diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1be3109df..2916d7d8c 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2009-12-01 Richard Frith-Macdonald <rfm@gnu.org>
+
+	* Source/NSMessagePortNameServer.m: Tolerate '*' host name.
+	* Source/NSConnection.m: Clarify documentation slightly.
+
 2009-11-27 Richard Frith-Macdonald <rfm@gnu.org>
 
 	* Source/NSNotificationQueue.m: Rewrite queue handling to attempt to
diff --git a/Source/NSConnection.m b/Source/NSConnection.m
index 079c54e38..825fb3c50 100644
--- a/Source/NSConnection.m
+++ b/Source/NSConnection.m
@@ -505,10 +505,10 @@ static NSLock	*cached_proxies_gate = nil;
  * </p>
  * <p>
  *   If <em>host</em> is <code>nil</code> or an empty string,
- *   the host is taken to be the local machine.
+ *   the host is taken to be the local machine.<br />
  *   If it is an asterisk ('*') then the nameserver checks all
  *   hosts on the local subnet (unless the nameserver is one
- *   that only manages local ports).
+ *   that only manages local ports).<br />
  *   In the GNUstep implementation, the local host is searched before
  *   any other hosts.
  * </p>
diff --git a/Source/NSMessagePortNameServer.m b/Source/NSMessagePortNameServer.m
index bb9520dab..e06a6aa8c 100644
--- a/Source/NSMessagePortNameServer.m
+++ b/Source/NSMessagePortNameServer.m
@@ -323,13 +323,16 @@ static void clean_up_names(void)
 
   if ([host length] > 0)
     {
-      [NSException raise: NSInvalidArgumentException
-		  format: @"Attempt to contact a named host using a "
+      NSLog(@"Attempt to contact a named host using a "
 	@"message port name server.  This name server can only be used "
 	@"to contact processes owned by the same user on the local host "
-	@"(host name must be an empty string).  To contact processes "
+	@"(host name must be nil or an empty string).  To contact processes "
 	@"owned by other users or on other hosts you must use an instance "
-	@"of the NSSocketPortNameServer class."];
+	@"of the NSSocketPortNameServer class.");
+      if (NO == [host isEqualToString: @"*"])
+	{
+          return nil;
+        }
     }
 
   path = [[self class] _pathForName: name];