diff --git a/src/ca/cacChannel.cpp b/src/ca/cacChannel.cpp
index a2e87943d..926b68d0f 100644
--- a/src/ca/cacChannel.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/cacChannel.cpp
@@ -62,14 +62,14 @@ bool cacChannel::connected () const
 void cacChannel::hostName ( char *pBuf, unsigned bufLength ) const 
 {
     if ( bufLength ) {
-        localHostNameAtLoadTime.copy ( pBuf, bufLength );
+        pLocalHostNameAtLoadTime->copy ( pBuf, bufLength );
     }
 }
 
 // deprecated - please do not use
 const char * cacChannel::pHostName () const
 {
-    return localHostNameAtLoadTime.pointer ();
+    return pLocalHostNameAtLoadTime->pointer ();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/ca/localHostName.cpp b/src/ca/localHostName.cpp
index 8ec4208d9..ab05a130e 100644
--- a/src/ca/localHostName.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/localHostName.cpp
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 #include "localHostName.h"
 
-localHostName localHostNameAtLoadTime;
+epicsSingleton < localHostName > pLocalHostNameAtLoadTime;
 
 localHostName::localHostName ()
 {
diff --git a/src/ca/localHostName.h b/src/ca/localHostName.h
index 3f535bb43..2a9de4006 100644
--- a/src/ca/localHostName.h
+++ b/src/ca/localHostName.h
@@ -15,6 +15,17 @@
 
 #include <string.h>
 
+#ifdef epicsExportSharedSymbols
+#   define localHostNameh_restore_epicsExportSharedSymbols
+#   undef epicsExportSharedSymbols
+#endif
+
+#include "epicsSingleton.h"
+
+#ifdef localHostNameh_restore_epicsExportSharedSymbols
+#   define epicsExportSharedSymbols
+#endif
+
 class localHostName {
 public:
     localHostName ();
@@ -28,7 +39,7 @@ private:
     char cache [128];
 };
 
-extern localHostName localHostNameAtLoadTime;
+extern epicsSingleton < localHostName > pLocalHostNameAtLoadTime;
 
 inline unsigned localHostName::stringLength () const
 {
diff --git a/src/ca/tcpiiu.cpp b/src/ca/tcpiiu.cpp
index 4f746e27b..ad42bf4fe 100644
--- a/src/ca/tcpiiu.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/tcpiiu.cpp
@@ -827,7 +827,7 @@ void tcpiiu::hostNameSetRequest ( epicsGuard < cacMutex > & )
         return;
     }
 
-    const char *pName = localHostNameAtLoadTime.pointer ();
+    const char * pName = pLocalHostNameAtLoadTime->pointer ();
     unsigned size = strlen ( pName ) + 1u;
     unsigned postSize = CA_MESSAGE_ALIGN ( size );
     assert ( postSize < 0xffff );