diff --git a/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/files/kickstart.ks.tmpl b/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/files/kickstart.ks.tmpl
index 4e8d541f..ce2191bb 100644
--- a/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/files/kickstart.ks.tmpl
+++ b/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/files/kickstart.ks.tmpl
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ sshkey --username {{ $user }} "{{ $pubkey }}"
 # --activate
 #	any matching devices beyond the first will also be activated
 #
-network --bootproto=dhcp --device=link --activate
+network --bootproto=dhcp --device=link --activate{{ if .hostname }} --hostname={{ .hostname }}{{ end }}
 
 firewall --enabled --service=mdns
 
diff --git a/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/main.mcl b/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/main.mcl
index 3de3f765..70b1cf8b 100644
--- a/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/main.mcl
+++ b/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/main.mcl
@@ -559,6 +559,7 @@ class base:host($name, $config) {
 	$handoff_type = $config->handoff || ""
 	$handoff_code = $config->handoff_code || ""
 	panic($handoff_code != "" and not strings.has_prefix($handoff_code, "/"))
+	$handoff_hostname = $config->handoff_hostname || ""
 
 	# This is a giant driver://user:password@host:port/whatever URL...
 	$bmc_uri = $config->bmc_uri || ""
@@ -799,6 +800,7 @@ class base:host($name, $config) {
 		#	"/usr/bin/wget 'http://${router_ip}:${http_port_str}/fedora/${repouid}/updates.repo' -O /etc/yum.repos.d/updates.repo",
 		#	"/usr/bin/dnf --enablerepo=fedora,updates install --assumeyes ${handoff_packages_string}",
 		#],
+		hostname => $handoff_hostname,
 		post => [
 			$handoff_binary, # copy over the binary
 			$handoff_cpcode, # copy over a bundle of code
diff --git a/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/provisioner.go b/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/provisioner.go
index 8499d163..3e6d8501 100644
--- a/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/provisioner.go
+++ b/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/provisioner.go
@@ -171,6 +171,10 @@ type localArgs struct {
 	// static code deploy bolus. This is useful for isolated, one-time runs.
 	HandoffCode string `arg:"--handoff-code" help:"code dir to handoff to host" func:"cli_handoff_code"` // eg: /etc/mgmt/
 
+	// HandoffHostname specifies that we want to handoff a hostname to set
+	// on this machine. This is useful to make initial code handoff easier.
+	HandoffHostname string `arg:"--handoff-hostname" help:"hostname to handoff to host" func:"cli_handoff_hostname"` // eg: server1
+
 	// BmcURI specifies the BMC connect string we want to use for this host.
 	// This is a giant driver://user:password@host:port/whatever URL...
 	BmcURI string `arg:"--bmc-uri" help:"bmc connect string to use for this host" func:"cli_bmc_uri"`
@@ -423,6 +427,9 @@ func (obj *provisioner) Customize(a interface{}) (*cli.RunArgs, error) {
 
 		obj.init.Logf("handoff: %s", obj.localArgs.HandoffCode)
 	}
+	if h := obj.localArgs.HandoffHostname; h != "" {
+		obj.init.Logf("handoff hostname: %s", h)
+	}
 
 	// Do this last to let others fail early b/c this has user interaction.
 	if obj.localArgs.Password == nil {
diff --git a/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/top.mcl b/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/top.mcl
index 0ccca908..9a1b6f15 100644
--- a/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/top.mcl
+++ b/lang/core/embedded/provisioner/top.mcl
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ include base.host("host0", struct{ # TODO: do we need a usable name anywhere?
 	handoff => $handoff, # alternatively some code word or querystring
 	#handoff_code => "/etc/mgmt/", # one way to do it
 	handoff_code => provisioner.cli_handoff_code(),
+	handoff_hostname => provisioner.cli_handoff_hostname(),
 	bmc_uri => provisioner.cli_bmc_uri(),
 }) as host0