diff --git a/Assemble.c b/Assemble.c
index c079f6b..2c52f07 100644
--- a/Assemble.c
+++ b/Assemble.c
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ int Assemble(struct supertype *st, char *mddev,
 	     mddev_ident_t ident,
 	     mddev_dev_t devlist, char *backup_file,
 	     int readonly, int runstop,
-	     char *update, char *homehost,
+	     char *update, char *homehost, int require_homehost,
 	     int verbose, int force)
 {
 	/*
@@ -509,6 +509,12 @@ int Assemble(struct supertype *st, char *mddev,
 		name = content->text_version;
 		trustworthy = METADATA;
 	}
+
+	if (name[0] && trustworthy != LOCAL &&
+	    ! require_homehost &&
+	    conf_name_is_free(name))
+		trustworthy = LOCAL;
+
 	mdfd = create_mddev(mddev, name, ident->autof, trustworthy,
 			    chosen_name);
 	if (mdfd < 0) {
diff --git a/Incremental.c b/Incremental.c
index 8908eec..c5ec634 100644
--- a/Incremental.c
+++ b/Incremental.c
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ static void find_reject(int mdfd, struct supertype *st, struct mdinfo *sra,
 			char *array_name);
 
 int Incremental(char *devname, int verbose, int runstop,
-		struct supertype *st, char *homehost, int autof)
+		struct supertype *st, char *homehost, int require_homehost,
+		int autof)
 {
 	/* Add this device to an array, creating the array if necessary
 	 * and starting the array if sensible or - if runstop>0 - if possible.
@@ -265,12 +266,16 @@ int Incremental(char *devname, int verbose, int runstop,
 	else
 		name_to_use = info.name;
 
-	if ((!name_to_use || name_to_use[0] == 0) &&
+	if (name_to_use[0] == 0 &&
 	    info.array.level == LEVEL_CONTAINER &&
 	    trustworthy == LOCAL) {
 		name_to_use = info.text_version;
 		trustworthy = METADATA;
 	}
+	if (name_to_use[0] && trustworthy != LOCAL &&
+	    ! require_homehost &&
+	    conf_name_is_free(name_to_use))
+		trustworthy = LOCAL;
 
 	/* 4/ Check if array exists.
 	 */
@@ -424,7 +429,7 @@ int Incremental(char *devname, int verbose, int runstop,
 		if (runstop < 0)
 			return 0; /* don't try to assemble */
 		rv = Incremental(chosen_name, verbose, runstop,
-				 NULL, homehost, autof);
+				 NULL, homehost, require_homehost, autof);
 		if (rv == 1)
 			/* Don't fail the whole -I if a subarray didn't
 			 * have enough devices to start yet
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 41428ae..284896e 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -663,12 +663,15 @@ void programline(char *line)
 }
 
 static char *home_host = NULL;
+static int require_homehost = 1;
 void homehostline(char *line)
 {
 	char *w;
 
 	for (w=dl_next(line); w != line ; w=dl_next(w)) {
-		if (home_host == NULL)
+		if (strcasecmp(w, "<ignore>")==0)
+			require_homehost = 0;
+		else if (home_host == NULL)
 			home_host = strdup(w);
 		else
 			fprintf(stderr, Name ": excess host name on HOMEHOST line: %s - ignored\n",
@@ -788,9 +791,11 @@ char *conf_get_program(void)
 	return alert_program;
 }
 
-char *conf_get_homehost(void)
+char *conf_get_homehost(int *require_homehostp)
 {
 	load_conffile();
+	if (require_homehostp)
+		*require_homehostp = require_homehost;
 	return home_host;
 }
 
