diff --git a/src/protocol/util/AsyncEventServer.cpp b/src/protocol/util/AsyncEventServer.cpp
index e9f9411ce1..0e460a6cb4 100644
--- a/src/protocol/util/AsyncEventServer.cpp
+++ b/src/protocol/util/AsyncEventServer.cpp
@@ -280,9 +280,34 @@ struct AsyncEventServer::implementation : public spl::enable_shared_from_this<im
 
     implementation(std::shared_ptr<boost::asio::io_context>    io_context,
                    const protocol_strategy_factory<char>::ptr& protocol,
+                   const std::string&                          host,
                    unsigned short                              port)
         : io_context_(std::move(io_context))
-        , acceptor_(*io_context_, tcp::endpoint(tcp::v4(), port))
+        , acceptor_([&]() {
+          boost::asio::ip::tcp::endpoint endpoint;
+          if (host.empty()) {
+              endpoint = boost::asio::ip::tcp::endpoint(boost::asio::ip::tcp::v4(), port);
+          } else {
+              try {
+                  auto addr = boost::asio::ip::make_address(host);
+                  // Only allow IPv4 to avoid crashes
+                  if (addr.is_v6()) {
+                      CASPAR_LOG(fatal) << "IPv6 addresses are not supported for host: " << host;
+                      throw std::runtime_error("IPv6 not supported");
+                  }
+                  endpoint = boost::asio::ip::tcp::endpoint(addr, port);
+              } catch (const std::exception& e) {
+                  CASPAR_LOG(fatal) << "Invalid host address: " << host << " - " << e.what();
+                  throw;
+              }
+          }
+          tcp::acceptor a(*io_context_);
+          a.open(endpoint.protocol());
+          a.set_option(boost::asio::ip::tcp::acceptor::reuse_address(true));
+          a.bind(endpoint);
+          a.listen();
+          return a;
+      }())
         , protocol_factory_(protocol)
     {
     }
@@ -353,7 +378,13 @@ struct AsyncEventServer::implementation : public spl::enable_shared_from_this<im
 AsyncEventServer::AsyncEventServer(std::shared_ptr<boost::asio::io_context>    io_context,
                                    const protocol_strategy_factory<char>::ptr& protocol,
                                    unsigned short                              port)
-    : impl_(new implementation(std::move(io_context), protocol, port))
+    : AsyncEventServer(io_context, protocol, "", port) {}
+
+AsyncEventServer::AsyncEventServer(std::shared_ptr<boost::asio::io_context>    io_context,
+                                   const protocol_strategy_factory<char>::ptr& protocol,
+                                   const std::string&                          host,
+                                   unsigned short                              port)
+    : impl_(new implementation(std::move(io_context), protocol, host, port))
 {
     impl_->start_accept();
 }
diff --git a/src/protocol/util/AsyncEventServer.h b/src/protocol/util/AsyncEventServer.h
index 115ff07b1c..6e2b26fd06 100644
--- a/src/protocol/util/AsyncEventServer.h
+++ b/src/protocol/util/AsyncEventServer.h
@@ -38,7 +38,13 @@ class AsyncEventServer
   public:
     explicit AsyncEventServer(std::shared_ptr<boost::asio::io_context>    io_context,
                               const protocol_strategy_factory<char>::ptr& protocol,
+                              const std::string&                          host,
                               unsigned short                              port);
+
+    AsyncEventServer(std::shared_ptr<boost::asio::io_context>             io_context,
+                              const protocol_strategy_factory<char>::ptr& protocol,
+                              unsigned short                              port);
+
     ~AsyncEventServer();
 
     void add_client_lifecycle_object_factory(const lifecycle_factory_t& lifecycle_factory);
diff --git a/src/shell/server.cpp b/src/shell/server.cpp
index 6a56f5673f..64b16535bb 100644
--- a/src/shell/server.cpp
+++ b/src/shell/server.cpp
@@ -438,11 +438,14 @@ struct server::impl
 
             if (name == L"tcp") {
                 auto port = ptree_get<unsigned int>(xml_controller.second, L"port");
+                std::wstring host_w = xml_controller.second.get(L"host", L"");
+                auto host_utf8 = u8(host_w);
 
                 try {
                     auto asyncbootstrapper = spl::make_shared<IO::AsyncEventServer>(
                         io_context_,
                         create_protocol(protocol, L"TCP Port " + std::to_wstring(port)),
+                        host_utf8,
                         static_cast<short>(port));
                     async_servers_.push_back(asyncbootstrapper);