diff --git a/src/cmds/restic/cmd_backup.go b/src/cmds/restic/cmd_backup.go
index f15851331..31322563e 100644
--- a/src/cmds/restic/cmd_backup.go
+++ b/src/cmds/restic/cmd_backup.go
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ type BackupOptions struct {
 	Stdin          bool
 	StdinFilename  string
 	Tags           []string
+	Hostname       string
 	FilesFrom      string
 }
 
@@ -59,6 +60,12 @@ var backupOptions BackupOptions
 func init() {
 	cmdRoot.AddCommand(cmdBackup)
 
+	hostname, err := os.Hostname()
+	if err != nil {
+		debug.Log("os.Hostname() returned err: %v", err)
+		hostname = ""
+	}
+
 	f := cmdBackup.Flags()
 	f.StringVar(&backupOptions.Parent, "parent", "", "use this parent snapshot (default: last snapshot in the repo that has the same target files/directories)")
 	f.BoolVarP(&backupOptions.Force, "force", "f", false, `force re-reading the target files/directories. Overrides the "parent" flag`)
@@ -68,6 +75,7 @@ func init() {
 	f.BoolVar(&backupOptions.Stdin, "stdin", false, "read backup from stdin")
 	f.StringVar(&backupOptions.StdinFilename, "stdin-filename", "stdin", "file name to use when reading from stdin")
 	f.StringSliceVar(&backupOptions.Tags, "tag", []string{}, "add a `tag` for the new snapshot (can be specified multiple times)")
+	f.StringVar(&backupOptions.Hostname, "hostname", hostname, "set the `hostname` for the snapshot manually")
 	f.StringVar(&backupOptions.FilesFrom, "files-from", "", "read the files to backup from file (can be combined with file args)")
 }
 
@@ -264,7 +272,7 @@ func readBackupFromStdin(opts BackupOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, args []string)
 		return err
 	}
 
-	_, id, err := archiver.ArchiveReader(repo, newArchiveStdinProgress(gopts), os.Stdin, opts.StdinFilename, opts.Tags)
+	_, id, err := archiver.ArchiveReader(repo, newArchiveStdinProgress(gopts), os.Stdin, opts.StdinFilename, opts.Tags, opts.Hostname)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -377,13 +385,7 @@ func runBackup(opts BackupOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, args []string) error {
 
 	// Find last snapshot to set it as parent, if not already set
 	if !opts.Force && parentSnapshotID == nil {
-		hostname, err := os.Hostname()
-		if err != nil {
-			debug.Log("os.Hostname() returned err: %v", err)
-			hostname = ""
-		}
-
-		id, err := restic.FindLatestSnapshot(repo, target, hostname)
+		id, err := restic.FindLatestSnapshot(repo, target, opts.Hostname)
 		if err == nil {
 			parentSnapshotID = &id
 		} else if err != restic.ErrNoSnapshotFound {
@@ -459,7 +461,7 @@ func runBackup(opts BackupOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, args []string) error {
 		Warnf("%s\rwarning for %s: %v\n", ClearLine(), dir, err)
 	}
 
-	_, id, err := arch.Snapshot(newArchiveProgress(gopts, stat), target, opts.Tags, parentSnapshotID)
+	_, id, err := arch.Snapshot(newArchiveProgress(gopts, stat), target, opts.Tags, opts.Hostname, parentSnapshotID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader.go b/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader.go
index 713799a04..43beee69a 100644
--- a/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader.go
+++ b/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader.go
@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@ import (
 
 // ArchiveReader reads from the reader and archives the data. Returned is the
 // resulting snapshot and its ID.
-func ArchiveReader(repo restic.Repository, p *restic.Progress, rd io.Reader, name string, tags []string) (*restic.Snapshot, restic.ID, error) {
+func ArchiveReader(repo restic.Repository, p *restic.Progress, rd io.Reader, name string, tags []string, hostname string) (*restic.Snapshot, restic.ID, error) {
 	if name == "" {
 		return nil, restic.ID{}, errors.New("no filename given")
 	}
 
 	debug.Log("start archiving %s", name)
-	sn, err := restic.NewSnapshot([]string{name}, tags)
+	sn, err := restic.NewSnapshot([]string{name}, tags, hostname)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, restic.ID{}, err
 	}
diff --git a/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader_test.go b/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader_test.go
index 68fde3d03..bdcc2a1e8 100644
--- a/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader_test.go
+++ b/src/restic/archiver/archive_reader_test.go
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func TestArchiveReader(t *testing.T) {
 
 	f := fakeFile(t, seed, size)
 
