diff --git a/tobiko/tripleo/config.py b/tobiko/tripleo/config.py
index 7a7899165..63eeb7415 100644
--- a/tobiko/tripleo/config.py
+++ b/tobiko/tripleo/config.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ GROUP_NAME = 'tripleo'
 OPTIONS = [
     # Undercloud options
     cfg.StrOpt('undercloud_ssh_hostname',
-               default=None,
+               default='undercloud-0',
                help="hostname or IP address to be used to connect to "
                     "undercloud host"),
     cfg.IntOpt('undercloud_ssh_port',
diff --git a/tobiko/tripleo/undercloud.py b/tobiko/tripleo/undercloud.py
index e736d3b59..72d2ad6b9 100644
--- a/tobiko/tripleo/undercloud.py
+++ b/tobiko/tripleo/undercloud.py
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 #    under the License.
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
+from oslo_log import log
+
 import tobiko
 from tobiko import config
 from tobiko.openstack import keystone
@@ -21,6 +23,8 @@ from tobiko.shell import sh
 
 CONF = config.CONF
 
+LOG = log.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 def undercloud_ssh_client():
     host_config = undercloud_host_config()
@@ -51,9 +55,23 @@ class UndercloudKeystoneCredentialsFixture(
         return load_undercloud_rcfile()
 
 
+class HasUndercloudFixture(tobiko.SharedFixture):
+
+    has_undercloud = None
+
+    def setup_fixture(self):
+        ssh_client = undercloud_ssh_client()
+        try:
+            ssh_client.connect()
+        except Exception as ex:
+            LOG.debug('Unable to connect to undercloud host: %s', ex)
+            self.has_undercloud = False
+        else:
+            self.has_undercloud = True
+
+
 def has_undercloud():
-    host_config = undercloud_host_config()
-    return bool(host_config.hostname)
+    return tobiko.setup_fixture(HasUndercloudFixture).has_undercloud
 
 
 skip_if_missing_undercloud = tobiko.skip_unless(