diff --git a/docs/containers.conf.5.md b/docs/containers.conf.5.md
index 39aea67c0..207a11e4c 100644
--- a/docs/containers.conf.5.md
+++ b/docs/containers.conf.5.md
@@ -150,6 +150,16 @@ environment variables to the container.
 
 Pass all host environment variables into the container.
 
+**host_containers_internal_ip**=""
+
+Set the ip for the host.containers.internal entry in the containers /etc/hosts
+file. This can be set to "none" to disable adding this entry. By default it
+will automatically choose the host ip.
+
+NOTE: When using podman machine this entry will never be added to the containers
+hosts file instead the gvproxy dns resolver will resolve this hostname. Therefore
+it is not possible to disable the entry in this case.
+
 **http_proxy**=true
 
 Default proxy environment variables will be passed into the container.
diff --git a/libnetwork/etchosts/ip.go b/libnetwork/etchosts/ip.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4a7dcc49d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libnetwork/etchosts/ip.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package etchosts
+
+import (
+	"net"
+
+	"github.com/containers/common/libnetwork/types"
+	"github.com/containers/common/libnetwork/util"
+	"github.com/containers/common/pkg/config"
+)
+
+// GetHostContainersInternalIP return the host.containers.internal ip
+// if netStatus is not nil then networkInterface also must be non nil otherwise this function panics
+func GetHostContainersInternalIP(conf *config.Config, netStatus map[string]types.StatusBlock, networkInterface types.ContainerNetwork) string {
+	switch conf.Containers.HostContainersInternalIP {
+	case "":
+		// if empty we will automatically choose one below
+	case "none":
+		return ""
+	default:
+		return conf.Containers.HostContainersInternalIP
+	}
+	ip := ""
+	for net, status := range netStatus {
+		network, err := networkInterface.NetworkInspect(net)
+		// only add the host entry for bridge networks
+		// ip/macvlan gateway is normally not on the host
+		if err != nil || network.Driver != types.BridgeNetworkDriver {
+			continue
+		}
+		for _, netInt := range status.Interfaces {
+			for _, netAddress := range netInt.Subnets {
+				if netAddress.Gateway != nil {
+					if util.IsIPv4(netAddress.Gateway) {
+						return netAddress.Gateway.String()
+					}
+					// ipv6 address but keep looking since we prefer to use ipv4
+					ip = netAddress.Gateway.String()
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if ip != "" {
+		return ip
+	}
+	return getLocalIP()
+}
+
+// getLocalIP returns the non loopback local IP of the host
+func getLocalIP() string {
+	addrs, err := net.InterfaceAddrs()
+	if err != nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	ip := ""
+	for _, address := range addrs {
+		// check the address type and if it is not a loopback the display it
+		if ipnet, ok := address.(*net.IPNet); ok && ipnet.IP.IsGlobalUnicast() {
+			if util.IsIPv4(ipnet.IP) {
+				return ipnet.IP.String()
+			}
+			// if ipv6 we keep looking for an ipv4 address
+			ip = ipnet.IP.String()
+		}
+	}
+	return ip
+}
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index 5c3ec8ffd..e18dfdd8c 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -141,6 +141,9 @@ type ContainersConfig struct {
 	// EnvHost Pass all host environment variables into the container.
 	EnvHost bool `toml:"env_host,omitempty"`
 
+	// HostContainersInternalIP is used to set a specific host.containers.internal ip.
+	HostContainersInternalIP string `toml:"host_containers_internal_ip,omitempty"`
+
 	// HTTPProxy is the proxy environment variable list to apply to container process
 	HTTPProxy bool `toml:"http_proxy,omitempty"`
 
diff --git a/pkg/config/config_test.go b/pkg/config/config_test.go
index 0c1004f2b..85bc5a927 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config_test.go
@@ -364,6 +364,7 @@ image_copy_tmp_dir="storage"`
 			gomega.Expect(config.Containers.ApparmorProfile).To(gomega.Equal("container-default"))
 			gomega.Expect(config.Containers.PidsLimit).To(gomega.BeEquivalentTo(2048))
 			gomega.Expect(config.Containers.BaseHostsFile).To(gomega.BeEquivalentTo("/etc/hosts2"))
+			gomega.Expect(config.Containers.HostContainersInternalIP).To(gomega.BeEquivalentTo("1.2.3.4"))
 		})
 
 		It("contents of passed-in file should override others", func() {
diff --git a/pkg/config/containers.conf b/pkg/config/containers.conf
index aeddca787..978d2bf2a 100644
--- a/pkg/config/containers.conf
+++ b/pkg/config/containers.conf
@@ -121,6 +121,16 @@ default_sysctls = [
 #
 #env_host = false
 
+#Set the ip for the host.containers.internal entry in the containers /etc/hosts
+#file. This can be set to "none" to disable adding this entry. By default it
+#will automatically choose the host ip.
+#
+#NOTE: When using podman machine this entry will never be added to the containers
+#hosts file instead the gvproxy dns resolver will resolve this hostname. Therefore
+#it is not possible to disable the entry in this case.
+#
+#host_containers_internal_ip = ""
+
 # Default proxy environment variables passed into the container.
 # The environment variables passed in include:
 # http_proxy, https_proxy, ftp_proxy, no_proxy, and the upper case versions of
diff --git a/pkg/config/testdata/containers_default.conf b/pkg/config/testdata/containers_default.conf
index e7eb9b6be..ca4948c2f 100644
--- a/pkg/config/testdata/containers_default.conf
+++ b/pkg/config/testdata/containers_default.conf
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ env = [
 # Run an init inside the container that forwards signals and reaps processes.
 init = false
 
+host_containers_internal_ip = "1.2.3.4"
+
 # proxy environment variables are passed into the container
 http_proxy = false