diff --git a/data.go b/data.go
index e93971b..6e9fc2b 100644
--- a/data.go
+++ b/data.go
@@ -11,17 +11,17 @@
 
 var (
 	unsafeDB apid.DB
-	dbMux    sync.RWMutex
+	dbMux sync.RWMutex
 )
 
 type dataApidCluster struct {
 	ChangeSelector, ID, Name, OrgAppName, CreatedBy, UpdatedBy, Description string
-	Updated, Created string
+	Updated, Created                                                        string
 }
 
 type dataDataScope struct {
 	ChangeSelector, ID, ClusterID, Scope, Org, Env, CreatedBy, UpdatedBy string
-	Updated, Created string
+	Updated, Created                                                     string
 }
 
 /*
@@ -266,11 +266,7 @@
 			db.Exec("INSERT INTO APID (instance_id) VALUES (?)", info.InstanceID)
 		}
 	}
-
-	// if name not explicitly configured, just use InstanceID
-	config.SetDefault(configName, info.InstanceID)
 	info.InstanceName = config.GetString(configName)
-
 	// not stored in DB
 	info.ClusterID = config.GetString(configApidClusterId)
 
@@ -304,6 +300,8 @@
 /*
  * generates a random uuid (mix of timestamp & crypto random string)
  */
+
+//TODO: Change to https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4122 based implementation such as https://github.com/google/uuid
 func generateUUID() string {
 
 	buff := make([]byte, 16)
diff --git a/init.go b/init.go
index 22371fa..0a04525 100644
--- a/init.go
+++ b/init.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/30x/apid"
+	"os"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -48,6 +49,15 @@
 
 	config = services.Config()
 	config.SetDefault(configPollInterval, 120)
+	log.Infof("Setting defaults")
+	{
+		name, errh := os.Hostname()
+		if errh != nil & config.GetString(configName) == nil {
+			panic(fmt.Errorf("Not able to get hostname for kernel. Please set '%s' property in config",configName))
+		}
+		log.Infof("Hostname reported by kernel : %s", name)
+		config.SetDefault(configName, name)
+	}
 
 	data = services.Data()
 	events = services.Events()