diff --git a/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/daemon/executor.clj b/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/daemon/executor.clj
index f60aa80..63428d5 100644
--- a/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/daemon/executor.clj
+++ b/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/daemon/executor.clj
@@ -176,7 +176,8 @@
 
       (when (<= @interval-errors max-per-interval)
         (cluster/report-error (:storm-cluster-state executor) (:storm-id executor) (:component-id executor)
-                              (memoized-local-hostname) (.getThisWorkerPort (:worker-context executor)) error)
+                              (hostname storm-conf)
+                              (.getThisWorkerPort (:worker-context executor)) error)
         ))))
 
 ;; in its own function so that it can be mocked out by tracked topologies
@@ -278,7 +279,7 @@
         task-id (:task-id task-data)
         name->imetric (-> interval->task->metric-registry (get interval) (get task-id))
         task-info (IMetricsConsumer$TaskInfo.
-                    (memoized-local-hostname)
+                    (hostname (:storm-conf executor-data))
                     (.getThisWorkerPort worker-context)
                     (:component-id executor-data)
                     task-id
diff --git a/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/daemon/supervisor.clj b/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/daemon/supervisor.clj
index b370eb7..71f9bfb 100644
--- a/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/daemon/supervisor.clj
+++ b/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/daemon/supervisor.clj
@@ -212,9 +212,7 @@
    :local-state (supervisor-state conf)
    :supervisor-id (.getSupervisorId isupervisor)
    :assignment-id (.getAssignmentId isupervisor)
-   :my-hostname (if (contains? conf STORM-LOCAL-HOSTNAME)
-                  (conf STORM-LOCAL-HOSTNAME)
-                  (local-hostname))
+   :my-hostname (hostname conf)
    :curr-assignment (atom nil) ;; used for reporting used ports when heartbeating
    :timer (mk-timer :kill-fn (fn [t]
                                (log-error t "Error when processing event")
diff --git a/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/util.clj b/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/util.clj
index 398584f..81c6287 100644
--- a/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/util.clj
+++ b/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/util.clj
@@ -206,6 +206,12 @@
 
 (def memoized-local-hostname (memoize local-hostname))
 
+;; checks conf for STORM_LOCAL_HOSTNAME.
+;; when unconfigured, falls back to (memoized) guess by `local-hostname`.
+(defn hostname
+  [conf]
+  (conf Config/STORM_LOCAL_HOSTNAME (memoized-local-hostname)))
+
 (letfn [(try-port [port]
                   (with-open [socket (java.net.ServerSocket. port)]
                     (.getLocalPort socket)))]