diff --git a/src/sessionmanagerplugin/session/portsession/basicportforwarding.go b/src/sessionmanagerplugin/session/portsession/basicportforwarding.go
index 65f1057c8..58d16f0ee 100644
--- a/src/sessionmanagerplugin/session/portsession/basicportforwarding.go
+++ b/src/sessionmanagerplugin/session/portsession/basicportforwarding.go
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ func (p *BasicPortForwarding) startLocalConn(log log.T) (err error) {
 
 // startLocalListener starts a local listener to given address
 func (p *BasicPortForwarding) startLocalListener(log log.T, portNumber string) (listener net.Listener, err error) {
+
 	var displayMessage string
 	switch p.portParameters.LocalConnectionType {
 	case "unix":
@@ -150,7 +151,13 @@ func (p *BasicPortForwarding) startLocalListener(log log.T, portNumber string) (
 		}
 		displayMessage = fmt.Sprintf("Unix socket %s opened for sessionId %s.", p.portParameters.LocalUnixSocket, p.sessionId)
 	default:
-		if listener, err = getNewListener("tcp", "localhost:"+portNumber); err != nil {
+		listenerHost := os.Getenv("SSM_PLUGIN_LOCAL_HOST")
+		if listenerHost == "" {
+			listenerHost = "localhost"
+		}
+		listenerAddress := net.JoinHostPort(listenerHost, portNumber)
+
+		if listener, err = getNewListener("tcp", listenerAddress); err != nil {
 			return
 		}
 		// get port number the TCP listener opened
diff --git a/src/sessionmanagerplugin/session/portsession/muxportforwarding.go b/src/sessionmanagerplugin/session/portsession/muxportforwarding.go
index 45801ce1e..62db3dc32 100644
--- a/src/sessionmanagerplugin/session/portsession/muxportforwarding.go
+++ b/src/sessionmanagerplugin/session/portsession/muxportforwarding.go
@@ -242,7 +242,14 @@ func (p *MuxPortForwarding) handleClientConnections(log log.T, ctx context.Conte
 		if p.portParameters.LocalPortNumber == "" {
 			localPortNumber = "0"
 		}
-		if listener, err = net.Listen("tcp", "localhost:"+localPortNumber); err != nil {
+
+		listenerHost := os.Getenv("SSM_PLUGIN_LOCAL_HOST")
+		if listenerHost == "" {
+			listenerHost = "localhost"
+		}
+		listenerAddress := net.JoinHostPort(listenerHost, localPortNumber)
+
+		if listener, err = net.Listen("tcp", listenerAddress); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		p.portParameters.LocalPortNumber = strconv.Itoa(listener.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr).Port)