diff --git a/mixnode/src/commands/init.rs b/mixnode/src/commands/init.rs
index 4c8a1243a5..b23b631e94 100644
--- a/mixnode/src/commands/init.rs
+++ b/mixnode/src/commands/init.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ pub fn command_args<'a, 'b>() -> clap::App<'a, 'b> {
         .arg(
             Arg::with_name("host")
                 .long("host")
-                .help("The custom host on which the mixnode will be running")
+                .help("The host on which the mixnode will be running")
                 .takes_value(true)
                 .required(true),
         )
@@ -38,13 +38,13 @@ pub fn command_args<'a, 'b>() -> clap::App<'a, 'b> {
         .arg(
             Arg::with_name("announce-host")
                 .long("announce-host")
-                .help("The host that will be reported to the directory server")
+                .help("The custom host that will be reported to the directory server")
                 .takes_value(true),
         )
         .arg(
             Arg::with_name("announce-port")
                 .long("announce-port")
-                .help("The port that will be reported to the directory server")
+                .help("The custom port that will be reported to the directory server")
                 .takes_value(true),
         )
         .arg(
diff --git a/mixnode/src/commands/mod.rs b/mixnode/src/commands/mod.rs
index b7c45f5bd5..0363dcbd57 100644
--- a/mixnode/src/commands/mod.rs
+++ b/mixnode/src/commands/mod.rs
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@ pub mod init;
 pub mod run;
 
 pub(crate) fn override_config(mut config: Config, matches: &ArgMatches) -> Config {
+    let mut was_host_overridden = false;
     if let Some(host) = matches.value_of("host") {
         config = config.with_listening_host(host);
+        was_host_overridden = true;
     }
 
     if let Some(port) = matches.value_of("port").map(|port| port.parse::<u16>()) {
@@ -23,6 +25,9 @@ pub(crate) fn override_config(mut config: Config, matches: &ArgMatches) -> Confi
 
     if let Some(announce_host) = matches.value_of("announce-host") {
         config = config.with_announce_host(announce_host);
+    } else if was_host_overridden {
+        // make sure our 'announce-host' always defaults to 'host'
+        config = config.announce_host_from_listening_host()
     }
 
     if let Some(announce_port) = matches
diff --git a/mixnode/src/config/mod.rs b/mixnode/src/config/mod.rs
index c53b917210..1854419378 100644
--- a/mixnode/src/config/mod.rs
+++ b/mixnode/src/config/mod.rs
@@ -163,6 +163,11 @@ impl Config {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn announce_host_from_listening_host(mut self) -> Self {
+        self.mixnode.announce_address = self.mixnode.listening_address.to_string();
+        self
+    }
+
     pub fn with_announce_port(mut self, port: u16) -> Self {
         let current_host: Vec<_> = self.mixnode.announce_address.split(':').collect();
         debug_assert_eq!(current_host.len(), 2);
diff --git a/nym-client/src/client/mod.rs b/nym-client/src/client/mod.rs
index cb7a40db1d..e542140cc6 100644
--- a/nym-client/src/client/mod.rs
+++ b/nym-client/src/client/mod.rs
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ pub(crate) type InputMessageSender = mpsc::UnboundedSender<InputMessage>;
 pub(crate) type InputMessageReceiver = mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<InputMessage>;
 
 pub struct NymClient {
-    runtime: Runtime,
     config: Config,
+    runtime: Runtime,
     identity_keypair: MixIdentityKeyPair,
 
     // to be used by "send" function or socket, etc
@@ -201,7 +201,10 @@ impl NymClient {
             TopologyRefresher::new(topology_refresher_config, topology_accessor);
         // before returning, block entire runtime to refresh the current network view so that any
         // components depending on topology would see a non-empty view
-        info!("Obtaining initial network topology...");
+        info!(
+            "Obtaining initial network topology from {}",
+            self.config.get_directory_server()
+        );
         self.runtime.block_on(topology_refresher.refresh());
         info!("Starting topology refresher...");
         topology_refresher.start(self.runtime.handle());
diff --git a/sfw-provider/src/commands/mod.rs b/sfw-provider/src/commands/mod.rs
index 95651ffe13..a9ae6e848b 100644
--- a/sfw-provider/src/commands/mod.rs
+++ b/sfw-provider/src/commands/mod.rs
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@ pub mod init;
 pub mod run;
 
 pub(crate) fn override_config(mut config: Config, matches: &ArgMatches) -> Config {
+    let mut was_mix_host_overridden = false;
     if let Some(mix_host) = matches.value_of("mix-host") {
         config = config.with_mix_listening_host(mix_host);
+        was_mix_host_overridden = true;
     }
 
     if let Some(mix_port) = matches.value_of("mix-port").map(|port| port.parse::<u16>()) {
@@ -16,9 +18,10 @@ pub(crate) fn override_config(mut config: Config, matches: &ArgMatches) -> Confi
         }
         config = config.with_mix_listening_port(mix_port.unwrap());
     }
-
+    let mut was_clients_host_overridden = false;
     if let Some(clients_host) = matches.value_of("clients-host") {
         config = config.with_clients_listening_host(clients_host);
+        was_clients_host_overridden = true;
     }
 
     if let Some(clients_port) = matches
@@ -34,6 +37,9 @@ pub(crate) fn override_config(mut config: Config, matches: &ArgMatches) -> Confi
 
     if let Some(mix_announce_host) = matches.value_of("mix-announce-host") {
         config = config.with_mix_announce_host(mix_announce_host);
+    } else if was_mix_host_overridden {
+        // make sure our 'mix-announce-host' always defaults to 'mix-host'
+        config = config.mix_announce_host_from_listening_host()
     }
 
     if let Some(mix_announce_port) = matches
@@ -49,6 +55,9 @@ pub(crate) fn override_config(mut config: Config, matches: &ArgMatches) -> Confi
 
     if let Some(clients_announce_host) = matches.value_of("clients-announce-host") {
         config = config.with_clients_announce_host(clients_announce_host);
+    } else if was_clients_host_overridden {
+        // make sure our 'clients-announce-host' always defaults to 'clients-host'
+        config = config.clients_announce_host_from_listening_host()
     }
 
     if let Some(clients_announce_port) = matches
diff --git a/sfw-provider/src/config/mod.rs b/sfw-provider/src/config/mod.rs
index 7da7ed4a45..b9257e4f79 100644
--- a/sfw-provider/src/config/mod.rs
+++ b/sfw-provider/src/config/mod.rs
@@ -171,6 +171,11 @@ impl Config {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn mix_announce_host_from_listening_host(mut self) -> Self {
+        self.mixnet_endpoint.announce_address = self.mixnet_endpoint.listening_address.to_string();
+        self
+    }
+
     pub fn with_mix_announce_port(mut self, port: u16) -> Self {
         let current_host: Vec<_> = self.mixnet_endpoint.announce_address.split(':').collect();
         debug_assert_eq!(current_host.len(), 2);
@@ -205,6 +210,12 @@ impl Config {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn clients_announce_host_from_listening_host(mut self) -> Self {
+        self.clients_endpoint.announce_address =
+            self.clients_endpoint.listening_address.to_string();
+        self
+    }
+
     pub fn with_clients_listening_port(mut self, port: u16) -> Self {
         self.clients_endpoint.listening_address.set_port(port);
         self