diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index d1b098eca3..9e9dadb03f 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -237,6 +237,31 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv, timeval &startup_time) :
         NodeList::getInstance()->getNodeSocket()->setBlocking(false);
     }
     
+    // setup QSettings    
+#ifdef Q_WS_MAC
+    QString resourcesPath = QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath() + "/../Resources";
+#else
+    QString resourcesPath = QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath() + "/resources";
+#endif
+    
+    // read the ApplicationInfo.ini file for Name/Version/Domain information
+    QSettings applicationInfo(resourcesPath + "/info/ApplicationInfo.ini", QSettings::IniFormat);
+    
+    // set the associated application properties
+    applicationInfo.beginGroup("INFO");
+    
+    setApplicationName(applicationInfo.value("name").toString());
+    setApplicationVersion(applicationInfo.value("version").toString());
+    setOrganizationName(applicationInfo.value("organizationName").toString());
+    setOrganizationDomain(applicationInfo.value("organizationDomain").toString());
+    
+    _settings = new QSettings(this);
+    
+    // check if there is a saved domain server hostname
+    // this must be done now instead of with the other setting checks to allow manual override with
+    // --domain or --local options
+    NodeList::getInstance()->loadData(_settings);
+    
     const char* domainIP = getCmdOption(argc, constArgv, "--domain");
     if (domainIP) {
         NodeList::getInstance()->setDomainIP(domainIP);
@@ -270,23 +295,6 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv, timeval &startup_time) :
     
     _window->setCentralWidget(_glWidget);
     
-#ifdef Q_WS_MAC
-    QString resourcesPath = QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath() + "/../Resources";
-#else
-    QString resourcesPath = QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath() + "/resources";
-#endif
-    
-    // read the ApplicationInfo.ini file for Name/Version/Domain information
-    QSettings applicationInfo(resourcesPath + "/info/ApplicationInfo.ini", QSettings::IniFormat);
-    
-    // set the associated application properties
-    applicationInfo.beginGroup("INFO");
-    
-    setApplicationName(applicationInfo.value("name").toString());
-    setApplicationVersion(applicationInfo.value("version").toString());
-    setOrganizationName(applicationInfo.value("organizationName").toString());
-    setOrganizationDomain(applicationInfo.value("organizationDomain").toString());
-    
 #if defined(Q_WS_MAC) && defined(QT_NO_DEBUG)
     // if this is a release OS X build use fervor to check for an update    
     FvUpdater::sharedUpdater()->SetFeedURL("https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/highfidelity/appcast.xml");
@@ -1145,11 +1153,18 @@ void Application::editPreferences() {
         return;
     }
     
-    char newHostname[MAX_HOSTNAME_BYTES] = {};
-    memcpy(newHostname, domainServerHostname->text().toAscii().data(), domainServerHostname->text().size());
+    QByteArray newHostname;
+    
+    if (domainServerHostname->text().size() > 0) {
+        // the user input a new hostname, use that
+        newHostname = domainServerHostname->text().toAscii();
+    } else {
+        // the user left the field blank, use the default hostname
+        newHostname = QByteArray(DEFAULT_DOMAIN_HOSTNAME);
+    }
    
     // check if the domain server hostname is new 
-    if (memcmp(NodeList::getInstance()->getDomainHostname(), newHostname, strlen(newHostname)) != 0) {
+    if (memcmp(NodeList::getInstance()->getDomainHostname(), newHostname.constData(), newHostname.size()) != 0) {
         
         NodeList::getInstance()->clear();
         
@@ -1159,7 +1174,8 @@ void Application::editPreferences() {
         // reset the environment to default
         _environment.resetToDefault();
         
-        NodeList::getInstance()->setDomainHostname(newHostname);
+        // set the new hostname
+        NodeList::getInstance()->setDomainHostname(newHostname.constData());
     }
     
     QUrl url(avatarURL->text());
@@ -1785,7 +1801,6 @@ void Application::initMenu() {
     settingsMenu->addAction("Export settings", this, SLOT(exportSettings()));
     
     _networkAccessManager = new QNetworkAccessManager(this);
-    _settings = new QSettings(this);
 }
 
 void Application::updateFrustumRenderModeAction() {
@@ -3469,7 +3484,7 @@ void Application::saveSettings(QSettings* settings) {
     if (!settings) { 
         settings = getSettings();
     }
-
+    
     settings->setValue("headCameraPitchYawScale", _headCameraPitchYawScale);
     settings->setValue("audioJitterBufferSamples", _audioJitterBufferSamples);
     settings->setValue("horizontalFieldOfView", _horizontalFieldOfView);
@@ -3484,6 +3499,9 @@ void Application::saveSettings(QSettings* settings) {
     scanMenuBar(&Application::saveAction, settings);
     getAvatar()->saveData(settings);
     _swatch.saveData(settings);
+    
+    // ask the NodeList to save its data
+    NodeList::getInstance()->saveData(settings);
 }
 
 void Application::importSettings() {
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
index 91fe1f4a21..9406c6b14d 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
@@ -499,6 +499,37 @@ void NodeList::startSilentNodeRemovalThread() {
 void NodeList::stopSilentNodeRemovalThread() {
     silentNodeThreadStopFlag = true;
     pthread_join(removeSilentNodesThread, NULL);
+    
+}
+
+const QString QSETTINGS_GROUP_NAME = "NodeList";
+const QString DOMAIN_SERVER_SETTING_KEY = "domainServerHostname";
+
+void NodeList::loadData(QSettings *settings) {
+    settings->beginGroup(DOMAIN_SERVER_SETTING_KEY);
+    
+    QString domainServerHostname = settings->value(DOMAIN_SERVER_SETTING_KEY).toString();
+    
+    if (domainServerHostname.size() > 0) {
+        memset(_domainHostname, 0, MAX_HOSTNAME_BYTES);
+        memcpy(_domainHostname, domainServerHostname.toAscii().constData(), domainServerHostname.size());
+    }
+    
+    settings->endGroup();
+}
+
+void NodeList::saveData(QSettings* settings) {
+    settings->beginGroup(DOMAIN_SERVER_SETTING_KEY);
+    
+    if (memcmp(_domainHostname, DEFAULT_DOMAIN_HOSTNAME, strlen(DEFAULT_DOMAIN_HOSTNAME)) != 0) {
+        // the user is using a different hostname, store it
+        settings->setValue(DOMAIN_SERVER_SETTING_KEY, QVariant(_domainHostname));
+    } else {
+        // the user has switched back to default, remove the current setting
+        settings->remove(DOMAIN_SERVER_SETTING_KEY);
+    }
+    
+    settings->endGroup();
 }
 
 NodeList::iterator NodeList::begin() const {
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.h b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.h
index 0c8a68d38c..2a66fc7374 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.h
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 #include <iterator>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+#include <QSettings>
+
 #include "Node.h"
 #include "UDPSocket.h"
 
@@ -99,6 +101,9 @@ public:
     void startSilentNodeRemovalThread();
     void stopSilentNodeRemovalThread();
     
+    void loadData(QSettings* settings);
+    void saveData(QSettings* settings);
+    
     friend class NodeListIterator;
 private:
     static NodeList* _sharedInstance;