diff --git a/src/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java b/src/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java
index 91ee89d75f..8e79228fec 100644
--- a/src/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java
+++ b/src/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ package org.apache.cassandra.gms;
 
 import java.io.*;
 import java.util.*;
+import java.net.InetAddress;
 
 import org.apache.cassandra.concurrent.SingleThreadedStage;
 import org.apache.cassandra.concurrent.StageManager;
@@ -895,7 +896,8 @@ public class Gossiper implements IFailureDetectionEventListener, IEndPointStateC
         Set<String> seedHosts = DatabaseDescriptor.getSeeds();
         for( String seedHost : seedHosts )
         {
-            EndPoint seed = new EndPoint(seedHost, DatabaseDescriptor.getControlPort());
+            EndPoint seed = new EndPoint(InetAddress.getByName(seedHost).getHostAddress(),
+                                         DatabaseDescriptor.getControlPort());
             if ( seed.equals(localEndPoint) )
                 continue;
             seeds_.add(seed);
diff --git a/src/org/apache/cassandra/net/CompactEndPointSerializationHelper.java b/src/org/apache/cassandra/net/CompactEndPointSerializationHelper.java
index 2a376b95e6..6ddf1a42d9 100644
--- a/src/org/apache/cassandra/net/CompactEndPointSerializationHelper.java
+++ b/src/org/apache/cassandra/net/CompactEndPointSerializationHelper.java
@@ -39,18 +39,6 @@ public class CompactEndPointSerializationHelper
         return EndPoint.fromBytes(bytes);       
     }
     
-    private static byte[] getIPAddress(String host) throws UnknownHostException
-    {
-        InetAddress ia = InetAddress.getByName(host);         
-        return ia.getAddress();
-    }
-    
-    private static String getHostName(byte[] ipAddr) throws UnknownHostException
-    {
-        InetAddress ia = InetAddress.getByAddress(ipAddr);
-        return ia.getCanonicalHostName();
-    }
-    
     public static void main(String[] args) throws Throwable
     {
         EndPoint ep = new EndPoint(7000);
diff --git a/src/org/apache/cassandra/net/EndPoint.java b/src/org/apache/cassandra/net/EndPoint.java
index a8f4471943..1b78ee2963 100644
--- a/src/org/apache/cassandra/net/EndPoint.java
+++ b/src/org/apache/cassandra/net/EndPoint.java
@@ -62,16 +62,9 @@ public class EndPoint implements Serializable, Comparable<EndPoint>
 
     private transient InetSocketAddress ia_;
 
-    /* Ctor for JAXB. DO NOT DELETE */
-    private EndPoint()
-    {
-    }
-
     public EndPoint(String host, int port)
     {
-        /*
-         * Attempts to resolve the host, but does not fail if it cannot.
-         */
+        assert host.matches("\\d+\\.\\d+\\.\\d+\\.\\d+") : host;
         host_ = host;
         port_ = port;
     }
@@ -166,7 +159,7 @@ public class EndPoint implements Serializable, Comparable<EndPoint>
             String host = hostNames_.get(charBuffer);
             if (host == null)
             {               
-                host = InetAddress.getByAddress(buffer.array()).getHostName();              
+                host = InetAddress.getByAddress(buffer.array()).getHostAddress();              
                 hostNames_.put(charBuffer, host);
             }
             int port = (int) MessagingService.byteArrayToShort(portBytes);
diff --git a/src/org/apache/cassandra/net/TcpConnection.java b/src/org/apache/cassandra/net/TcpConnection.java
index 14897aaa89..56ed9e5d1b 100644
--- a/src/org/apache/cassandra/net/TcpConnection.java
+++ b/src/org/apache/cassandra/net/TcpConnection.java
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@ public class TcpConnection extends SelectionKeyHandler implements Comparable
                         if (remoteEp_ == null)
                         {             
                             int port = ( pH.isListening_ ) ? DatabaseDescriptor.getStoragePort() : EndPoint.randomPort_;
-                            remoteEp_ = new EndPoint( socketChannel_.socket().getInetAddress().getHostName(), port );                            
+                            remoteEp_ = new EndPoint( socketChannel_.socket().getInetAddress().getHostAddress(), port );                            
                             // put connection into pool if possible
                             pool_ = MessagingService.getConnectionPool(localEp_, remoteEp_);                            
                             pool_.addToPool(TcpConnection.this);                            
diff --git a/src/org/apache/cassandra/utils/FBUtilities.java b/src/org/apache/cassandra/utils/FBUtilities.java
index 550d51fcc4..3cf30da77f 100644
--- a/src/org/apache/cassandra/utils/FBUtilities.java
+++ b/src/org/apache/cassandra/utils/FBUtilities.java
@@ -150,11 +150,12 @@ public class FBUtilities
 
     public static String getHostName() throws UnknownHostException
     {
+        InetAddress inetAddr = getLocalAddress();
         if (DatabaseDescriptor.getListenAddress() != null)
         {
-            return DatabaseDescriptor.getListenAddress();
+            inetAddr = InetAddress.getByName(DatabaseDescriptor.getListenAddress());
         }
-        return getLocalAddress().getCanonicalHostName();
+        return inetAddr.getHostAddress();
     }
 
     public static boolean isHostLocalHost(InetAddress host)