diff --git a/cns/restserver/api.go b/cns/restserver/api.go
index c5f820c95c..ecbc3efa7e 100644
--- a/cns/restserver/api.go
+++ b/cns/restserver/api.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
-	"regexp"
+	"net/url"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -1082,14 +1082,12 @@ func getAuthTokenFromCreateNetworkContainerURL(
 	return strings.Split(strings.Split(createNetworkContainerURL, "authenticationToken/")[1], "/")[0]
 }
 
-var rgx = regexp.MustCompile("^http[s]?://(.*?)/joinedVirtualNetworks.*?$")
-
-func extractHostFromJoinNetworkURL(url string) string {
-	submatches := rgx.FindStringSubmatch(url)
-	if len(submatches) != 2 {
+func extractHostFromJoinNetworkURL(urlToParse string) string {
+	parsedURL, err := url.Parse(urlToParse)
+	if err != nil {
 		return ""
 	}
-	return submatches[1]
+	return parsedURL.Host
 }
 
 // Publish Network Container by calling nmagent
diff --git a/cns/restserver/api_test.go b/cns/restserver/api_test.go
index 3c61b1fe53..34fc663f89 100644
--- a/cns/restserver/api_test.go
+++ b/cns/restserver/api_test.go
@@ -562,13 +562,29 @@ func publishNCViaCNS(t *testing.T,
 }
 
 func TestExtractHost(t *testing.T) {
-	joinURL := "http://127.0.0.1:9001/joinedVirtualNetworks/c9b8e695-2de1-11eb-bf54-000d3af666c8/api-version/1"
+	joinURL := "http://127.0.0.1:9001/machine/plugins/?comp=nmagent&type=NetworkManagement/joinedVirtualNetworks/c9b8e695-2de1-11eb-bf54-000d3af666c8/api-version/1"
 
 	host := extractHostFromJoinNetworkURL(joinURL)
 	expected := "127.0.0.1:9001"
 	if host != expected {
 		t.Fatalf("expected host %q, got %q", expected, host)
 	}
+
+	joinURL = "http://168.63.129.16/machine/plugins/?comp=nmagent&type=NetworkManagement/joinedVirtualNetworks/4941a21f-1a8d-4d0f-8256-cc6e73a8cd22/api-version/1"
+
+	host = extractHostFromJoinNetworkURL(joinURL)
+	expected = "168.63.129.16"
+	if host != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("expected host %q, got %q", expected, host)
+	}
+
+	joinURL = "http://168.63.129.16/joinedVirtualNetworks/4941a21f-1a8d-4d0f-8256-cc6e73a8cd22/api-version/1"
+
+	host = extractHostFromJoinNetworkURL(joinURL)
+	expected = "168.63.129.16"
+	if host != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("expected host %q, got %q", expected, host)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestUnpublishNCViaCNS(t *testing.T) {