diff --git a/lib/libwebsockets.c b/lib/libwebsockets.c
index 2674aee4..044a1580 100644
--- a/lib/libwebsockets.c
+++ b/lib/libwebsockets.c
@@ -561,6 +561,24 @@ libwebsocket_rx_flow_control(struct libwebsocket *wsi, int enable)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+/**
+ * libwebsocket_canonical_hostname() - returns this host's hostname
+ *
+ * This is typically used by client code to fill in the host parameter
+ * when making a client connection.  You can only call it after the context
+ * has been created.
+ *
+ * @this:	Websocket context
+ */
+
+
+extern const char *
+libwebsocket_canonical_hostname(struct libwebsocket_context *this)
+{
+	return (const char *)this->canonical_hostname;
+}
+
+
 static void sigpipe_handler(int x)
 {
 }
@@ -624,6 +642,8 @@ libwebsocket_create_context(int port,
 	struct libwebsocket_context *this = NULL;
 	unsigned int slen;
 	char *p;
+	char hostname[1024];
+	struct hostent* he;
 
 #ifdef LWS_OPENSSL_SUPPORT
 	SSL_METHOD *method;
@@ -640,6 +660,15 @@ libwebsocket_create_context(int port,
 	this->http_proxy_port = 0;
 	this->http_proxy_address[0] = '\0';
 
+	/* find canonical hostname */
+
+	hostname[(sizeof hostname) - 1] = '\0';
+	gethostname(hostname, (sizeof hostname) - 1);
+	he = gethostbyname(hostname);
+	strncpy(this->canonical_hostname, he->h_name,
+					   sizeof this->canonical_hostname - 1);
+	this->canonical_hostname[sizeof this->canonical_hostname - 1] = '\0';
+
 	/* split the proxy ads:port if given */
 
 	p = getenv("http_proxy");
diff --git a/lib/libwebsockets.h b/lib/libwebsockets.h
index ac28abf8..f68a4a3f 100644
--- a/lib/libwebsockets.h
+++ b/lib/libwebsockets.h
@@ -249,7 +249,10 @@ libwebsocket_client_connect(struct libwebsocket_context *clients,
 			      const char *origin,
 			      const char *protocol);
 
-void
+extern const char *
+libwebsocket_canonical_hostname(struct libwebsocket_context *this);
+
+extern void
 libwebsocket_client_close(struct libwebsocket *wsi);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/private-libwebsockets.h b/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
index 2cb3f2b6..6a5df59c 100644
--- a/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
+++ b/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <signal.h>
+#include <netdb.h>
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
@@ -169,6 +170,7 @@ struct libwebsocket_context {
 	int fds_count;
 	int listen_port;
 	char http_proxy_address[256];
+	char canonical_hostname[1024];
 	unsigned int http_proxy_port;
 #ifdef LWS_OPENSSL_SUPPORT
 	int use_ssl;
diff --git a/libwebsockets-api-doc.html b/libwebsockets-api-doc.html
index d0703436..f3ee10e1 100644
--- a/libwebsockets-api-doc.html
+++ b/libwebsockets-api-doc.html
@@ -112,6 +112,23 @@ If the output side of a server process becomes choked, this allows flow
 control for the input side.
 </blockquote>
 <hr>
+<h2>libwebsocket_canonical_hostname - returns this host's hostname</h2>
+<i>const char *</i>
+<b>libwebsocket_canonical_hostname</b>
+(<i>struct libwebsocket_context *</i> <b>this</b>)
+<h3>Arguments</h3>
+<dl>
+<dt><b>this</b>
+<dd>Websocket context
+</dl>
+<h3>Description</h3>
+<blockquote>
+<p>
+This is typically used by client code to fill in the host parameter
+when making a client connection.  You can only call it after the context
+has been created.
+</blockquote>
+<hr>
 <h2>libwebsocket_create_context - Create the websocket handler</h2>
 <i>struct libwebsocket_context *</i>
 <b>libwebsocket_create_context</b>
diff --git a/test-server/test-client.c b/test-server/test-client.c
index 734aab20..289374aa 100644
--- a/test-server/test-client.c
+++ b/test-server/test-client.c
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
-
 #include "../lib/libwebsockets.h"
 #include <poll.h>
 
@@ -170,7 +169,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	struct libwebsocket *wsi_dumb;
 	struct libwebsocket *wsi_mirror;
 
-
 	fprintf(stderr, "libwebsockets test client\n"
 			"(C) Copyright 2010 Andy Green <andy@warmcat.com> "
 						    "licensed under LGPL2.1\n");
@@ -215,7 +213,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* create a client websocket using dumb increment protocol */
 
 	wsi_dumb = libwebsocket_client_connect(context, address, port, use_ssl,
-					"/", "http://host", "origin",
+			"/", libwebsocket_canonical_hostname(context), "origin",
 				       protocols[PROTOCOL_DUMB_INCREMENT].name);
 
 	if (wsi_dumb == NULL) {
@@ -226,7 +224,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* create a client websocket using mirror protocol */
 
 	wsi_mirror = libwebsocket_client_connect(context, address, port,
-					use_ssl,  "/", "http://host", "origin",
+	     use_ssl,  "/", libwebsocket_canonical_hostname(context), "origin",
 				       protocols[PROTOCOL_LWS_MIRROR].name);
 
 	if (wsi_mirror == NULL) {
diff --git a/test-server/test-ping.c b/test-server/test-ping.c
index 69119238..434e9d07 100644
--- a/test-server/test-ping.c
+++ b/test-server/test-ping.c
@@ -370,9 +370,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	/* create a client websocket using dumb increment protocol */
 
-	wsi_mirror = libwebsocket_client_connect(context, address, port, use_ssl,
-					"/", "http://host", "origin",
-				       protocols[PROTOCOL_LWS_MIRROR].name);
+	wsi_mirror = libwebsocket_client_connect(context, address, port,
+			use_ssl, "/", libwebsocket_canonical_hostname(context),
+				 "origin", protocols[PROTOCOL_LWS_MIRROR].name);
 
 	if (wsi_mirror == NULL) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "libwebsocket connect failed\n");