diff --git a/bin/hostname b/bin/hostname
index e90b508d..6e67b95b 100755
--- a/bin/hostname
+++ b/bin/hostname
@@ -20,4 +20,4 @@
 at=
 grep -qs "^whoami=1$" "$HOME/.screen-profiles/status" && at="@"
 
-printf "\005{=b }%s%s\005{-}" "$at" $(hostname -s)
+printf "\005{=b }%s%s\005{-}" "$at" $(hostname -s 2>/dev/null || hostname)
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index a83e7c68..022f260b 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 screen-profiles (1.51) unreleased; urgency=low
 
   * bin/cpu-freq: only print cpu-freq if available
+  * bin/hostname: hostname -s fails sometimes, it seems
 
- -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:22:16 -0500
+ -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Sat, 25 Apr 2009 10:27:22 -0500
 
 screen-profiles (1.50-0ubuntu1) jaunty; urgency=low