diff --git a/plugins/00_dokku-standard/install b/plugins/00_dokku-standard/install
index c7a2913a8..b8485b4d3 100755
--- a/plugins/00_dokku-standard/install
+++ b/plugins/00_dokku-standard/install
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@ set -eo pipefail
 
 sed -i 's/docker -d$/docker -d -r=true/' /etc/init/docker.conf
 
-echo $(hostname -f) > $DOKKU_ROOT/HOSTNAME
-
+if [[ ! -f  "$DOKKU_ROOT/HOSTNAME" ]]; then
+    echo $(hostname -f) > $DOKKU_ROOT/HOSTNAME
+fi
 
 # temporary hack for https://github.com/progrium/dokku/issues/82
 # redeploys all apps after a reboot
diff --git a/plugins/nginx-vhosts/install b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/install
index c919b2d2e..0bd576943 100755
--- a/plugins/nginx-vhosts/install
+++ b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/install
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ echo "include $DOKKU_ROOT/*/nginx.conf;" > /etc/nginx/conf.d/dokku.conf
 
 sed -i 's/# server_names_hash_bucket_size/server_names_hash_bucket_size/' /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
 
-[[ $(dig +short $(< "$DOKKU_ROOT/HOSTNAME")) ]] && cp "$DOKKU_ROOT/HOSTNAME" "$DOKKU_ROOT/VHOST"
+if [[ ! -f  "$DOKKU_ROOT/VHOST" ]]; then
+  [[ $(dig +short $(< "$DOKKU_ROOT/HOSTNAME")) ]] && cp "$DOKKU_ROOT/HOSTNAME" "$DOKKU_ROOT/VHOST"
+fi
 
 /etc/init.d/nginx start