diff --git a/assignment-client/src/main.cpp b/assignment-client/src/main.cpp
index d33bf10e2e..1da0a0215a 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/main.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/main.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ int main(int argc, const char* argv[]) {
     // grab the assignment pool from argv, if it was passed
     const char* assignmentPool = getCmdOption(argc, argv, "-p");
     
+    // set the overriden assignment-server hostname from argv, if it exists
+    nodeList->setAssignmentServerHostname(getCmdOption(argc, argv, "-a"));
+
     // create a request assignment, accept all assignments, pass the desired pool (if it exists)
     Assignment requestAssignment(Assignment::Request, Assignment::All, assignmentPool);
     
diff --git a/domain-server/src/main.cpp b/domain-server/src/main.cpp
index 4bb554ab53..5fcef77a8c 100644
--- a/domain-server/src/main.cpp
+++ b/domain-server/src/main.cpp
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ int main(int argc, const char* argv[]) {
     const char* assignmentPool = getCmdOption(argc, argv, "-p");
     
     // grab the overriden assignment-server hostname from argv, if it exists
-    const char* assignmentServer = getCmdOption(argc, argv, "-a");
+    nodeList->setAssignmentServerHostname(getCmdOption(argc, argv, "-a"));
     
     // use a map to keep track of iterations of silence for assignment creation requests
     const int ASSIGNMENT_SILENCE_MAX_ITERATIONS = 5;
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
index cd52ff8ded..ad5876f622 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
@@ -375,9 +375,7 @@ int NodeList::processDomainServerList(unsigned char* packetData, size_t dataByte
     return readNodes;
 }
 
-const char ASSIGNMENT_SERVER_HOSTNAME[] = "localhost";
-const sockaddr_in assignmentServerSocket = socketForHostnameAndHostOrderPort(ASSIGNMENT_SERVER_HOSTNAME,
-                                                                             ASSIGNMENT_SERVER_PORT);
+const char GLOBAL_ASSIGNMENT_SERVER_HOSTNAME[] = "assignment.highfidelity.io";
 
 void NodeList::sendAssignment(Assignment& assignment) {
     unsigned char assignmentPacket[MAX_PACKET_SIZE];
@@ -388,6 +386,12 @@ void NodeList::sendAssignment(Assignment& assignment) {
     
     int numHeaderBytes = populateTypeAndVersion(assignmentPacket, assignmentPacketType);
     int numAssignmentBytes = assignment.packToBuffer(assignmentPacket + numHeaderBytes);
+    
+    // setup the assignmentServerSocket once, use a custom assignmentServerHostname if it is present
+    static sockaddr_in assignmentServerSocket = socketForHostnameAndHostOrderPort((_assignmentServerHostname != NULL
+                                                                                  ? (const char*) _assignmentServerHostname
+                                                                                  : GLOBAL_ASSIGNMENT_SERVER_HOSTNAME),
+                                                                                  ASSIGNMENT_SERVER_PORT);
 
     _nodeSocket.send((sockaddr*) &assignmentServerSocket, assignmentPacket, numHeaderBytes + numAssignmentBytes);
 }
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.h b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.h
index 8afe8e38d3..dad422a29b 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.h
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ public:
     void sendDomainServerCheckIn();
     int processDomainServerList(unsigned char *packetData, size_t dataBytes);
     
+    void setAssignmentServerHostname(const char* serverHostname) { _assignmentServerHostname = serverHostname; }
     void sendAssignment(Assignment& assignment);
     
     Node* nodeWithAddress(sockaddr *senderAddress);
@@ -151,6 +152,7 @@ private:
     pthread_t removeSilentNodesThread;
     pthread_t checkInWithDomainServerThread;
     int _numNoReplyDomainCheckIns;
+    const char* _assignmentServerHostname;
     
     void handlePingReply(sockaddr *nodeAddress);
     void timePingReply(sockaddr *nodeAddress, unsigned char *packetData);