diff --git a/simple_message/include/simple_message/socket/simple_socket.h b/simple_message/include/simple_message/socket/simple_socket.h
index 6151754d..aaa271f1 100644
--- a/simple_message/include/simple_message/socket/simple_socket.h
+++ b/simple_message/include/simple_message/socket/simple_socket.h
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@
 #endif
 #define INET_ADDR(str) inet_addr(str)
 #define SOCKLEN_T socklen_t
+#define GETHOSTBYNAME(str) gethostbyname(str)
 
 #endif
 
@@ -110,6 +111,7 @@ extern "C" STATUS setsockopt (   /* remove "extern C", if you're using C instead
 #define HTONS(num) mpHtons(num)
 #define INET_ADDR(str) mpInetAddr(str)
 #define SOCKLEN_T unsigned int
+#define GETHOSTBYNAME(str) NULL
 
 #endif
 
diff --git a/simple_message/include/simple_message/socket/tcp_socket.h b/simple_message/include/simple_message/socket/tcp_socket.h
index 08374bf7..d2d24b99 100644
--- a/simple_message/include/simple_message/socket/tcp_socket.h
+++ b/simple_message/include/simple_message/socket/tcp_socket.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 
 #ifdef LINUXSOCKETS
 #include "sys/socket.h"
-#include "netdb.h"		/* gethostbyname */
+#include "netdb.h"
 #include "arpa/inet.h"
 #include "string.h"
 #include "unistd.h"
diff --git a/simple_message/src/socket/tcp_client.cpp b/simple_message/src/socket/tcp_client.cpp
index 7eaf8bdd..fb2e21e9 100644
--- a/simple_message/src/socket/tcp_client.cpp
+++ b/simple_message/src/socket/tcp_client.cpp
@@ -72,14 +72,18 @@ bool TcpClient::init(char *buff, int port_num)
       LOG_WARN("Failed to set no socket delay, sending data can be delayed by up to 250ms");
     }
 
-
     // Initialize address data structure
     memset(&this->sockaddr_, 0, sizeof(this->sockaddr_));
     this->sockaddr_.sin_family = AF_INET;
-    if (NULL != (ent = gethostbyname(buff))) {
+
+    // Check for 'buff' as hostname, and use that, otherwise assume IP address
+    if (NULL != (ent = GETHOSTBYNAME(buff)))
+    {
       in_a = (struct in_addr *) ent->h_addr_list[0];
       this->sockaddr_.sin_addr.s_addr = in_a->s_addr;
-    } else {
+    }
+    else 
+    {
       this->sockaddr_.sin_addr.s_addr = INET_ADDR(buff);
     }
     this->sockaddr_.sin_port = HTONS(port_num);