diff --git a/governor.py b/governor.py
index 57591274..a6717faf 100755
--- a/governor.py
+++ b/governor.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from helpers.etcd import Etcd
 from helpers.postgresql import Postgresql
 from helpers.ha import Ha
 
+INSTANCE_METADATA_URL = "http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/"
 
 logging.basicConfig(format='%(asctime)s %(levelname)s: %(message)s', level=logging.INFO)
 
@@ -14,8 +15,19 @@ f = open(sys.argv[1], "r")
 config = yaml.load(f.read())
 f.close()
 
+if config.get('aws_use_host_address', False):
+    # get host address of the AWS host via a call to
+    # http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/local-ipv4
+    try:
+        aws_host_address = urllib2.urlopen(INSTANCE_METADATA_URL+"/local-ipv4").read()
+    except (urllib2.HTTPError, urllib2.URLError) as e:
+        logging.error("Error retrieiving IPv4 address from AWS instance: {0}".format(e))
+        aws_host_address = None
+else:
+    aws_host_address = None
+
 etcd = Etcd(config["etcd"])
-postgresql = Postgresql(config["postgresql"])
+postgresql = Postgresql(config["postgresql"], aws_host_address)
 ha = Ha(postgresql, etcd)
 
 # stop postgresql on script exit
diff --git a/helpers/postgresql.py b/helpers/postgresql.py
index 517f656b..ecc81b02 100644
--- a/helpers/postgresql.py
+++ b/helpers/postgresql.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 class Postgresql:
 
-    def __init__(self, config):
+    def __init__(self, config, aws_host_address=None):
         self.name = config["name"]
         self.host, self.port = config["listen"].split(":")
         self.data_dir = config["data_dir"]
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ class Postgresql:
         self.config = config
 
         self.cursor_holder = None
-        self.connection_string = "postgres://%s:%s@%s:%s/postgres" % (self.replication["username"], self.replication["password"], self.host, self.port)
+        connection_host = aws_host_address or self.host
+        self.connection_string = "postgres://%s:%s@%s:%s/postgres" % (self.replication["username"], self.replication["password"], connection_host, self.port)
 
         self.conn = None
 
diff --git a/postgres0.yml b/postgres0.yml
index 78389db6..66d0b9eb 100644
--- a/postgres0.yml
+++ b/postgres0.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 loop_wait: 10
+aws_use_host_address: "on"
 etcd:
   scope: batman
   ttl: 30
diff --git a/postgres1.yml b/postgres1.yml
index 29373471..1332291b 100644
--- a/postgres1.yml
+++ b/postgres1.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 loop_wait: 10
+aws_use_host_address: "on"
 etcd:
   scope: batman
   ttl: 30