@@ -953,3 +958,58 @@ int match_oneof(char *devices, char *devname)
     }
     return 0;
 }
+
+int devname_matches(char *name, char *match)
+{
+	/* See if the given array name matches the
+	 * given match from config file.
+	 *
+	 * First strip and /dev/md/ or /dev/, then
+	 * see if there might be a numeric match of
+	 *  mdNN with NN
+	 * then just strcmp
+	 */
+	if (strncmp(name, "/dev/md/", 8) == 0)
+		name += 8;
+	else if (strncmp(name, "/dev/", 5) == 0)
+		name += 5;
+
+	if (strncmp(match, "/dev/md/", 8) == 0)
+		match += 8;
+	else if (strncmp(match, "/dev/", 5) == 0)
+		match += 5;
+
+
+	if (strncmp(name, "md", 2) == 0 &&
+	    isdigit(name[2]))
+		name += 2;
+	if (strncmp(match, "md", 2) == 0 &&
+	    isdigit(match[2]))
+		match += 2;
+
+	return (strcmp(name, match) == 0);
+}
+
+int conf_name_is_free(char *name)
+{
+	/* Check if this name is already take by an ARRAY entry in
+	 * the config file.
+	 * It can be taken either by a match on devname, name, or
+	 * even super-minor.
+	 */
+	mddev_ident_t dev;
+
+	load_conffile();
+	for (dev = mddevlist; dev; dev = dev->next) {
+		char nbuf[100];
+		if (dev->devname && devname_matches(name, dev->devname))
+			return 0;
+		if (dev->name[0] && devname_matches(name, dev->name))
+			return 0;
+		sprintf(nbuf, "%d", dev->super_minor);
+		if (dev->super_minor != UnSet &&
+		    devname_matches(name, nbuf))
+			return 0;
+	}
+	return 1;
+}
diff --git a/mdadm.8 b/mdadm.8
index 04fea60..58270fa 100644
--- a/mdadm.8
+++ b/mdadm.8
@@ -357,7 +357,8 @@ When reporting information about an array, any array which is tagged
 for the given homehost will be reported as such.
 
 When using Auto-Assemble, only arrays tagged for the given homehost
-will be assembled.
+will be allowed to use 'local' names (i.e. not ending in '_' followed
+by a digit string).
 
 .SH For create, build, or grow:
 
diff --git a/mdadm.c b/mdadm.c
index 3245f0f..74d230e 100644
--- a/mdadm.c
+++ b/mdadm.c
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	char *homehost = NULL;
 	char sys_hostname[256];
+	int require_homehost = 1;
 	char *mailaddr = NULL;
 	char *program = NULL;
 	int delay = 0;
@@ -166,7 +167,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			continue;
 
 		case HomeHost:
-			homehost = optarg;
+			if (strcasecmp(optarg, "<ignore>") == 0)
+				require_homehost = 0;
+			else
+				homehost = optarg;
 			continue;
 
 		case ':':
@@ -1009,7 +1013,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 
 	if (homehost == NULL)
-		homehost = conf_get_homehost();
+		homehost = conf_get_homehost(&require_homehost);
 	if (homehost == NULL || strcmp(homehost, "<system>")==0) {
 		if (gethostname(sys_hostname, sizeof(sys_hostname)) == 0) {
 			sys_hostname[sizeof(sys_hostname)-1] = 0;
@@ -1049,12 +1053,16 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 					array_ident->autof = autof;
 				rv |= Assemble(ss, devlist->devname, array_ident,
 					       NULL, backup_file,
-					       readonly, runstop, update, homehost, verbose-quiet, force);
+					       readonly, runstop, update,
+					       homehost, require_homehost,
+					       verbose-quiet, force);
 			}
 		} else if (!scan)
 			rv = Assemble(ss, devlist->devname, &ident,
 				      devlist->next, backup_file,
-				      readonly, runstop, update, homehost, verbose-quiet, force);
+				      readonly, runstop, update,
+				      homehost, require_homehost,
+				      verbose-quiet, force);
 		else if (devs_found>0) {
 			if (update && devs_found > 1) {
 				fprintf(stderr, Name ": can only update a single array at a time\n");
@@ -1076,7 +1084,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 					array_ident->autof = autof;
 				rv |= Assemble(ss, dv->devname, array_ident,
 					       NULL, backup_file,
-					       readonly, runstop, update, homehost, verbose-quiet, force);
+					       readonly, runstop, update,
+					       homehost, require_homehost,
+					       verbose-quiet, force);
 			}
 		} else {
 			mddev_ident_t array_list =  conf_get_ident(NULL);
@@ -1104,7 +1114,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 				rv |= Assemble(ss, array_list->devname,
 					       array_list,
 					       NULL, NULL,
-					       readonly, runstop, NULL, homehost, verbose-quiet, force);
+					       readonly, runstop, NULL,
+					       homehost, require_homehost,
+					       verbose-quiet, force);
 				cnt++;
 			}
 			if (homehost && cnt == 0) {
@@ -1122,7 +1134,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 						rv2 = Assemble(ss, NULL,
 							       &ident,
 							       devlist, NULL,
-							       readonly, runstop, NULL, homehost, verbose-quiet, force);
+							       readonly, runstop, NULL,
+							       homehost, require_homehost,
+							       verbose-quiet, force);
 						if (rv2==0) {
 							cnt++;
 							acnt++;
@@ -1143,7 +1157,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 							rv2 = Assemble(ss, NULL,
 								       &ident,
 								       NULL, NULL,
-								       readonly, runstop, "homehost", homehost, verbose-quiet, force);
+								       readonly, runstop, "homehost",
+								       homehost, require_homehost,
+								       verbose-quiet, force);
 							if (rv2==0) {
 								cnt++;
 								acnt++;
@@ -1410,7 +1426,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			break;
 		}
 		rv = Incremental(devlist->devname, verbose-quiet, runstop,
-				 ss, homehost, autof);
+				 ss, homehost, require_homehost, autof);
 		break;
 	case AUTODETECT:
 		autodetect();
diff --git a/mdadm.conf.5 b/mdadm.conf.5
index 9876d27..7ef1765 100644
--- a/mdadm.conf.5
+++ b/mdadm.conf.5
@@ -333,18 +333,32 @@ The
 line gives a default value for the
 .B --homehost=
 option to mdadm.  There should be exactly one other word on the line.
-It should either exactly
+It should either be a host name, or one of the special words
 .B <system>
-or a host name.
+and
+.BR <ignore> .
 If
 .B <system>
 is given, then the
 .BR gethostname ( 2 )
 systemcall is used to get the host name.
-When arrays are created, this host name will be stored in the
-metadata.  When arrays are assembled using auto-assembly, only arrays
-with this host name stored in the metadata will be considered.
 
