diff --git a/interface-definitions/system_domain-name.xml.in b/interface-definitions/system_domain-name.xml.in
index bfca9b8ce4..695af29d9e 100644
--- a/interface-definitions/system_domain-name.xml.in
+++ b/interface-definitions/system_domain-name.xml.in
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
       <leafNode name="domain-name" owner="${vyos_conf_scripts_dir}/system_host-name.py">
         <properties>
           <help>System domain name</help>
+          <priority>6</priority>
           <constraint>
             <validator name="fqdn"/>
           </constraint>
diff --git a/interface-definitions/system_host-name.xml.in b/interface-definitions/system_host-name.xml.in
index 423531a68a..f74baab48d 100644
--- a/interface-definitions/system_host-name.xml.in
+++ b/interface-definitions/system_host-name.xml.in
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
       <leafNode name="host-name" owner="${vyos_conf_scripts_dir}/system_host-name.py">
         <properties>
           <help>System host name (default: vyos)</help>
+          <priority>5</priority>
           <constraint>
             #include <include/constraint/host-name.xml.i>
           </constraint>
diff --git a/python/vyos/ifconfig/interface.py b/python/vyos/ifconfig/interface.py
index fbbc045329..fa79395ff9 100644
--- a/python/vyos/ifconfig/interface.py
+++ b/python/vyos/ifconfig/interface.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 from vyos.utils.process import is_systemd_service_active
 from vyos.template import is_ipv4
 from vyos.template import is_ipv6
+from vyos.utils.file import read_file
 from vyos.utils.network import is_intf_addr_assigned
 from vyos.utils.network import is_ipv6_link_local
 from vyos.utils.assertion import assert_boolean
@@ -1286,12 +1287,13 @@ def set_dhcp(self, enable):
         if enable and 'disable' not in self.config:
             if dict_search('dhcp_options.host_name', self.config) == None:
                 # read configured system hostname.
-                # maybe change to vyos hostd client ???
+                # maybe change to vyos-hostsd client ???
                 hostname = 'vyos'
-                with open('/etc/hostname', 'r') as f:
-                    hostname = f.read().rstrip('\n')
-                    tmp = {'dhcp_options' : { 'host_name' : hostname}}
-                    self.config = dict_merge(tmp, self.config)
+                hostname_file = '/etc/hostname'
+                if os.path.isfile(hostname_file):
+                    hostname = read_file(hostname_file)
+                tmp = {'dhcp_options' : { 'host_name' : hostname}}
+                self.config = dict_merge(tmp, self.config)
 
             render(systemd_override_file, 'dhcp-client/override.conf.j2', self.config)
             render(dhclient_config_file, 'dhcp-client/ipv4.j2', self.config)