diff --git a/src/pages/organisationUnits/Edit.tsx b/src/pages/organisationUnits/Edit.tsx
index 81b22b2b..638ff5d0 100644
--- a/src/pages/organisationUnits/Edit.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/organisationUnits/Edit.tsx
@@ -7,11 +7,10 @@ import {
     DEFAULT_FIELD_FILTERS,
     SECTIONS_MAP,
     useOnSubmitEdit,
-    validate,
 } from '../../lib'
 import { useBoundResourceQueryFn } from '../../lib/query/useBoundQueryFn'
 import { OrganisationUnit, PickWithFieldFilters } from '../../types/generated'
-import { OrganisationUnitFormField, organisationUnitSchema } from './form'
+import { OrganisationUnitFormField, validate } from './form'
 
 const fieldFilters = [
     ...DEFAULT_FIELD_FILTERS,
@@ -68,9 +67,7 @@ export const Component = () => {
             })}
             section={section}
             initialValues={orgUnit.data}
-            validate={(values: OrgUnitFormValues) => {
-                return validate(organisationUnitSchema, values)
-            }}
+            validate={validate}
         >
             <DefaultEditFormContents section={section}>
                 <OrganisationUnitFormField />
diff --git a/src/pages/organisationUnits/New.tsx b/src/pages/organisationUnits/New.tsx
index f61de6f9..1bc689f5 100644
--- a/src/pages/organisationUnits/New.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/organisationUnits/New.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,8 @@
 import React from 'react'
 import { FormBase } from '../../components'
 import { DefaultNewFormContents } from '../../components/form/DefaultFormContents'
-import { SECTIONS_MAP, useOnSubmitNew, validate } from '../../lib'
-import {
-    FormValues,
-    initialValues,
-    OrganisationUnitFormField,
-    organisationUnitSchema,
-} from './form'
+import { SECTIONS_MAP, useOnSubmitNew } from '../../lib'
+import { initialValues, OrganisationUnitFormField, validate } from './form'
 
 const section = SECTIONS_MAP.organisationUnit
 export const Component = () => {
@@ -16,10 +11,8 @@ export const Component = () => {
             onSubmit={useOnSubmitNew({
                 section,
             })}
-            initialValues={initialValues as FormValues}
-            validate={(values: FormValues) => {
-                return validate(organisationUnitSchema, values)
-            }}
+            initialValues={initialValues}
+            validate={validate}
         >
             <DefaultNewFormContents section={section}>
                 <OrganisationUnitFormField />
diff --git a/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/OrganisationUnitFormFields.tsx b/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/OrganisationUnitFormFields.tsx
index d9bdec6f..8fb8e4dc 100644
--- a/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/OrganisationUnitFormFields.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/OrganisationUnitFormFields.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import i18n from '@dhis2/d2-i18n'
-import { Field, InputFieldFF, TextAreaFieldFF } from '@dhis2/ui'
+import { InputFieldFF, TextAreaFieldFF } from '@dhis2/ui'
 import React from 'react'
 import { Field as FieldRFF } from 'react-final-form'
 import {
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ export function OrganisationUnitFormField() {
         <>
             <StandardFormSection>
                 <StandardFormSectionTitle>
-                    {i18n.t('Placement in hierarchy')}
+                    <label htmlFor="parent">
+                        {i18n.t('Placement in hierarchy')}
+                    </label>
                 </StandardFormSectionTitle>
                 <StandardFormSectionDescription>
                     {i18n.t(
diff --git a/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/OrganisationUnitSelector.tsx b/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/OrganisationUnitSelector.tsx
index 0d0172af..2250e2e5 100644
--- a/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/OrganisationUnitSelector.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/OrganisationUnitSelector.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import i18n from '@dhis2/d2-i18n'
 import { Field, NoticeBox, OrganisationUnitTree } from '@dhis2/ui'
 import { IconInfo16 } from '@dhis2/ui-icons'
-import React, { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+import React, { useState } from 'react'
 import { useField } from 'react-final-form'
 import { useCurrentUserRootOrgUnits } from '../../../lib/user/currentUserStore'
 import classes from './OrganisationUnitSelector.module.css'
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ export function OrganisationUnitSelector() {
 
     return (
         <Field
+            name="parent"
             error={meta.touched && meta.error}
             validationText={meta.touched ? meta.error : undefined}
         >
diff --git a/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/index.ts b/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/index.ts
index c5bde466..d839a7a8 100644
--- a/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/index.ts
+++ b/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/index.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 export { OrganisationUnitFormField } from './OrganisationUnitFormFields'
 export { ImageField } from './ImageField'
 export { OrganisationUnitSelector } from './OrganisationUnitSelector'
-export { organisationUnitSchema, initialValues } from './organisationUnitSchema'
+export {
+    organisationUnitSchema,
+    initialValues,
+    validate,
+} from './organisationUnitSchema'
 export type { FormValues } from './types'
diff --git a/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/organisationUnitSchema.ts b/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/organisationUnitSchema.ts
index 23d61535..57727b88 100644
--- a/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/organisationUnitSchema.ts
+++ b/src/pages/organisationUnits/form/organisationUnitSchema.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import i18n from '@dhis2/d2-i18n'
 import { z } from 'zod'
-import { getDefaults, modelFormSchemas } from '../../../lib'
+import { createFormValidate, getDefaults, modelFormSchemas } from '../../../lib'
 
 const { withAttributeValues, identifiable, referenceCollection } =
     modelFormSchemas
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export const organisationUnitSchema = identifiable
                 }),
             })
             .optional(),
-        parent: z.object({ id: z.string() }).optional(),
+        parent: z.object({ id: z.string(), path: z.string() }).optional(),
         geometry: z
             .object({
                 type: z.literal('Point'),
@@ -92,7 +92,22 @@ export const organisationUnitSchema = identifiable
         programs: referenceCollection.optional().default([]),
         dataSets: referenceCollection.optional().default([]),
     })
+    .refine(
+        (orgUnit) => {
+            if (!orgUnit.id) {
+                return true
+            }
+            const isDescendantOfSelf = orgUnit.parent?.path.includes(orgUnit.id)
+            return !isDescendantOfSelf
+        },
+        {
+            message: i18n.t(
+                'Parent organisation unit cannot be itself or a descendant of itself.'
+            ),
+            path: ['parent'],
+        }
+    )
 
-export const initialValues = getDefaults(
-    organisationUnitSchema as z.AnyZodObject
-)
+export const initialValues = getDefaults(organisationUnitSchema)
+
+export const validate = createFormValidate(organisationUnitSchema)