diff --git a/frontend/kolide/entities/hosts.js b/frontend/kolide/entities/hosts.js
index 3d650b6bac..4e27970ec2 100644
--- a/frontend/kolide/entities/hosts.js
+++ b/frontend/kolide/entities/hosts.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export default (client) => {
     },
     loadAll: (page = 1, perPage = 100, selected = '') => {
       const { HOSTS, LABEL_HOSTS } = endpoints;
-      const pagination = `page=${page - 1}&per_page=${perPage}&order_key=host_name`;
+      const pagination = `page=${page - 1}&per_page=${perPage}&order_key=hostname`;
 
       let endpoint = '';
       const labelPrefix = 'labels/';
diff --git a/frontend/kolide/entities/hosts.tests.js b/frontend/kolide/entities/hosts.tests.js
index 589fdd522e..6d2a85a8e4 100644
--- a/frontend/kolide/entities/hosts.tests.js
+++ b/frontend/kolide/entities/hosts.tests.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ describe('Kolide - API client (hosts)', () => {
     it('calls the label endpoint when used with label filter', () => {
       const request = createRequestMock({
         bearerToken,
-        endpoint: '/api/v1/fleet/labels/6/hosts?page=1&per_page=50&order_key=host_name',
+        endpoint: '/api/v1/fleet/labels/6/hosts?page=1&per_page=50&order_key=hostname',
         method: 'get',
         response: { hosts: [] },
       });
diff --git a/frontend/test/mocks/host_mocks.js b/frontend/test/mocks/host_mocks.js
index af3202695d..5145d0e222 100644
--- a/frontend/test/mocks/host_mocks.js
+++ b/frontend/test/mocks/host_mocks.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export default {
     valid: (bearerToken) => {
       return createRequestMock({
         bearerToken,
-        endpoint: '/api/v1/fleet/hosts?page=0&per_page=100&order_key=host_name',
+        endpoint: '/api/v1/fleet/hosts?page=0&per_page=100&order_key=hostname',
         method: 'get',
         response: { hosts: [] },
       });
diff --git a/server/service/endpoint_hosts.go b/server/service/endpoint_hosts.go
index 3a0eb8ccdf..8123263b0d 100644
--- a/server/service/endpoint_hosts.go
+++ b/server/service/endpoint_hosts.go
@@ -121,6 +121,11 @@ func (r listHostsResponse) error() error { return r.Err }
 func makeListHostsEndpoint(svc kolide.Service) endpoint.Endpoint {
 	return func(ctx context.Context, request interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
 		req := request.(listHostsRequest)
+		// Special case this key so that the frontend can migrate to using only "hostname"
+		// TODO #317 remove special cases for host_name by standardizing on hostname
+		if req.ListOptions.OrderKey == "hostname" {
+			req.ListOptions.OrderKey = "host_name"
+		}
 		hosts, err := svc.ListHosts(ctx, req.ListOptions)
 		if err != nil {
 			return listHostsResponse{Err: err}, nil