diff --git a/src/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.c b/src/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.c
index dca5a6f086..54615f1b2a 100644
--- a/src/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.c
+++ b/src/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.c
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ NM_GOBJECT_PROPERTIES_DEFINE (NMDhcpClient,
 	PROP_ROUTE_TABLE,
 	PROP_TIMEOUT,
 	PROP_UUID,
+	PROP_HOSTNAME,
 );
 
 typedef struct _NMDhcpClientPrivate {
@@ -511,7 +512,6 @@ gboolean
 nm_dhcp_client_start_ip4 (NMDhcpClient *self,
                           GBytes *client_id,
                           const char *dhcp_anycast_addr,
-                          const char *hostname,
                           const char *last_ip4_address,
                           GError **error)
 {
@@ -531,9 +531,6 @@ nm_dhcp_client_start_ip4 (NMDhcpClient *self,
 
 	nm_dhcp_client_set_client_id (self, client_id);
 
-	g_clear_pointer (&priv->hostname, g_free);
-	priv->hostname = g_strdup (hostname);
-
 	return NM_DHCP_CLIENT_GET_CLASS (self)->ip4_start (self,
 	                                                   dhcp_anycast_addr,
 	                                                   last_ip4_address,
@@ -552,7 +549,6 @@ nm_dhcp_client_start_ip6 (NMDhcpClient *self,
                           gboolean enforce_duid,
                           const char *dhcp_anycast_addr,
                           const struct in6_addr *ll_addr,
-                          const char *hostname,
                           NMSettingIP6ConfigPrivacy privacy,
                           guint needed_prefixes,
                           GError **error)
@@ -578,9 +574,6 @@ nm_dhcp_client_start_ip6 (NMDhcpClient *self,
 	                own_client_id ?: client_id,
 	                FALSE);
 
-	g_clear_pointer (&priv->hostname, g_free);
-	priv->hostname = g_strdup (hostname);
-
 	if (priv->timeout == NM_DHCP_TIMEOUT_INFINITY)
 		_LOGI ("activation: beginning transaction (no timeout)");
 	else
@@ -860,6 +853,9 @@ get_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id,
 	case PROP_UUID:
 		g_value_set_string (value, priv->uuid);
 		break;
+	case PROP_HOSTNAME:
+		g_value_set_string (value, priv->hostname);
+		break;
 	case PROP_ROUTE_METRIC:
 		g_value_set_uint (value, priv->route_metric);
 		break;
@@ -922,6 +918,10 @@ set_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id,
 		/* construct-only */
 		priv->uuid = g_value_dup_string (value);
 		break;
+	case PROP_HOSTNAME:
+		/* construct-only */
+		priv->hostname = g_value_dup_string (value);
+		break;
 	case PROP_ROUTE_TABLE:
 		priv->route_table = g_value_get_uint (value);
 		break;
@@ -1030,6 +1030,12 @@ nm_dhcp_client_class_init (NMDhcpClientClass *client_class)
 	                         G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY |
 	                         G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
 
+	obj_properties[PROP_HOSTNAME] =
+	    g_param_spec_string (NM_DHCP_CLIENT_HOSTNAME, "", "",
+	                         NULL,
+	                         G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY |
+	                         G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
+
 	obj_properties[PROP_ROUTE_TABLE] =
 	    g_param_spec_uint (NM_DHCP_CLIENT_ROUTE_TABLE, "", "",
 	                       0, G_MAXUINT32, RT_TABLE_MAIN,
diff --git a/src/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.h b/src/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.h
index a349ddba73..8be5071717 100644
--- a/src/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.h
+++ b/src/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #define NM_DHCP_CLIENT_IFINDEX      "ifindex"
 #define NM_DHCP_CLIENT_INTERFACE    "iface"
 #define NM_DHCP_CLIENT_MULTI_IDX    "multi-idx"
+#define NM_DHCP_CLIENT_HOSTNAME     "hostname"
 #define NM_DHCP_CLIENT_ROUTE_METRIC "route-metric"
 #define NM_DHCP_CLIENT_ROUTE_TABLE  "route-table"
 #define NM_DHCP_CLIENT_TIMEOUT      "timeout"
@@ -142,7 +143,6 @@ gboolean nm_dhcp_client_get_use_fqdn (NMDhcpClient *self);
 gboolean nm_dhcp_client_start_ip4 (NMDhcpClient *self,
                                    GBytes *client_id,
                                    const char *dhcp_anycast_addr,
-                                   const char *hostname,
                                    const char *last_ip4_address,
                                    GError **error);
 
@@ -151,7 +151,6 @@ gboolean nm_dhcp_client_start_ip6 (NMDhcpClient *self,
                                    gboolean enforce_duid,
                                    const char *dhcp_anycast_addr,
                                    const struct in6_addr *ll_addr,
-                                   const char *hostname,
                                    NMSettingIP6ConfigPrivacy privacy,
                                    guint needed_prefixes,
                                    GError **error);
diff --git a/src/dhcp/nm-dhcp-manager.c b/src/dhcp/nm-dhcp-manager.c
index 878336178e..a51c6e3847 100644
--- a/src/dhcp/nm-dhcp-manager.c
+++ b/src/dhcp/nm-dhcp-manager.c
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ client_start (NMDhcpManager *self,
 	                       NM_DHCP_CLIENT_IFINDEX, ifindex,
 	                       NM_DHCP_CLIENT_HWADDR, hwaddr,
 	                       NM_DHCP_CLIENT_UUID, uuid,
+	                       NM_DHCP_CLIENT_HOSTNAME, hostname,
 	                       NM_DHCP_CLIENT_ROUTE_TABLE, (guint) route_table,
 	                       NM_DHCP_CLIENT_ROUTE_METRIC, (guint) route_metric,
 	                       NM_DHCP_CLIENT_TIMEOUT, (guint) timeout,
@@ -264,7 +265,6 @@ client_start (NMDhcpManager *self,
 		success = nm_dhcp_client_start_ip4 (client,
 		                                    dhcp_client_id,
 		                                    dhcp_anycast_addr,
-		                                    hostname,
 		                                    last_ip4_address,
 		                                    error);
 	} else {
@@ -273,7 +273,6 @@ client_start (NMDhcpManager *self,
 		                                    enforce_duid,
 		                                    dhcp_anycast_addr,
 		                                    ipv6_ll_addr,
-		                                    hostname,
 		                                    privacy,
 		                                    needed_prefixes,
 		                                    error);