diff --git a/docs/Reference.md b/docs/Reference.md
index f4ecd3b23..ebb63445b 100755
--- a/docs/Reference.md
+++ b/docs/Reference.md
@@ -264,17 +264,21 @@ the sole connection where:
 - `id` - a unique connection identifier (using the format '{hostname}:{pid}:{now base36}').
 - `created` - the connection creation timestamp.
 - `started` - the connection start timestamp (`0` when stopped).
-- `port` - the port the connection was configured to (before
-  [`server.start()`](#serverstartcallback)) or bound to (after
-  [`server.start()`](#serverstartcallback)).
-- `host` - the host name the connection was configured to (defaults to `'0.0.0.0'` if no host was
-  provided).
+- `port` - the connection port based on the following rules:
+    - `undefined` when no port is configured or set to `0` and the server has not been started.
+    - the configured port value when set before the server has been started.
+    - the actual port assigned when no port is configured or set to `0` after the server has been
+      started.
+- `host` - the host name the connection was configured to. Defaults to the operating system
+  hostname when available, otherwise `'localhost'`.
+- `address` - the active IP address the connection was bound to after starting. Set to `undefined`
+  until the server has been started or when using a non TCP port (e.g. UNIX domain socket).
 - `protocol` - the protocol used:
     - `'http'` - HTTP.
     - `'https'` - HTTPS.
     - `'socket'` - UNIX domain socket or Windows named pipe.
 - `uri` - a string representing the connection (e.g. 'http://example.com:8080' or
-  'socket:/unix/domain/socket/path').
+  'socket:/unix/domain/socket/path'). Only available when `info.port` is available.
 
 When the server contains more than one connection, each [`server.connections`](#serverconnections)
 array member provides its own `connection.info`.
@@ -701,10 +705,14 @@ cache.set('norway', { capital: 'oslo' }, function (err) {
 ### `server.connection([options])`
 
 Adds an incoming server connection where:
-- `host` - the hostname or IP address. Defaults to `0.0.0.0` which means any available network
-  interface. Set to `127.0.0.1` or `localhost` to restrict connection to only those coming from
-  the same machine. 
-- `port` - the TCP port the connection is listening to. Defaults to an ephemeral port (`0`) which
+- `host` - the public hostname or IP address. Used only to set `server.info.host` and
+  `server.info.uri`. If not configured, defaults to the operating system hostname and if not
+  available, to `'localhost'`.
+- `address` - sets the host name or IP address the connection will listen on. If not configured,
+  defaults to `host` if present, otherwise to all available network interfaces (i.e. `'0.0.0.0'`).
+  Set to `127.0.0.1` or `localhost` to restrict connection to only those coming from the same
+  machine. 
+- `port` - the TCP port the connection will listen to. Defaults to an ephemeral port (`0`) which
   uses an available port when the server is started (and assigned to `server.info.port`). If `port`
   is a string containing a '/' character, it is used as a UNIX domain socket path and if it starts
   with '\\.\pipe' as a Windows named pipe.
diff --git a/lib/connection.js b/lib/connection.js
index 8edb3858e..ea30fe9ae 100755
--- a/lib/connection.js
+++ b/lib/connection.js
@@ -43,19 +43,17 @@ exports = module.exports = internals.Connection = function (server, options) {
         this.settings.port = 0;
     }
 
+    this.type = (typeof this.settings.port === 'string' ? 'socket' : 'tcp');
+    if (this.type === 'socket') {
+        this.settings.port = (this.settings.port.indexOf('/') !== -1 ? Path.resolve(this.settings.port) : this.settings.port.toLowerCase());
+    }
+
     if (this.settings.autoListen === undefined) {
         this.settings.autoListen = true;
     }
 
     Hoek.assert(this.settings.autoListen || !this.settings.port, 'Cannot specify port when autoListen is false');
-
-    // Connection properties
-
-    this._port = this.settings.port;
-    this.type = (typeof this._port === 'string' ? 'socket' : 'tcp');
-    if (this.type === 'socket') {
-        this._port = (this._port.indexOf('/') !== -1 ? Path.resolve(this._port) : this._port.toLowerCase());
-    }
+    Hoek.assert(this.settings.autoListen || !this.settings.address, 'Cannot specify address when autoListen is false');
 
     // Connection facilities
 
@@ -94,13 +92,15 @@ exports = module.exports = internals.Connection = function (server, options) {
     this.info = {
         created: now,
         started: 0,
-        host: this._hostname(),
-        port: this._port,
-        protocol: this.type === 'tcp' ? (this.settings.tls ? 'https' : 'http') : this.type
+        host: this.settings.host || Os.hostname() || 'localhost',
+        protocol: this.type === 'tcp' ? (this.settings.tls ? 'https' : 'http') : this.type,
+        id: Os.hostname() + ':' + process.pid + ':' + now.toString(36)
     };
 
