diff --git a/common/models/user.js b/common/models/user.js
index ef58e58918..7ada5854fd 100644
--- a/common/models/user.js
+++ b/common/models/user.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { blacklistedUsernames } from '../../server/utils/constants';
 const debug = debugFactory('fcc:user:remote');
 const BROWNIEPOINTS_TIMEOUT = [1, 'hour'];
 const isDev = process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production';
+const devHost = process.env.HOST || 'localhost';
 
 function getAboutProfile({
   username,
@@ -443,7 +444,7 @@ module.exports = function(User) {
           from: 'Team@freecodecamp.com',
           subject: 'Welcome to freeCodeCamp!',
           protocol: isDev ? null : 'https',
-          host: isDev ? 'localhost' : 'freecodecamp.com',
+          host: isDev ? devHost : 'freecodecamp.com',
           port: isDev ? null : 443,
           template: path.join(
             __dirname,
diff --git a/gulpfile.js b/gulpfile.js
index b080e887e2..0ba252325f 100644
--- a/gulpfile.js
+++ b/gulpfile.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // enable debug for gulp
 process.env.DEBUG = process.env.DEBUG || 'fcc:*';
+require('dotenv').load();
 
 require('babel-core/register');
 var Rx = require('rx'),
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ var sync = browserSync.create('fcc-sync-server');
 
 // user definable
 var __DEV__ = !yargs.argv.p;
+var host = process.env.HOST || 'localhost';
 var port = yargs.argv.port || process.env.PORT || '3001';
 var syncPort = yargs.argv['sync-port'] || process.env.SYNC_PORT || '3000';
 // make sure sync ui port does not interfere with proxy port
@@ -215,7 +217,7 @@ gulp.task('dev-server', syncDepenedents, function() {
       port: syncUIPort
     },
     proxy: {
-      target: `http://localhost:${port}`,
+      target: `http://${host}:${port}`,
       reqHeaders: ({ url: { hostname } }) => ({
         host: `${hostname}:${syncPort}`
       })
diff --git a/server/boot/a-extendUser.js b/server/boot/a-extendUser.js
index 0d5dddaa44..507384b473 100644
--- a/server/boot/a-extendUser.js
+++ b/server/boot/a-extendUser.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import path from 'path';
 
 const debug = debugFactory('fcc:user:remote');
 const isDev = process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production';
+const devHost = process.env.HOST || 'localhost';
 
 function destroyAllRelated(id, Model) {
   return Observable.fromNodeCallback(
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       from: 'Team@freecodecamp.com',
       subject: 'Welcome to freeCodeCamp!',
       protocol: isDev ? null : 'https',
-      host: isDev ? 'localhost' : 'freecodecamp.com',
+      host: isDev ? devHost : 'freecodecamp.com',
       port: isDev ? null : 443,
       template: path.join(
         __dirname,
diff --git a/server/middlewares/csp.js b/server/middlewares/csp.js
index 50548cd878..3fae20e8ec 100644
--- a/server/middlewares/csp.js
+++ b/server/middlewares/csp.js
@@ -4,9 +4,12 @@ let trusted = [
   "'self'"
 ];
 
+const host = process.env.HOST || 'localhost';
+const port = process.env.PORT || process.env.SYNC_PORT || '3000';
+
 if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
   trusted = trusted.concat([
-    'ws://localhost:3000'
+    `ws://${host}:${port}`
   ]);
 }