diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a7785ac88..d39529da8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+
+- Setting the host in a batch_connect batch script can now be directly
+  manipulated through the `set_host` initialization parameter.
+  [#42](https://github.com/OSC/ood_core/issues/42)
+
 ## [0.0.5] - 2017-07-05
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/lib/ood_core/batch_connect/template.rb b/lib/ood_core/batch_connect/template.rb
index a96109f22..f3fc60b7e 100644
--- a/lib/ood_core/batch_connect/template.rb
+++ b/lib/ood_core/batch_connect/template.rb
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ class Template
       # @option context [#to_s] :script_wrapper ("%s") Bash code that wraps
       #   around the body of the template script (use `%s` to interpolate the
       #   body)
+      # @option context [#to_s] :set_host ("host=$(hostname)") Bash code used
+      #   to set the `host` environment variable used for connection
+      #   information
       # @option context [#to_s] :before_script ("...") Bash code run before the
       #   main script is forked off
       # @option context [#to_s] :before_file ("before.sh") Path to script that
@@ -78,6 +81,11 @@ def conn_params
           (conn_params + [:host, :port, :password]).uniq
         end
 
+        # Bash script used to define the `host` environment variable
+        def set_host
+          context.fetch(:set_host, "host=$(hostname)").to_s
+        end
+
         # Helper methods used in the bash scripts
         def bash_helpers
           context.fetch(:bash_helpers) do
@@ -126,7 +134,7 @@ def before_script
           context.fetch(:before_script) do
             before_file = context.fetch(:before_file, "before.sh").to_s
 
-            "host=$(hostname)\n[[ -e \"#{before_file}\" ]] && source \"#{before_file}\""
+            "[[ -e \"#{before_file}\" ]] && source \"#{before_file}\""
           end.to_s
         end
 
@@ -184,6 +192,9 @@ def base_script
 
             #{bash_helpers}
 
+            # Set host of current machine
+            #{set_host}
+
             #{before_script}
 
             echo "Script starting..."