diff --git a/base/client.jl b/base/client.jl
index 62143e5a7643d..602468cd172bf 100644
--- a/base/client.jl
+++ b/base/client.jl
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ function try_include(f::String)
 end
 
 function process_options(args::Array{Any,1})
-    global ARGS
+    global ARGS, bind_addr
     quiet = false
     repl = true
     startup = true
@@ -188,6 +188,9 @@ function process_options(args::Array{Any,1})
         elseif args[i]=="--worker"
             start_worker()
             # doesn't return
+        elseif args[i]=="--bind-to"
+            i += 1
+            bind_addr = args[i]
         elseif args[i]=="-e"
             # TODO: support long options
             repl = false
@@ -270,6 +273,9 @@ isinteractive() = (is_interactive::Bool)
 function _start()
     # set up standard streams
 
+    # set default local address
+    global bind_addr = getipaddr()
+
     @windows_only if !has(ENV,"HOME")
         ENV["HOME"] = joinpath(ENV["APPDATA"],"julia")
     end
diff --git a/base/multi.jl b/base/multi.jl
index 1aca76069d395..0361e7ea02e4a 100644
--- a/base/multi.jl
+++ b/base/multi.jl
@@ -879,7 +879,7 @@ function start_worker(out::Stream)
     (actual_port,sock) = open_any_tcp_port(default_port,(handle,status)->accept_handler(handle,status))
     write(out, "julia_worker:")  # print header
     write(out, "$(dec(actual_port))#") # print port
-    write(out, "localhost")      #TODO: print hostname
+    write(out, bind_addr)      #TODO: print hostname
     write(out, '\n')
     # close STDIN; workers will not use it
     #close(STDIN)
@@ -974,11 +974,11 @@ function ssh_tunnel(user, host, port)
 end
 
 function worker_ssh_cmd(host)
-    `ssh -n $host "bash -l -c \"cd $JULIA_HOME && ./julia-release-basic --worker remote\""`
+    `ssh -n $host "bash -l -c \"cd $JULIA_HOME && ./julia-release-basic --worker\""`
 end
 
 #function worker_ssh_cmd(host, key)
-#    `ssh -i $key -n $host "bash -l -c \"cd $JULIA_HOME && ./julia-release-basic --worker remote\""`
+#    `ssh -i $key -n $host "bash -l -c \"cd $JULIA_HOME && ./julia-release-basic --worker\""`
 #end
 
 function addprocs_ssh(machines)
@@ -1003,7 +1003,7 @@ end
 #    add_workers(PGRP, start_remote_workers(machines, map(x->worker_ssh_cmd(x[1],x[2]), cmdargs)))
 #end
 
-worker_local_cmd() = `$JULIA_HOME/julia-release-basic --worker local`
+worker_local_cmd() = `$JULIA_HOME/julia-release-basic --bind-to $bind_addr --worker`
 
 addprocs_local(np::Integer) =
     add_workers(PGRP, start_remote_workers({ "localhost" for i=1:np },
@@ -1015,7 +1015,7 @@ function start_sge_workers(n)
     sgedir = "$home/../../SGE"
     run(`mkdir -p $sgedir`)
     qsub_cmd = `qsub -N JULIA -terse -e $sgedir -o $sgedir -t 1:$n`
-    `echo $home/julia-release-basic --worker remote` | qsub_cmd
+    `echo $home/julia-release-basic --worker` | qsub_cmd
     out = cmd_stdout_stream(qsub_cmd)
     if !success(qsub_cmd)
         error("batch queue not available (could not run qsub)")