diff --git a/src/servers/CNLoginServer.cpp b/src/servers/CNLoginServer.cpp
index fbfaf04..999fb1c 100644
--- a/src/servers/CNLoginServer.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/CNLoginServer.cpp
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ void CNLoginServer::characterSelect(CNSocket* sock, CNPacketData* data) {
      * the shard IP has been configured to an address the local machine can't
      * reach itself from.
      */
-    if (sock->sockaddr.sin_addr.s_addr == htonl(INADDR_LOOPBACK))
+    if (settings::LOCALHOSTWORKAROUND && sock->sockaddr.sin_addr.s_addr == htonl(INADDR_LOOPBACK))
         shard_ip = "127.0.0.1";
 
     memcpy(resp.g_FE_ServerIP, shard_ip, strlen(shard_ip));
diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index 8054e65..79b999d 100644
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ int settings::DBSAVEINTERVAL = 240;
 
 int settings::SHARDPORT = 23001;
 std::string settings::SHARDSERVERIP = "127.0.0.1";
+bool settings::LOCALHOSTWORKAROUND = true;
 time_t settings::TIMEOUT = 60000;
 int settings::VIEWDISTANCE = 25600;
 bool settings::SIMULATEMOBS = true;
@@ -79,7 +80,8 @@ void settings::init() {
     LOGINPORT = reader.GetInteger("login", "port", LOGINPORT);
     SHARDPORT = reader.GetInteger("shard", "port", SHARDPORT);
     DBSAVEINTERVAL = reader.GetInteger("login", "dbsaveinterval", DBSAVEINTERVAL);
-    SHARDSERVERIP = reader.Get("shard", "ip", "127.0.0.1");
+    SHARDSERVERIP = reader.Get("shard", "ip", SHARDSERVERIP);
+    LOCALHOSTWORKAROUND = reader.GetBoolean("shard", "localhostworkaround", LOCALHOSTWORKAROUND);
     TIMEOUT = reader.GetInteger("shard", "timeout", TIMEOUT);
     VIEWDISTANCE = reader.GetInteger("shard", "viewdistance", VIEWDISTANCE);
     SIMULATEMOBS = reader.GetBoolean("shard", "simulatemobs", SIMULATEMOBS);
diff --git a/src/settings.hpp b/src/settings.hpp
index d925fd4..39de71e 100644
--- a/src/settings.hpp
+++ b/src/settings.hpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ namespace settings {
     extern int DBSAVEINTERVAL;
     extern int SHARDPORT;
     extern std::string SHARDSERVERIP;
+    extern bool LOCALHOSTWORKAROUND;
     extern time_t TIMEOUT;
     extern int VIEWDISTANCE;
     extern bool SIMULATEMOBS;