diff --git a/attributes/default.rb b/attributes/default.rb
index 348c265..b7b8288 100644
--- a/attributes/default.rb
+++ b/attributes/default.rb
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ default['openstack']['block-storage']['custom_template_banner'] = '
 default['openstack']['block-storage']['verbose'] = 'False'
 default['openstack']['block-storage']['debug'] = 'False'
 
+# Name of this node.  This can be an opaque identifier.  It is
+# not necessarily a hostname, FQDN, or IP address. (StrOpt)
+default['openstack']['block-storage']['host'] = nil
+
 # Specify policy.json remote file to import
 default['openstack']['block-storage']['policyfile_url'] = nil
 
diff --git a/spec/cinder_common_spec.rb b/spec/cinder_common_spec.rb
index 8ed5454..5ffe9b6 100644
--- a/spec/cinder_common_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/cinder_common_spec.rb
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ describe 'openstack-block-storage::cinder-common' do
       context 'template contents' do
 
         context 'commonly named attributes' do
-          %w(debug verbose notification_driver
+          %w(debug verbose host notification_driver
              storage_availability_zone quota_volumes quota_gigabytes quota_driver
              volume_name_template snapshot_name_template osapi_volume_workers
              use_default_quota_class quota_snapshots no_snapshot_gb_quota
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ describe 'openstack-block-storage::cinder-common' do
             it "has a #{attr_key} attribute" do
               node.set['openstack']['block-storage'][attr_key] = "#{attr_key}_value"
 
-              expect(chef_run).to render_file(file.name).with_content(/^#{attr_key}=#{attr_key}_value$/)
+              expect(chef_run).to render_config_file(file.name).with_section_content('DEFAULT', /^#{attr_key}=#{attr_key}_value$/)
             end
           end
         end
@@ -196,6 +196,10 @@ describe 'openstack-block-storage::cinder-common' do
           expect(chef_run).to render_config_file(file.name).with_section_content('oslo_concurrency', %r(^lock_path=/var/lib/cinder/lock$))
         end
 
+        it 'does not have unique host id by default' do
+          expect(chef_run).not_to render_config_file(file.name).with_section_content('DEFAULT', /^host=/)
+        end
+
         context 'netapp driver' do
           # FIXME(galstrom21): this block needs to check all of the default
           #   netapp_* configuration options
diff --git a/templates/default/cinder.conf.erb b/templates/default/cinder.conf.erb
index 7c5af29..53f1516 100644
--- a/templates/default/cinder.conf.erb
+++ b/templates/default/cinder.conf.erb
@@ -139,7 +139,9 @@ api_rate_limit=<%= node["openstack"]["block-storage"]["api"]["ratelimit"] %>
 # scheduler_manager=cinder.scheduler.manager.SchedulerManager
 #### (StrOpt) full class name for the Manager for scheduler
 
-# host=cinder
+<% if node['openstack']['block-storage']['host'] -%>
+host=<%= node['openstack']['block-storage']['host'] %>
+<% end -%>
 #### (StrOpt) Name of this node.  This can be an opaque identifier.  It is
 ####          not necessarily a hostname, FQDN, or IP address.