diff --git a/py/execnet/register.py b/py/execnet/register.py
index d9fe2b450..7ac895c70 100644
--- a/py/execnet/register.py
+++ b/py/execnet/register.py
@@ -145,7 +145,9 @@ class SocketGateway(InstallableGateway):
             given gateway. 
         """ 
         if hostport is None: 
-            host, port = ('', 0) 
+            # XXX not sure about this one... is this what's intended? it used
+            # to use '' for the hostname, which breaks Windows...
+            host, port = ('127.0.0.1', 0) 
         else:   
             host, port = hostport 
         socketserverbootstrap = py.code.Source(
@@ -160,8 +162,10 @@ class SocketGateway(InstallableGateway):
         # execute the above socketserverbootstrap on the other side
         channel = gateway.remote_exec(socketserverbootstrap)
         hostname, (realhost, realport) = channel.receive() 
-        if not hostname: 
-            realhost = hostname 
+        if not hostname:
+            # XXX this is strange... shouldn't it be 'realhost = hostname' or
+            # something?
+            hostname = realhost
         #gateway._trace("remote_install received" 
         #              "port=%r, hostname = %r" %(realport, hostname))
         return py.execnet.SocketGateway(realhost, realport)