diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/eigerDetectorServer/bin/eigerDetectorServer_developer b/slsDetectorServers/eigerDetectorServer/bin/eigerDetectorServer_developer
index 4e842b523..b7aa41052 100755
Binary files a/slsDetectorServers/eigerDetectorServer/bin/eigerDetectorServer_developer and b/slsDetectorServers/eigerDetectorServer/bin/eigerDetectorServer_developer differ
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/include/multiSlsDetector.h b/slsDetectorSoftware/include/multiSlsDetector.h
index 9813dbb33..a66abfa57 100755
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/include/multiSlsDetector.h
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/include/multiSlsDetector.h
@@ -306,6 +306,13 @@ class multiSlsDetector : public virtual slsDetectorDefs {
      */
     std::string getUserDetails(); // part of multi
 
+    /**
+     * Connect to Virtual Detector Servers at local host
+     * @param ndet number of detectors
+     * @param port starting port number
+     */
+    void setVirtualDetectorServers(const int numdet, const int port);
+    
     /**
      * Sets the hostname of all sls detectors in shared memory and updates local
      * cache
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/src/multiSlsDetector.cpp b/slsDetectorSoftware/src/multiSlsDetector.cpp
index 2564dd221..0f3c801fa 100755
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/src/multiSlsDetector.cpp
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/src/multiSlsDetector.cpp
@@ -351,6 +351,15 @@ std::string multiSlsDetector::exec(const char *cmd) {
     return result;
 }
 
+void multiSlsDetector::setVirtualDetectorServers(const int numdet, const int port) {
+    std::vector <std::string> hostnames;
+    for (int i = 0; i < numdet; ++i) {
+        // * 2 is for control and stop port
+        hostnames.push_back(std::string("localhost:") + std::to_string(port + i * 2));
+    }
+    setHostname(hostnames);
+}
+
 void multiSlsDetector::setHostname(const std::vector<std::string> &name) {
     // this check is there only to allow the previous detsizechan command
     if (multi_shm()->numberOfDetectors != 0) {
@@ -363,6 +372,7 @@ void multiSlsDetector::setHostname(const std::vector<std::string> &name) {
     for (const auto &hostname : name) {
         addSlsDetector(hostname);
     }
+    updateDetectorSize();
 }
 
 void multiSlsDetector::setHostname(const char *name, int detPos) {
@@ -392,7 +402,7 @@ std::string multiSlsDetector::getHostname(int detPos) const {
 
     // multi
     auto r = serialCall(&slsDetector::getHostname);
-    return sls::concatenateIfDifferent(r);
+    return sls::concatenateNonEmptyStrings(r);
 }
 
 void multiSlsDetector::addMultipleDetectors(const char *name) {
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/src/slsDetectorCommand.cpp b/slsDetectorSoftware/src/slsDetectorCommand.cpp
index 615a6cefa..cc3ac0423 100755
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/src/slsDetectorCommand.cpp
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/src/slsDetectorCommand.cpp
@@ -268,6 +268,14 @@ slsDetectorCommand::slsDetectorCommand(multiSlsDetector *det) {
     descrToFuncMap[i].m_pFuncPtr = &slsDetectorCommand::cmdHostname;
     ++i;
 
+    /*! \page config
+   - <b>virtual [n] [p]</b> \c connects to n virtual detector servers at local host starting at port p \c Returns the list of the hostnames of the multi-detector structure. \c (string)
+	 */
+    descrToFuncMap[i].m_pFuncName = "virtual";
+    descrToFuncMap[i].m_pFuncPtr = &slsDetectorCommand::cmdHostname;
+    ++i;
+
+
     /*! \page config
    - <b>user</b> \c Returns user details from shared memory. Only allowed at multi detector level.  Cannot put. \c (string)
 	 */
@@ -2345,7 +2353,7 @@ std::string slsDetectorCommand::cmdHostname(int narg, const char * const args[],
 
     if (action == PUT_ACTION) {
         if (detPos >= 0) {
-            return std::string("Wrong usage - setting hostname/add only from "
+            return std::string("Wrong usage - setting hostname/virtual only from "
                                "multiDetector level");
         }
 
@@ -2357,10 +2365,23 @@ std::string slsDetectorCommand::cmdHostname(int narg, const char * const args[],
             if (narg > 2)
                 strcat(hostname, "+");
         }
-
-        myDet->setHostname(hostname, detPos);
+        if (cmd == "hostname") {
+            myDet->setHostname(hostname, detPos);
+        } 
+        else if (cmd == "virtual") {
+            int port = -1;
+            int numDetectors = 0;
+            if (!sscanf(args[1], "%d", &numDetectors)) {
+                throw sls::RuntimeError("Cannot scan number of detector servers from virtual command\n");
+            }
+            if (!sscanf(args[2], "%d", &port)) {
+                throw sls::RuntimeError("Cannot scan port from virtual command\n");
+            }
+            myDet->setVirtualDetectorServers(numDetectors, port);
+        } else {
+            throw sls::RuntimeError("unknown command\n");
+        }
     }
-
     return myDet->getHostname(detPos);
 }
 
@@ -2372,6 +2393,7 @@ std::string slsDetectorCommand::helpHostname(int action) {
     if (action == PUT_ACTION || action == HELP_ACTION) {
         os << std::string("hostname name [name name]\t frees shared memory and "
                           "sets the hostname (or IP adress). Only allowed at multi detector level.\n");
+        os << std::string("virtual [n] [p]\t connects to n virtual detector servers at local host starting at port p \n");
     }
     return os.str();
 }