diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/slsDetectorServer.c b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/slsDetectorServer.c
index 669009059..46ede3893 100755
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/slsDetectorServer.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/slsDetectorServer.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
 		FILE_LOG(logINFO, ("SLS Detector Server %s (0x%x)\n", GITBRANCH, version));
 	}
 
-        int  portno = DEFAULT_PORTNO;
+    int portno = DEFAULT_PORTNO;
 	int retval = OK;
 	int fd = 0;
 
@@ -67,6 +67,17 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
                 FILE_LOG(logINFO, ("Detected developer mode\n"));
                 debugflag = 1;
             }
+			else if(!strcasecmp(argv[i],"--port")){
+			    if ((i + 1) >= argc) {
+			        FILE_LOG(logERROR, ("no port value given. Exiting.\n"));
+			        return -1;
+			    }
+			    if (sscanf(argv[i + 1], "%d", &portno) == 0) {
+			        FILE_LOG(logERROR, ("cannot decode port value %s. Exiting.\n", argv[i + 1]));
+			        return -1;
+			    }
+				FILE_LOG(logINFO, ("Detected port: %d\n", portno));
+            }
 #ifdef GOTTHARDD
 			else if(!strcasecmp(argv[i],"-phaseshift")){
 			    if ((i + 1) >= argc) {
@@ -88,20 +99,18 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
 	memset(cmd, 0, 100);
 #endif
 	if (isControlServer) {
-		portno = DEFAULT_PORTNO;
 		FILE_LOG(logINFO, ("Opening control server on port %d \n", portno));
 #ifdef STOP_SERVER
 		{
 			int i;
 			for (i = 0; i < argc; ++i)
 				sprintf(cmd, "%s %s", cmd, argv[i]);
-			sprintf(cmd,"%s -stopserver&", cmd);
+			sprintf(cmd,"%s -stopserver --port %d &", cmd, portno + 1);
 			FILE_LOG(logDEBUG1, ("Command to start stop server:%s\n", cmd));
 			system(cmd);
 		}
 #endif
 	} else {
-		portno = DEFAULT_PORTNO + 1;
 		FILE_LOG(logINFO,("Opening stop server on port %d \n", portno));
 	}
 
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/src/multiSlsDetector.cpp b/slsDetectorSoftware/src/multiSlsDetector.cpp
index cb0106d8f..2564dd221 100755
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/src/multiSlsDetector.cpp
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/src/multiSlsDetector.cpp
@@ -404,25 +404,37 @@ void multiSlsDetector::addMultipleDetectors(const char *name) {
 
 void multiSlsDetector::addSlsDetector(const std::string &hostname) {
     FILE_LOG(logDEBUG1) << "Adding detector " << hostname;
+  
+    int port = DEFAULT_PORTNO;
+    std::string host = hostname;
+    auto res = sls::split(hostname, ':');
+    if (res.size() > 1) {
+        host = res[0];
+        port = std::stoi(res[1]);
+    }
 
-    for (auto &d : detectors) {
-        if (d->getHostname() == hostname) {
-            FILE_LOG(logWARNING)
-                << "Detector " << hostname
-                << "already part of the multiDetector!" << std::endl
-                << "Remove it before adding it back in a new position!";
-            return;
+    if (host != "localhost") {
+        for (auto &d : detectors) {
+            if (d->getHostname() == host) {
+                FILE_LOG(logWARNING)
+                    << "Detector " << host
+                    << "already part of the multiDetector!" << std::endl
+                    << "Remove it before adding it back in a new position!";
+                return;
+            }
         }
     }
 
     // get type by connecting
     detectorType type =
-        slsDetector::getTypeFromDetector(hostname, DEFAULT_PORTNO);
+        slsDetector::getTypeFromDetector(host, port);
     int pos = (int)detectors.size();
     detectors.push_back(
         sls::make_unique<slsDetector>(type, multiId, pos, false));
     multi_shm()->numberOfDetectors = detectors.size();
-    detectors[pos]->setHostname(hostname);
+    detectors[pos]->setControlPort(port);
+    detectors[pos]->setStopPort(port + 1);
+    detectors[pos]->setHostname(host);
     multi_shm()->multiDetectorType = getDetectorTypeAsEnum(-1);// -1 needed here
 }
 
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/src/slsDetector.cpp b/slsDetectorSoftware/src/slsDetector.cpp
index 0c6cae087..226f31fc4 100755
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/src/slsDetector.cpp
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/src/slsDetector.cpp
@@ -23,13 +23,11 @@
 
 using namespace sls;
 
-#define DEFAULT_HOSTNAME "localhost"
 
+// create shm
 slsDetector::slsDetector(detectorType type, int multi_id, int det_id,
                          bool verify)
     : detId(det_id), shm(multi_id, det_id) {
-    /* called from put hostname command,
-     * so sls shared memory will be created */
 
     // ensure shared memory was not created before
     if (shm.IsExisting()) {
@@ -42,10 +40,9 @@ slsDetector::slsDetector(detectorType type, int multi_id, int det_id,
     initSharedMemory(type, multi_id, verify);
 }
 
+// pick up from shm
 slsDetector::slsDetector(int multi_id, int det_id, bool verify)
     : detId(det_id), shm(multi_id, det_id) {
-    /* called from multi constructor to populate structure,
-     * so sls shared memory will be opened, not created */
 
     // getDetectorType From shm will check if it was already existing
     detectorType type = getDetectorTypeFromShm(multi_id, verify);
@@ -305,8 +302,7 @@ void slsDetector::initSharedMemory(detectorType type, int multi_id,
 
 void slsDetector::initializeDetectorStructure(detectorType type) {
     shm()->shmversion = SLS_SHMVERSION;
-    shm()->controlPort = DEFAULT_PORTNO;
-    sls::strcpy_safe(shm()->hostname, DEFAULT_HOSTNAME);
+    memset(shm()->hostname, 0, MAX_STR_LENGTH);
     shm()->myDetectorType = type;
     shm()->multiSize.x = 0;
     shm()->multiSize.y = 0;
@@ -644,9 +640,13 @@ int slsDetector::setControlPort(int port_number) {
     int retval = -1;
     FILE_LOG(logDEBUG1) << "Setting control port to " << port_number;
     if (port_number >= 0 && port_number != shm()->controlPort) {
-        sendToDetector(F_SET_PORT, port_number, retval);
-        shm()->controlPort = retval;
-        FILE_LOG(logDEBUG1) << "Control port: " << retval;
+        if (strlen(shm()->hostname) > 0) {
+            sendToDetector(F_SET_PORT, port_number, retval);
+            shm()->controlPort = retval;
+            FILE_LOG(logDEBUG1) << "Control port: " << retval;
+        } else {
+            shm()->controlPort = port_number;
+        }
     }
     return shm()->controlPort;
 }
@@ -655,9 +655,13 @@ int slsDetector::setStopPort(int port_number) {
     int retval = -1;
     FILE_LOG(logDEBUG1) << "Setting stop port to " << port_number;
     if (port_number >= 0 && port_number != shm()->stopPort) {
-        sendToDetectorStop(F_SET_PORT, port_number, retval);
-        shm()->stopPort = retval;
-        FILE_LOG(logDEBUG1) << "Stop port: " << retval;
+        if (strlen(shm()->hostname) > 0) {
+            sendToDetectorStop(F_SET_PORT, port_number, retval);
+            shm()->stopPort = retval;
+            FILE_LOG(logDEBUG1) << "Stop port: " << retval;
+        } else {
+            shm()->stopPort = port_number;
+        }
     }
     return shm()->stopPort;
 }
diff --git a/slsSupportLib/include/versionAPI.h b/slsSupportLib/include/versionAPI.h
index 42e28a900..6da66f7d4 100644
--- a/slsSupportLib/include/versionAPI.h
+++ b/slsSupportLib/include/versionAPI.h
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #define APILIB 0x190723
 #define APIRECEIVER 0x190722
 #define APIGUI 0x190723
-#define APIEIGER 0x190816
 #define APIGOTTHARD 0x190816
 #define APIJUNGFRAU 0x190816
 #define APIMOENCH 0x190816
+#define APIEIGER 0x190816