diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/jungfrauDetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c b/slsDetectorServers/jungfrauDetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
index 7fba144aa..dc8e1ea28 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/jungfrauDetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/jungfrauDetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
@@ -1675,7 +1675,7 @@ int setReadNRows(int value) {
     }
     if (isHardwareVersion2()) {
         LOG(logERROR, ("Could not set number of rows. Only available for "
-                    "Hardware Board version 2.0.\n"));
+                       "Hardware Board version 2.0.\n"));
         return FAIL;
     }
 
@@ -2175,7 +2175,7 @@ int getFlipRows() {
 void setFlipRows(int arg) {
     if (isHardwareVersion2()) {
         LOG(logERROR, ("Could not set flip rows. Only available for "
-                "Hardware Board version 2.0.\n"));
+                       "Hardware Board version 2.0.\n"));
         return;
     }
     if (arg >= 0) {
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/slsDetectorServer_funcs.c b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/slsDetectorServer_funcs.c
index 9450d01f5..80c7e003c 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/slsDetectorServer_funcs.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/slsDetectorServer_funcs.c
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ const enum detectorType myDetectorType = GOTTHARD2;
 const enum detectorType myDetectorType = GENERIC;
 #endif
 
+#define LOCALHOSTIP_INT 2130706433
+
 // Global variables from communication_funcs
 extern int lockStatus;
 extern uint32_t lastClientIP;
@@ -119,10 +121,11 @@ int printSocketReadError() {
 }
 
 void init_detector() {
+    memset(udpDetails, 0, sizeof(udpDetails));
 #ifdef VIRTUAL
     LOG(logINFO, ("This is a VIRTUAL detector\n"));
+    udpDetails[0].srcip = LOCALHOSTIP_INT;
 #endif
-    memset(udpDetails, 0, sizeof(udpDetails));
     udpDetails[0].srcport = DEFAULT_UDP_SRC_PORTNO;
     udpDetails[0].dstport = DEFAULT_UDP_DST_PORTNO;
 #ifdef EIGERD
@@ -4855,12 +4858,14 @@ int is_udp_configured() {
             LOG(logWARNING, ("%s", configureMessage));
             return FAIL;
         }
+#ifndef VIRTUAL
         if (udpDetails[i].dstmac == 0) {
             sprintf(configureMessage,
                     "udp destination mac not configured [entry:%d]\n", i);
             LOG(logWARNING, ("%s", configureMessage));
             return FAIL;
         }
+#endif
 #if defined(JUNGFRAUD) || defined(GOTTHARD2D)
         if (getNumberofUDPInterfaces() == 2) {
             if (udpDetails[i].srcip2 == 0) {
@@ -4881,12 +4886,14 @@ int is_udp_configured() {
                 LOG(logWARNING, ("%s", configureMessage));
                 return FAIL;
             }
+#ifndef VIRTUAL
             if (udpDetails[i].dstmac2 == 0) {
                 sprintf(configureMessage,
                         "udp destination mac2 not configured [entry:%d]\n", i);
                 LOG(logWARNING, ("%s", configureMessage));
                 return FAIL;
             }
+#endif
         }
 #endif
     }
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/src/Module.cpp b/slsDetectorSoftware/src/Module.cpp
index 517535279..e36f69c1c 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/src/Module.cpp
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/src/Module.cpp
@@ -1046,6 +1046,10 @@ void Module::setDestinationUDPIP(const IpAddr ip) {
     if (ip == 0) {
         throw RuntimeError("Invalid destination udp ip address");
     }
+    if (ip.str() == LOCALHOST_IP && !isVirtualDetectorServer()) {
+        throw RuntimeError("Invalid destination udp ip. Change rx_hostname "
+                           "from localhost or change udp_dstip from auto?");
+    }
     sendToDetector(F_SET_DEST_UDP_IP, ip, nullptr);
     if (shm()->useReceiverFlag) {
         sls::MacAddr retval(0LU);
@@ -1065,7 +1069,10 @@ void Module::setDestinationUDPIP2(const IpAddr ip) {
     if (ip == 0) {
         throw RuntimeError("Invalid destination udp ip address2");
     }
-
+    if (ip.str() == LOCALHOST_IP && !isVirtualDetectorServer()) {
+        throw RuntimeError("Invalid destination udp ip2. Change rx_hostname "
+                           "from localhost or change udp_dstip from auto?");
+    }
     sendToDetector(F_SET_DEST_UDP_IP2, ip, nullptr);
     if (shm()->useReceiverFlag) {
         sls::MacAddr retval(0LU);
diff --git a/slsReceiverSoftware/src/ClientInterface.cpp b/slsReceiverSoftware/src/ClientInterface.cpp
index 44677a8f6..9fa919359 100644
--- a/slsReceiverSoftware/src/ClientInterface.cpp
+++ b/slsReceiverSoftware/src/ClientInterface.cpp
@@ -1410,7 +1410,7 @@ sls::MacAddr ClientInterface::setUdpIp(sls::IpAddr arg) {
 
     // get mac address
     auto retval = sls::InterfaceNameToMac(eth);
-    if (retval == 0) {
+    if (retval == 0 && arg.str() != LOCALHOST_IP) {
         throw RuntimeError("Failed to get udp mac adddress to listen to (eth:" +
                            eth + ", ip:" + arg.str() + ")\n");
     }
@@ -1445,7 +1445,7 @@ sls::MacAddr ClientInterface::setUdpIp2(sls::IpAddr arg) {
 
     // get mac address
     auto retval = sls::InterfaceNameToMac(eth);
-    if (retval == 0) {
+    if (retval == 0 && arg.str() != LOCALHOST_IP) {
         throw RuntimeError(
             "Failed to get udp mac adddress2 to listen to (eth:" + eth +
             ", ip:" + arg.str() + ")\n");
diff --git a/slsSupportLib/include/sls/sls_detector_defs.h b/slsSupportLib/include/sls/sls_detector_defs.h
index 06203310f..b4ceced11 100644
--- a/slsSupportLib/include/sls/sls_detector_defs.h
+++ b/slsSupportLib/include/sls/sls_detector_defs.h
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@
 #define DEFAULT_DET_MAC2 "00:aa:bb:cc:dd:ff"
 #define DEFAULT_DET_IP2  "129.129.202.46"
 
+#define LOCALHOST_IP "127.0.0.1"
+
 /** default maximum string length */
 #define MAX_STR_LENGTH   1000
 #define SHORT_STR_LENGTH 20
@@ -564,7 +566,7 @@ enum streamingInterface {
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 };
 
-//operators needed in ToString
+// operators needed in ToString
 inline slsDetectorDefs::streamingInterface
 operator|(const slsDetectorDefs::streamingInterface &a,
           const slsDetectorDefs::streamingInterface &b) {
@@ -579,8 +581,6 @@ operator&(const slsDetectorDefs::streamingInterface &a,
                                                static_cast<int32_t>(b));
 };
 
-
-
 #endif
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus