diff --git a/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/JsonRpcService.java b/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/JsonRpcService.java
index 97342294e0..883528c2a6 100644
--- a/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/JsonRpcService.java
+++ b/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/JsonRpcService.java
@@ -604,10 +604,11 @@ public class JsonRpcService {
     final Iterable<String> splitHostHeader = Splitter.on(':').split(hostname);
     final long hostPieces = stream(splitHostHeader).count();
     // If the host contains a colon, verify the host is correctly formed - host [ ":" port ]
-    if (hostPieces > 2 || !Iterables.get(splitHostHeader, 1).matches("\\d{1,5}+")) {
-      return Optional.empty();
+    if (hostPieces > 1) {
+      if (hostPieces > 2 || !Iterables.get(splitHostHeader, 1).matches("\\d{1,5}+")) {
+        return Optional.empty();
+      }
     }
-
     return Optional.ofNullable(Iterables.get(splitHostHeader, 0));
   }
 
diff --git a/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/websocket/JsonRpcJWTTest.java b/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/websocket/JsonRpcJWTTest.java
index 0df9e4a1ed..965e32eb3a 100644
--- a/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/websocket/JsonRpcJWTTest.java
+++ b/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/websocket/JsonRpcJWTTest.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.websocket;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.fail;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.spy;
 
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.JsonRpcConfiguration;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.JsonRpcService;
@@ -44,9 +45,13 @@ import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
 
+import io.vertx.core.MultiMap;
 import io.vertx.core.Vertx;
 import io.vertx.core.http.HttpClient;
 import io.vertx.core.http.HttpClientOptions;
+import io.vertx.core.http.HttpClientRequest;
+import io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders;
+import io.vertx.core.http.HttpMethod;
 import io.vertx.core.http.WebSocket;
 import io.vertx.core.http.WebSocketConnectOptions;
 import io.vertx.core.json.Json;
@@ -216,6 +221,7 @@ public class JsonRpcJWTTest {
     wsOpts.setURI("/");
     wsOpts.addHeader(
         "Authorization", "Bearer " + ((EngineAuthService) jwtAuth.get()).createToken());
+    wsOpts.addHeader(HttpHeaders.HOST, "anything");
 
     final Async async = context.async();
     httpClient.webSocket(
@@ -246,6 +252,136 @@ public class JsonRpcJWTTest {
     httpClient.close();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void wsRequestFromBadHostAndValidJWTIsDenied(final TestContext context) {
+
+    JsonRpcConfiguration strictHost = JsonRpcConfiguration.createEngineDefault();
+    strictHost.setHostsAllowlist(List.of("localhost"));
+    strictHost.setPort(0);
+    try {
+      strictHost.setAuthenticationPublicKeyFile(
+          new File(this.getClass().getResource("jwt.hex").toURI()));
+    } catch (URISyntaxException e) {
+      fail("didn't parse jwt");
+    }
+
+    JsonRpcService jsonRpcService =
+        spy(
+            new JsonRpcService(
+                vertx,
+                bufferDir,
+                strictHost,
+                new NoOpMetricsSystem(),
+                new NatService(Optional.empty(), true),
+                websocketMethods,
+                Optional.empty(),
+                scheduler,
+                jwtAuth,
+                healthy,
+                healthy));
+
+    jsonRpcService.start().join();
+
+    final InetSocketAddress inetSocketAddress = jsonRpcService.socketAddress();
+    int listenPort = inetSocketAddress.getPort();
+
+    final HttpClientOptions httpClientOptions =
+        new HttpClientOptions().setDefaultHost(HOSTNAME).setDefaultPort(listenPort);
+
+    httpClient = vertx.createHttpClient(httpClientOptions);
+
+    WebSocketConnectOptions wsOpts = new WebSocketConnectOptions();
+    wsOpts.setPort(listenPort);
+    wsOpts.setHost(HOSTNAME);
+    wsOpts.setURI("/");
+    wsOpts.addHeader(
+        "Authorization", "Bearer " + ((EngineAuthService) jwtAuth.get()).createToken());
+    wsOpts.addHeader(HttpHeaders.HOST, "bogushost");
+
+    final Async async = context.async();
+    httpClient.webSocket(
+        wsOpts,
+        connected -> {
+          if (connected.failed()) {
+            connected.cause().printStackTrace();
+          }
+          assertThat(connected.succeeded()).isFalse();
+          async.complete();
+        });
+
+    async.awaitSuccess(10000);
+    jsonRpcService.stop();
+
+    httpClient.close();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void httpRequestFromBadHostAndValidJWTIsDenied(final TestContext context) {
+
+    JsonRpcConfiguration strictHost = JsonRpcConfiguration.createEngineDefault();
+    strictHost.setHostsAllowlist(List.of("localhost"));
+    strictHost.setPort(0);
+    try {
+      strictHost.setAuthenticationPublicKeyFile(
+          new File(this.getClass().getResource("jwt.hex").toURI()));
+    } catch (URISyntaxException e) {
+      fail("didn't parse jwt");
+    }
+
+    JsonRpcService jsonRpcService =
+        spy(
+            new JsonRpcService(
+                vertx,
+                bufferDir,
+                strictHost,
+                new NoOpMetricsSystem(),
+                new NatService(Optional.empty(), true),
+                websocketMethods,
+                Optional.empty(),
+                scheduler,
+                jwtAuth,
+                healthy,
+                healthy));
+
+    jsonRpcService.start().join();
+
+    final InetSocketAddress inetSocketAddress = jsonRpcService.socketAddress();
+    int listenPort = inetSocketAddress.getPort();
+
+    final HttpClientOptions httpClientOptions =
+        new HttpClientOptions().setDefaultHost(HOSTNAME).setDefaultPort(listenPort);
+
+    httpClient = vertx.createHttpClient(httpClientOptions);
+
+    MultiMap headers =
+        HttpHeaders.set(
+                "Authorization", "Bearer " + ((EngineAuthService) jwtAuth.get()).createToken())
+            .set(HttpHeaders.HOST, "bogushost");
+
+    final Async async = context.async();
+    httpClient.request(
+        HttpMethod.GET,
+        "/",
+        connected -> {
+          if (connected.failed()) {
+            connected.cause().printStackTrace();
+          }
+          HttpClientRequest request = connected.result();
+          request.headers().addAll(headers);
+          request.send(
+              response -> {
+                assertThat(response.result().statusCode()).isNotEqualTo(500);
+                assertThat(response.result().statusCode()).isEqualTo(403);
+                async.complete();
+              });
+        });
+
+    async.awaitSuccess(10000);
+    jsonRpcService.stop();
+
+    httpClient.close();
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void httpRequestWithDefaultHeaderAndInvalidJWTIsDenied(final TestContext context) {