diff --git a/src/pmatop/pmatop.py b/src/pmatop/pmatop.py
index 057bacc..ee11432 100755
--- a/src/pmatop/pmatop.py
+++ b/src/pmatop/pmatop.py
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@ def main (stdscr_p):
             return "Cannot open PCP archive: " + archive
     else:
         if host == "":
-            host = "localhost"
+            host = "local:"
         try:
             pmc = pmapi.pmContext(target=host)
         except pmapi.pmErr, e:
diff --git a/src/pmcollectl/pmcollectl.py b/src/pmcollectl/pmcollectl.py
index f87241e..38eed95 100755
--- a/src/pmcollectl/pmcollectl.py
+++ b/src/pmcollectl/pmcollectl.py
@@ -604,7 +604,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
             sys.exit(1)
     else:
         if host == "":
-            host = "localhost"
+            host = "local:"
         try:
             pm = pmapi.pmContext(target=host)
         except pmapi.pmErr, e:
@@ -665,8 +665,6 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         print
 
     host = pm.pmGetContextHostName()
-    if host == "localhost":
-        host = os.uname()[1]
 
     try:
         i_samples = 0
diff --git a/src/python/pcp/pmapi.py b/src/python/pcp/pmapi.py
index 2f8693a..c631c44 100644
--- a/src/python/pcp/pmapi.py
+++ b/src/python/pcp/pmapi.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
     import cpmapi as c_api
 
     # Create a pcp class
-    context = pmapi.pmContext(c_api.PM_CONTEXT_HOST, "localhost")
+    context = pmapi.pmContext(c_api.PM_CONTEXT_HOST, "local:")
 
     # Get ids for number cpus and load metrics
     metric_ids = context.pmLookupName(("hinv.ncpu","kernel.all.load"))
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ ctypes.pythonapi.PyFile_AsFile.argtypes = [ctypes.py_object]
 class pmContext(object):
     """Defines a metrics source context (e.g. host, archive, etc) to operate on
 
-    pmContext(c_api.PM_CONTEXT_HOST,"localhost")
+    pmContext(c_api.PM_CONTEXT_HOST,"local:")
     pmContext(c_api.PM_CONTEXT_ARCHIVE,"FILENAME")
 
     This object defines a PMAPI context, and its methods wrap calls to PMAPI
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ class pmContext(object):
     ##
     # overloads
 
-    def __init__(self, typed = c_api.PM_CONTEXT_HOST, target = "localhost"):
+    def __init__(self, typed = c_api.PM_CONTEXT_HOST, target = "local:"):
         self._type = typed                              # the context type
         self._target = target                            # the context target
         self._ctx = LIBPCP.pmNewContext(typed, target)    # the context handle
@@ -1092,18 +1092,19 @@ class pmContext(object):
             raise pmErr, status
         return status
 
-    def pmGetContextHostName( self ):
+    def pmGetContextHostName(self):
         """PMAPI - Lookup the hostname for the given context
 
         Unlike the underlying PMAPI function, this method takes no parameter.
-        This method simply returns the name of the context belonging to its
-        pmContext instance object.
+        This method simply returns the hostname for the context belonging to
+        its pmContext instance object.
 
         "hostname" = pmGetContextHostName()
         """
-        status = LIBPCP.pmGetContextHostName(self.ctx)
-        if status < 0:
-            raise pmErr, status
+        hp = c_char_p()
+        hp = LIBPCP.pmGetContextHostName(self.ctx)
+        hostname = hp
+        LIBC.free(hp)
         return status
 
     ##