diff --git a/cmd/rekor-server/app/root.go b/cmd/rekor-server/app/root.go
index 579bd2544..4d60922e9 100644
--- a/cmd/rekor-server/app/root.go
+++ b/cmd/rekor-server/app/root.go
@@ -66,7 +66,11 @@ func init() {
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Uint("trillian_log_server.tlog_id", 0, "Trillian tree id")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().String("trillian_log_server.sharding_config", "", "path to config file for inactive shards")
 
-	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().String("rekor_server.hostname", "rekor.sigstore.dev", "public hostname of instance")
+	hostname, err := os.Hostname()
+	if err != nil {
+		hostname = "localhost"
+	}
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().String("rekor_server.hostname", hostname, "public hostname of instance")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().String("rekor_server.address", "127.0.0.1", "Address to bind to")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().String("rekor_server.signer", "memory", "Rekor signer to use. Current valid options include: [gcpkms, memory]")
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e_test.go b/tests/e2e_test.go
index 7e67d9272..eab4e85a7 100644
--- a/tests/e2e_test.go
+++ b/tests/e2e_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -835,3 +836,25 @@ func TestInclusionProofRace(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestHostnameInSTH(t *testing.T) {
+	// get ID of container
+	rekorContainerID := strings.Trim(run(t, "", "docker", "ps", "-q", "-f", "name=rekor-server"), "\n")
+	resp, err := http.Get("http://localhost:3000/api/v1/log")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+
+	body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if !strings.Contains(string(body), fmt.Sprintf(" %s ", rekorContainerID)) {
+		t.Errorf("logInfo does not contain the hostname (%v) of the rekor-server container: %v", rekorContainerID, string(body))
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(string(body), "rekor.sigstore.dev") {
+		t.Errorf("logInfo contains rekor.sigstore.dev which should not be set by default")
+	}
+}