Index: Makefile
===================================================================
--- Makefile	(revision 63983)
+++ Makefile	(working copy)
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@
 		echo ";[options]" ; \
 		echo ";internal_timing = yes" ; \
 		echo ";systemname = my_system_name ; prefix uniqueid with a system name for global uniqueness issues" ; \
-		echo ";autosystemname = yes ; automatically set systemname to hostname - uses 'localhost' on failure" ; \
+		echo ";autosystemname = yes ; automatically set systemname to hostname - uses 'localhost' on failure, or systemname if set" ; \
 		echo "; Changing the following lines may compromise your security." ; \
 		echo ";[files]" ; \
 		echo ";astctlpermissions = 0660" ; \
Index: main/asterisk.c
===================================================================
--- main/asterisk.c	(revision 63983)
+++ main/asterisk.c	(working copy)
@@ -2529,8 +2529,10 @@
 				if (!gethostname(hostname, sizeof(hostname) - 1))
 					ast_copy_string(ast_config_AST_SYSTEM_NAME, hostname, sizeof(ast_config_AST_SYSTEM_NAME));
 				else {
-					ast_log(LOG_ERROR, "Cannot obtain hostname for this system.  Using 'localhost' instead.\n");
-					ast_copy_string(ast_config_AST_SYSTEM_NAME, "localhost", sizeof(ast_config_AST_SYSTEM_NAME));
+					if (ast_config_AST_SYSTEM_NAME==""){
+						ast_copy_string(ast_config_AST_SYSTEM_NAME, "localhost", sizeof(ast_config_AST_SYSTEM_NAME));
+					}
+					ast_log(LOG_ERROR, "Cannot obtain hostname for this system.  Using '%s' instead.\n",ast_config_AST_SYSTEM_NAME);
 				}
 			}
 		} else if (!strcasecmp(v->name, "languageprefix")) {