$tasks) {}
 /**
  * @} End of "addtogroup hostinghooks".
  */
+
+/**
+ * Easily create a new site and a platform by passing just a name and a makefile URL.
+ *
+ * To get a new website running from a new codebase in Aegir, you need to create
+ * a platform, and then a site node. With the latest version, you can use code
+ * to do both at once.
+ *
+ * This function will create a platform node for /var/aegir/mywebservice/$name
+ * using the $makefile specified, and will then create a site node with the URL
+ * $name.mywebservice.com.
+ */
+function example_create_site($name, $makefile) {
+  
+  // Create site node.
+  $site = new stdClass();
+  $site->type = 'site';
+  $site->title = "{$name}.mywebservice.com";
+  $site->status = 1;
+  $site->uid = 1;
+  $site->client = HOSTING_DEFAULT_CLIENT;
+  $site->site_status = HOSTING_SITE_QUEUED;
+  
+  // Create a platform node.
+  $platform_node = new stdClass();
+  $platform_node->type = 'platform';
+  $platform_node->title = "mywebservice_{$name}";
+  $platform_node->publish_path = "/var/aegir/mywebservice/{$name}";
+  $platform_node->makefile = $makefile;
+  
+  // Attach platform node to site node:
+  $site->platform_node = $platform_node;
+  
+  // Save the site node, along with the platform.
+  // This is possible thanks to the patch in https://www.drupal.org/node/2824731
+  if ($site = node_submit($site)) {
+    node_save($site);
+  }
+  
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package/hosting_package.drush.inc b/package/hosting_package.drush.inc
index 60b686f..eee14c8 100644
--- a/package/hosting_package.drush.inc
+++ b/package/hosting_package.drush.inc
@@ -9,6 +9,40 @@ function drush_hosting_package_pre_hosting_task() {
   if ($task->ref->type == 'site') {
     // populate the profile option, if it hasn't been specified yet.
     if (empty($task->options['profile'])) {
+
+      // If site node "profile_name" property is a string and not empty, lookup
+      // the profile package NID and save it to the site node.
+      if (empty($task->ref->profile) && !empty($task->ref->profile_name) && is_string($task->ref->profile_name)) {
+        $instances = hosting_package_instances_load(array(
+          'i.rid' => $task->ref->platform,
+          'p.package_type' => 'profile',
+          'p.short_name' => $task->ref->profile_name,
+        ));
+
+        // If instance is found, save the package ID to hosting_site table.
+        $instance = current($instances);
+        if (!empty($instance->package_id)) {
+          db_update('hosting_site')
+            ->fields(array('profile' => $instance->package_id))
+            ->condition('nid', $task->ref->nid)
+            ->execute();
+
+          $task->ref->profile = $instance->package_id;
+
+          drush_log(dt('Updated site node !nid with install profile "!profile" with package ID !package_id.', array(
+            '!nid' => $task->ref->nid,
+            '!profile' => $task->ref->profile_name,
+            '!package_id' => $task->ref->profile,
+          )), 'notice');
+        }
+        else {
+          drush_log(dt('Package for install profile "!profile" not found for site !nid.', array(
+            '!nid' => $task->ref->nid,
+            '!profile' => $task->ref->profile_name,
+          )), 'warning');
+        }
+      }
+
       $profile = node_load($task->ref->profile);
       if ($task->task_type != 'import' && $task->task_type != 'delete' && $task->task_type != 'verify') {
         $task->options['profile'] = $profile->short_name;
diff --git a/site/hosting_site.nodeapi.inc b/site/hosting_site.nodeapi.inc
index f7dc81f..9813e0e 100644
--- a/site/hosting_site.nodeapi.inc
+++ b/site/hosting_site.nodeapi.inc
@@ -249,6 +249,72 @@ function hosting_site_insert(&$node) {
   // Provide a dummy profile, e.g. for hosting-import.
   $node->profile = isset($node->profile) ? $node->profile : 0;
 
+  // If platform NID is not defined, but platform data is available,
+  // create the platform.
+  if (empty($node->platform)
+    && !empty($node->platform_node)
+    && !empty($node->platform_node->publish_path)
+  ) {
+
+    // If a platform exists for the given path, use that.
+    $existing_platform_nid = db_select('hosting_platform', 'p')
+      ->condition('publish_path', $node->platform_node->publish_path)
+      ->condition('status', HOSTING_PLATFORM_ENABLED)
+      ->fields('p', array('nid'))
+      ->execute()
+      ->fetchField();
+
+    // Use the existing platform NID.
+    if ($existing_platform_nid) {
+      $node->platform = $existing_platform_nid;
+    }
+    // Or prepare a new one.
+    else {
+
+      // If platform_status hasn't been explicitly set,
+      // assume platform status matches site status:
+      // If developer creates a site node that's disabled,
+      // the platform should be too.
+      if (!isset($node->platform_node->platform_status) && isset($node->site_status)) {
+        $node->platform_node->platform_status = $node->site_status;
+      }
+
+      // If web_server hasn't been explicity set, use hostmaster's web server.
+      if (!isset($node->platform_node->web_server)) {
+        $hostmaster = hosting_context_load('hostmaster');
+        $hostmaster_platform = node_load($hostmaster->platform);
+        $node->platform_node->web_server = $hostmaster_platform->web_server;
+      }
+
+      // If platform title has not been set, generate one from the site title.
+      if (empty($node->platform_node->title)) {
+        $node->platform_node->title = 'platform_' . preg_replace("/[!\W]/", "", $node->title);
+      }
+
+      // If platform UID has not been set, use site UID.
+      if (empty($node->platform_node->uid)) {
+        $node->platform_node->uid = $node->uid;
+      }
+
+      $node->platform_node->type = 'platform';
+      if ($node->platform_node = node_submit($node->platform_node)) {
+          node_save($node->platform_node);
+      }
+      $node->platform = $node->platform_node->nid;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // If there is no platform NID and no publish path, throw an exception.
+  if (empty($node->platform) && empty($node->platform_node->publish_path)) {
+    throw new Exception('Site nodes require either platform or platform_node->publish_path property');
+  }
+  
+  // If db_server hasn't been explicity set, use hostmaster's web server.
+  if (!isset($node->platform_node->db_server)) {
+    $hostmaster = hosting_context_load('hostmaster');
+    $node->db_server = $hostmaster->db_server;
+  }
+
   $id = db_insert('hosting_site')
     ->fields(array(
       'vid' => $node->vid,