-    this.info.uri = this.info.protocol + ':' + (this.type === 'tcp' ? '//' + this.info.host + ':' + this.info.port : this.info.port);
-    this.info.id = Os.hostname() + ':' + process.pid + ':' + now.toString(36);
+    if (this.settings.port) {
+        this.info.port = this.settings.port;
+        this.info.uri = this.info.protocol + ':' + (this.type === 'tcp' ? '//' + this.info.host + ':' + this.info.port : this.info.port);
+    }
 };
 
 Hoek.inherits(internals.Connection, Events.EventEmitter);
@@ -114,11 +114,11 @@ internals.Connection.prototype._init = function () {
 
     this.listener.once('listening', function () {
 
-        // Update the host, port, and uri with active values
+        // Update the address, port, and uri with active values
 
         if (self.type === 'tcp') {
             var address = self.listener.address();
-            self.info.host = self._hostname(address.address);
+            self.info.address = address.address;
             self.info.port = address.port;
             self.info.uri = self.info.protocol + '://' + self.info.host + ':' + self.info.port;
         }
@@ -140,12 +140,6 @@ internals.Connection.prototype._init = function () {
 };
 
 
-internals.Connection.prototype._hostname = function (address) {
-
-    return this.settings.host || address || Os.hostname() || 'localhost';
-};
-
-
 internals.Connection.prototype._start = function (callback) {
 
     if (this._started) {
@@ -159,13 +153,12 @@ internals.Connection.prototype._start = function (callback) {
         return process.nextTick(callback);
     }
 
-    if (this.type !== 'tcp' ||
-        !this.settings.host) {
-
-        this.listener.listen(this._port, callback);
+    if (this.type !== 'tcp') {
+        this.listener.listen(this.settings.port, callback);
     }
     else {
-        this.listener.listen(this._port, this.settings.host, callback);
+        var address = this.settings.address || this.settings.host || '0.0.0.0';
+        this.listener.listen(this.settings.port, address, callback);
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/plugin.js b/lib/plugin.js
index 974f14a6f..834296b03 100755
--- a/lib/plugin.js
+++ b/lib/plugin.js
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ internals.Plugin.prototype.register = function (plugins /*, [options], callback
 
         for (var i = 0, il = selection.connections.length; i < il; ++i) {
             var connection = selection.connections[i];
-            Hoek.assert(item.multiple || !connection._registrations[item.name], 'Plugin', item.name, 'already registered in:', connection.info.uri);
+            Hoek.assert(item.multiple || !connection._registrations[item.name], 'Plugin', item.name, 'already registered in:', connection.info.host + ':' + connection.settings.port);
             connection._registrations[item.name] = item;
         }
 
diff --git a/lib/schema.js b/lib/schema.js
index 0bdb36b5f..3c4d4991e 100755
--- a/lib/schema.js
+++ b/lib/schema.js
@@ -193,7 +193,8 @@ internals.server = Joi.object({
 
 internals.connection = internals.connectionBase.keys({
     autoListen: Joi.boolean(),
-    host: Joi.string().hostname().allow(null),
+    host: Joi.string().hostname(),
+    address: Joi.string().hostname(),
     labels: internals.labels,
     listener: Joi.any(),
     port: Joi.alternatives([
diff --git a/lib/server.js b/lib/server.js
index 802251f86..0add90052 100755
--- a/lib/server.js
+++ b/lib/server.js
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ internals.Server.prototype.connection = function (options) {
     settings.routes.cors = Hoek.applyToDefaults(this._settings.connections.routes.cors || Defaults.cors, settings.routes.cors);
     settings.routes.security = Hoek.applyToDefaults(this._settings.connections.routes.security || Defaults.security, settings.routes.security);
 
-    settings = Schema.assert('connection', settings);                                                           // Applies validation changes (type cast)
+    settings = Schema.assert('connection', settings);       // Applies validation changes (type cast)
 
     var connection = new Connection(this, settings);
     this.connections.push(connection);
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ internals.Server.prototype.start = function (callback) {
             var connection = dependency.connections[s];
             for (var d = 0, dl = dependency.deps.length; d < dl; ++d) {
                 var dep = dependency.deps[d];
-                Hoek.assert(connection._registrations[dep], 'Plugin', dependency.plugin, 'missing dependency', dep, 'in connection:', connection.info.uri);
+                Hoek.assert(connection._registrations[dep], 'Plugin', dependency.plugin, 'missing dependency', dep, 'in connection:', connection.info.host + ':' + connection.settings.port);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/test/connection.js b/test/connection.js
index 7d6030c76..a66d8b055 100755
--- a/test/connection.js
+++ b/test/connection.js
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ describe('Connection', function () {
         done();
     });
 
