diff --git a/src/zabbix_sender/zabbix_sender.c b/src/zabbix_sender/zabbix_sender.c
index c482f692958..57480fa8916 100644
--- a/src/zabbix_sender/zabbix_sender.c
+++ b/src/zabbix_sender/zabbix_sender.c
@@ -862,6 +862,18 @@ static void	zbx_load_config(const char *config_file_in)
 
 		zbx_free(cfg_hostname);
 	}
+	else
+	{
+		char	buffer[MAX_STRING_LEN];
+
+		buffer[MAX_STRING_LEN - 1] = '\0';
+
+		/* check for successful call to the gethostname and check that data fits in the buffer */
+		if (0 == gethostname(buffer, MAX_STRING_LEN - 1) && MAX_STRING_LEN - 2 > strlen(buffer))
+		{
+			ZABBIX_HOSTNAME = zbx_strdup(NULL, buffer);
+		}
+	}
 
 	zbx_fill_from_config_file(&config_source_ip, cfg_source_ip);