diff --git a/libnvme/src/nvme/fabrics.c b/libnvme/src/nvme/fabrics.c
index 9189808665..a856f6a18f 100644
--- a/libnvme/src/nvme/fabrics.c
+++ b/libnvme/src/nvme/fabrics.c
@@ -274,10 +274,26 @@ __public int nvmf_context_set_connection(struct nvmf_context *fctx,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static const char *hostid_from_hostnqn(const char *hostnqn)
+{
+	const char *match;
+
+	if (!hostnqn)
+		return NULL;
+
+	match = strstr(hostnqn, "uuid:");
+	if (!match)
+		return NULL;
+
+	return match + strlen("uuid:");
+}
+
 __public int nvmf_context_set_hostnqn(struct nvmf_context *fctx,
 		const char *hostnqn, const char *hostid)
 {
 	fctx->hostnqn = hostnqn;
+	if (!hostid)
+		hostid = hostid_from_hostnqn(hostnqn);
 	fctx->hostid = hostid;
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/libnvme/src/nvme/tree.c b/libnvme/src/nvme/tree.c
index 1cae0bd8ac..377f6e8ead 100644
--- a/libnvme/src/nvme/tree.c
+++ b/libnvme/src/nvme/tree.c
@@ -631,6 +631,8 @@ static int nvme_create_host(struct nvme_global_ctx *ctx, const char *hostnqn,
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	h->hostnqn = strdup(hostnqn);
+	if (!hostid)
+		hostid = nvme_hostid_from_hostnqn(hostnqn);
 	if (hostid)
 		h->hostid = strdup(hostid);
 	list_head_init(&h->subsystems);