-    it('defaults to 0.0.0.0 or :: when no host is provided', function (done) {
+    it('defaults address to 0.0.0.0 or :: when no host is provided', function (done) {
 
         var server = new Hapi.Server();
         server.connection();
@@ -81,7 +81,19 @@ describe('Connection', function () {
                 expectedBoundAddress = '::';
             }
 
-            expect(server.info.host).to.equal(expectedBoundAddress);
+            expect(server.info.address).to.equal(expectedBoundAddress);
+            done();
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('uses address when present instead of host', function (done) {
+
+        var server = new Hapi.Server();
+        server.connection({ host: 'no.such.domain.hapi', address: 'localhost' });
+        server.start(function () {
+
+            expect(server.info.host).to.equal('no.such.domain.hapi');
+            expect(server.info.address).to.equal('127.0.0.1');
             done();
         });
     });
@@ -93,7 +105,6 @@ describe('Connection', function () {
         server.connection({ port: port });
 
         expect(server.connections[0].type).to.equal('socket');
-        expect(server.connections[0]._port).to.equal(port);
 
         server.start(function () {
 
@@ -116,7 +127,6 @@ describe('Connection', function () {
         server.connection({ port: port });
 
         expect(server.connections[0].type).to.equal('socket');
-        expect(server.connections[0]._port).to.equal(port);
 
         server.start(function () {
 
@@ -265,8 +275,9 @@ describe('Connection', function () {
                     expectedBoundAddress = '::';
                 }
 
-                expect(server.info.host).to.equal(expectedBoundAddress);
-                expect(server.info.port).to.not.equal(0);
+                expect(server.info.host).to.equal(Os.hostname());
+                expect(server.info.address).to.equal(expectedBoundAddress);
+                expect(server.info.port).to.be.a.number().and.above(1);
                 server.stop();
                 done();
             });
@@ -300,9 +311,9 @@ describe('Connection', function () {
             };
 
             var server = new Hapi.Server();
-            server.connection();
+            server.connection({ port: '8000' });
             expect(server.info.host).to.equal('localhost');
-            expect(server.info.uri).to.equal('http://localhost:' + server.info.port);
+            expect(server.info.uri).to.equal('http://localhost:8000');
             done();
         });
 
diff --git a/test/plugin.js b/test/plugin.js
index cd47fe9c9..5702d24b2 100755
--- a/test/plugin.js
+++ b/test/plugin.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // Load modules
 
+var Os = require('os');
 var Path = require('path');
 var Boom = require('boom');
 var CatboxMemory = require('catbox-memory');
@@ -317,14 +318,14 @@ describe('Plugin', function () {
             };
 
             var server = new Hapi.Server();
-            server.connection();
+            server.connection({ host: 'example.com' });
             server.register(test, function (err) {
 
                 expect(err).to.not.exist();
                 expect(function () {
 
                     server.register(test, function (err) { });
-                }).to.throw('Plugin test already registered in: ' + server.info.uri);
+                }).to.throw('Plugin test already registered in: example.com:0');
 
                 done();
             });
@@ -1096,7 +1097,7 @@ describe('Plugin', function () {
                 expect(function () {
 
                     server.start();
-                }).to.throw('Plugin test missing dependency none in connection: ' + server.info.uri);
+                }).to.throw('Plugin test missing dependency none in connection: ' + Os.hostname() + ':0');
                 done();
             });
         });
@@ -1104,13 +1105,13 @@ describe('Plugin', function () {
         it('fails to register multiple plugins with dependencies', function (done) {
 
             var server = new Hapi.Server();
-            server.connection();
+            server.connection({ port: 80, host: 'localhost' });
             server.register([internals.plugins.deps1, internals.plugins.deps3], function (err) {
 
                 expect(function () {
 
                     server.start();
-                }).to.throw('Plugin deps1 missing dependency deps2 in connection: ' + server.info.uri);
+                }).to.throw('Plugin deps1 missing dependency deps2 in connection: localhost:80');
                 done();
             });
         });
@@ -1176,13 +1177,13 @@ describe('Plugin', function () {
             };
 
             var server = new Hapi.Server();
-            server.connection();
+            server.connection({ port: 80, host: 'localhost' });
             server.register(a, function (err) {
 
                 expect(function () {
 
                     server.start();
-                }).to.throw('Plugin b missing dependency c in connection: ' + server.info.uri);
+                }).to.throw('Plugin b missing dependency c in connection: localhost:80');
                 done();
             });
         });