-	sn, id, err := ArchiveReader(repo, nil, f, "fakefile", []string{"test"})
+	sn, id, err := ArchiveReader(repo, nil, f, "fakefile", []string{"test"}, "localhost")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("ArchiveReader() returned error %v", err)
 	}
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ func TestArchiveReaderNull(t *testing.T) {
 	repo, cleanup := repository.TestRepository(t)
 	defer cleanup()
 
-	sn, id, err := ArchiveReader(repo, nil, bytes.NewReader(nil), "fakefile", nil)
+	sn, id, err := ArchiveReader(repo, nil, bytes.NewReader(nil), "fakefile", nil, "localhost")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("ArchiveReader() returned error %v", err)
 	}
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ func TestArchiveReaderError(t *testing.T) {
 	repo, cleanup := repository.TestRepository(t)
 	defer cleanup()
 
-	sn, id, err := ArchiveReader(repo, nil, errReader("error returned by reading stdin"), "fakefile", nil)
+	sn, id, err := ArchiveReader(repo, nil, errReader("error returned by reading stdin"), "fakefile", nil, "localhost")
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Errorf("expected error not returned")
 	}
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func BenchmarkArchiveReader(t *testing.B) {
 	t.ResetTimer()
 
 	for i := 0; i < t.N; i++ {
-		_, _, err := ArchiveReader(repo, nil, bytes.NewReader(buf), "fakefile", []string{"test"})
+		_, _, err := ArchiveReader(repo, nil, bytes.NewReader(buf), "fakefile", []string{"test"}, "localhost")
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
diff --git a/src/restic/archiver/archiver.go b/src/restic/archiver/archiver.go
index b5795241b..9670db1aa 100644
--- a/src/restic/archiver/archiver.go
+++ b/src/restic/archiver/archiver.go
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@ func (p baseNameSlice) Swap(i, j int)      { p[i], p[j] = p[j], p[i] }
 // Snapshot creates a snapshot of the given paths. If parentrestic.ID is set, this is
 // used to compare the files to the ones archived at the time this snapshot was
 // taken.
-func (arch *Archiver) Snapshot(p *restic.Progress, paths, tags []string, parentID *restic.ID) (*restic.Snapshot, restic.ID, error) {
+func (arch *Archiver) Snapshot(p *restic.Progress, paths, tags []string, hostname string, parentID *restic.ID) (*restic.Snapshot, restic.ID, error) {
 	paths = unique(paths)
 	sort.Sort(baseNameSlice(paths))
 
@@ -650,7 +650,7 @@ func (arch *Archiver) Snapshot(p *restic.Progress, paths, tags []string, parentI
 	defer p.Done()
 
 	// create new snapshot
-	sn, err := restic.NewSnapshot(paths, tags)
+	sn, err := restic.NewSnapshot(paths, tags, hostname)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, restic.ID{}, err
 	}
diff --git a/src/restic/archiver/archiver_test.go b/src/restic/archiver/archiver_test.go
index 4bbfef852..3cb8ba183 100644
--- a/src/restic/archiver/archiver_test.go
+++ b/src/restic/archiver/archiver_test.go
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func archiveDirectory(b testing.TB) {
 
 	arch := archiver.New(repo)
 
