diff --git a/plugins/guests/debian/cap/change_host_name.rb b/plugins/guests/debian/cap/change_host_name.rb
index 84e1a4e16..2107ea9e4 100644
--- a/plugins/guests/debian/cap/change_host_name.rb
+++ b/plugins/guests/debian/cap/change_host_name.rb
@@ -4,9 +4,28 @@ module VagrantPlugins
       class ChangeHostName
         def self.change_host_name(machine, name)
           machine.communicate.tap do |comm|
-            if !comm.test("hostname --fqdn | grep '^#{name}$' || hostname --short | grep '^#{name}$'")
-              comm.sudo("sed -r -i 's/^(127[.]0[.]1[.]1[[:space:]]+).*$/\\1#{name} #{name.split('.')[0]}/' /etc/hosts")
+
+            # Get the current hostname
+            # if existing fqdn setup improperly, this returns just hostname
+            old = ''
+            comm.sudo "hostname -f" do |type, data|
+             if type == :stdout
+               old = data.chomp
+             end
+            end
+
+            # this works even if they're not both fqdn
+            if old.split('.')[0] != name.split('.')[0]
+
               comm.sudo("sed -i 's/.*$/#{name.split('.')[0]}/' /etc/hostname")
+
+              # hosts should resemble:
+              # 127.0.1.1   host.fqdn.com host
+              # First to set fqdn
+              comm.sudo("sed -i 's@#{old}@#{name}@' /etc/hosts")
+              # Second to set hostname
+              comm.sudo("sed -i 's@#{old.split('.')[0]}@#{name.split('.')[0]}@' /etc/hosts")
+
               comm.sudo("hostname -F /etc/hostname")
               comm.sudo("hostname --fqdn > /etc/mailname")
               comm.sudo("ifdown -a; ifup -a; ifup eth0")
diff --git a/plugins/guests/ubuntu/cap/change_host_name.rb b/plugins/guests/ubuntu/cap/change_host_name.rb
index b7ba03773..6363ab732 100644
--- a/plugins/guests/ubuntu/cap/change_host_name.rb
+++ b/plugins/guests/ubuntu/cap/change_host_name.rb
@@ -4,9 +4,28 @@ module VagrantPlugins
       class ChangeHostName
         def self.change_host_name(machine, name)
           machine.communicate.tap do |comm|
-            if !comm.test("sudo hostname | grep '^#{name}$'")
-              comm.sudo("sed -i 's/.*$/#{name}/' /etc/hostname")
-              comm.sudo("sed -i 's@^\\(127[.]0[.]1[.]1[[:space:]]\\+\\)@\\1#{name} #{name.split('.')[0]} @' /etc/hosts")
+
+            # Get the current hostname
+            # if existing fqdn setup improperly, this returns just hostname
+            old = ''
+            comm.sudo "hostname -f" do |type, data|
+             if type == :stdout
+               old = data.chomp
+             end
+            end
+
+            # this works even if they're not both fqdn
+            if old.split('.')[0] != name.split('.')[0]
+
+              comm.sudo("sed -i 's/.*$/#{name.split('.')[0]}/' /etc/hostname")
+
+              # hosts should resemble:
+              # 127.0.1.1   host.fqdn.com host
+              # First to set fqdn
+              comm.sudo("sed -i 's@#{old}@#{name}@' /etc/hosts")
+              # Second to set hostname
+              comm.sudo("sed -i 's@#{old.split('.')[0]}@#{name.split('.')[0]}@' /etc/hosts")
+
               if comm.test("[ `lsb_release -c -s` = hardy ]")
                 # hostname.sh returns 1, so I grep for the right name in /etc/hostname just to have a 0 exitcode
                 comm.sudo("/etc/init.d/hostname.sh start; grep '#{name}' /etc/hostname")