+If
+.B <ignore>
+is given, then a flag is set so that when arrays are being
+auto-assemble the checking of the recorded
+.I homehost
+is disabled.
+
+When arrays are created, this host name will be stored in the
+metadata.  When arrays are assembled using auto-assembly, arrays which
+do not record the correct homehost name in their metadata will be
+assembled using a 'foreign' name.  A 'foreign' name alway ends with a
+digit string (possibly preceded by an underscore) to differentiate it
+from any possible local name. e.g.
+.B /dev/md/1_1
+or
+.BR /dev/md/home0 .
 .TP
 .B AUTO
 A list of names of metadata format can be given, each preceded by a
diff --git a/mdadm.h b/mdadm.h
index d9bb4c9..645cf58 100644
--- a/mdadm.h
+++ b/mdadm.h
@@ -724,7 +724,7 @@ extern int Assemble(struct supertype *st, char *mddev,
 		    mddev_ident_t ident,
 		    mddev_dev_t devlist, char *backup_file,
 		    int readonly, int runstop,
-		    char *update, char *homehost,
+		    char *update, char *homehost, int require_homehost,
 		    int verbose, int force);
 
 extern int Build(char *mddev, int chunk, int level, int layout,
@@ -755,7 +755,8 @@ extern int Wait(char *dev);
 extern int WaitClean(char *dev, int verbose);
 
 extern int Incremental(char *devname, int verbose, int runstop,
-		       struct supertype *st, char *homehost, int autof);
+		       struct supertype *st, char *homehost, int require_homehost,
+		       int autof);
 extern int Incremental_container(struct supertype *st, char *devname,
 				 int verbose, int runstop, int autof,
 				 int trustworthy);
@@ -795,9 +796,12 @@ extern void set_conffile(char *file);
 extern char *conf_get_mailaddr(void);
 extern char *conf_get_mailfrom(void);
 extern char *conf_get_program(void);
-extern char *conf_get_homehost(void);
+extern char *conf_get_homehost(int *require_homehostp);
 extern char *conf_line(FILE *file);
 extern char *conf_word(FILE *file, int allow_key);
+extern int conf_name_is_free(char *name);
+extern int devname_matches(char *name, char *match);
+
 extern void free_line(char *line);
 extern int match_oneof(char *devices, char *devname);
 extern void uuid_from_super(int uuid[4], mdp_super_t *super);
diff --git a/mdassemble.c b/mdassemble.c
index e2baf05..45ff9c5 100644
--- a/mdassemble.c
+++ b/mdassemble.c
@@ -111,7 +111,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 				close(mdfd);
 			rv |= Assemble(array_list->st, array_list->devname,
 				       array_list, NULL, NULL,
-				       readonly, runstop, NULL, NULL, verbose, force);
+				       readonly, runstop, NULL, NULL, 0,
+				       verbose, force);
 		}
 	return rv;
 }