-	_, id, err := arch.Snapshot(nil, []string{BenchArchiveDirectory}, nil, nil)
+	_, id, err := arch.Snapshot(nil, []string{BenchArchiveDirectory}, nil, "localhost", nil)
 	OK(b, err)
 
 	b.Logf("snapshot archived as %v", id)
diff --git a/src/restic/archiver/testing.go b/src/restic/archiver/testing.go
index fef61f6c2..aad8ea1af 100644
--- a/src/restic/archiver/testing.go
+++ b/src/restic/archiver/testing.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 // TestSnapshot creates a new snapshot of path.
 func TestSnapshot(t testing.TB, repo restic.Repository, path string, parent *restic.ID) *restic.Snapshot {
 	arch := New(repo)
-	sn, _, err := arch.Snapshot(nil, []string{path}, []string{"test"}, parent)
+	sn, _, err := arch.Snapshot(nil, []string{path}, []string{"test"}, "localhost", parent)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/src/restic/checker/checker_test.go b/src/restic/checker/checker_test.go
index 40e6865a3..7c93623d9 100644
--- a/src/restic/checker/checker_test.go
+++ b/src/restic/checker/checker_test.go
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ func TestCheckerModifiedData(t *testing.T) {
 	defer cleanup()
 
 	arch := archiver.New(repo)
-	_, id, err := arch.Snapshot(nil, []string{"."}, nil, nil)
+	_, id, err := arch.Snapshot(nil, []string{"."}, nil, "localhost", nil)
 	test.OK(t, err)
 	t.Logf("archived as %v", id.Str())
 
diff --git a/src/restic/snapshot.go b/src/restic/snapshot.go
index f2451a280..91ffbd558 100644
--- a/src/restic/snapshot.go
+++ b/src/restic/snapshot.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package restic
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
 	"os/user"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
@@ -28,7 +27,7 @@ type Snapshot struct {
 
 // NewSnapshot returns an initialized snapshot struct for the current user and
 // time.
-func NewSnapshot(paths []string, tags []string) (*Snapshot, error) {
+func NewSnapshot(paths []string, tags []string, hostname string) (*Snapshot, error) {
 	for i, path := range paths {
 		if p, err := filepath.Abs(path); err != nil {
 			paths[i] = p
@@ -36,17 +35,13 @@ func NewSnapshot(paths []string, tags []string) (*Snapshot, error) {
 	}
 
 	sn := &Snapshot{
-		Paths: paths,
-		Time:  time.Now(),
-		Tags:  tags,
+		Paths:    paths,
+		Time:     time.Now(),
+		Tags:     tags,
+		Hostname: hostname,
 	}
 
-	hn, err := os.Hostname()
-	if err == nil {
-		sn.Hostname = hn
-	}
-
-	err = sn.fillUserInfo()
+	err := sn.fillUserInfo()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/src/restic/snapshot_test.go b/src/restic/snapshot_test.go
index 2457e8d65..76e95b171 100644
--- a/src/restic/snapshot_test.go
+++ b/src/restic/snapshot_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,6 @@ import (
 func TestNewSnapshot(t *testing.T) {
 	paths := []string{"/home/foobar"}
 
-	_, err := restic.NewSnapshot(paths, nil)
+	_, err := restic.NewSnapshot(paths, nil, "foo")
 	OK(t, err)
 }
diff --git a/src/restic/testing.go b/src/restic/testing.go
index 719ff336d..9df54e7b6 100644
--- a/src/restic/testing.go
+++ b/src/restic/testing.go
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func TestCreateSnapshot(t testing.TB, repo Repository, at time.Time, depth int,
 	t.Logf("create fake snapshot at %s with seed %d", at, seed)
 
 	fakedir := fmt.Sprintf("fakedir-at-%v", at.Format("2006-01-02 15:04:05"))
-	snapshot, err := NewSnapshot([]string{fakedir}, []string{"test"})
+	snapshot, err := NewSnapshot([]string{fakedir}, []string{"test"}, "foo")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/src/restic/walk/walk_test.go b/src/restic/walk/walk_test.go
index afaebbb53..057e512ca 100644
--- a/src/restic/walk/walk_test.go
+++ b/src/restic/walk/walk_test.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ func TestWalkTree(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// archive a few files
 	arch := archiver.New(repo)
-	sn, _, err := arch.Snapshot(nil, dirs, nil, nil)
+	sn, _, err := arch.Snapshot(nil, dirs, nil, "localhost", nil)
 	OK(t, err)
 
 	// flush repo, write all packs