diff --git a/src/app.jsx b/src/app.jsx
index 55f1c88..a2441ef 100644
--- a/src/app.jsx
+++ b/src/app.jsx
@@ -28,10 +28,9 @@ export class Application extends React.Component {
         super();
         this.state = { 'hostname': _("Unknown") };
 
-        cockpit.file('/etc/hostname').read()
-                .done((content) => {
-                    this.setState({ 'hostname': content.trim() });
-                });
+        cockpit.file('/etc/hostname').watch(content => {
+            this.setState({ 'hostname': content.trim() });
+        });
     }
 
     render() {
diff --git a/test/check-application b/test/check-application
index 40431e2..749427e 100755
--- a/test/check-application
+++ b/test/check-application
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ class TestApplication(testlib.MachineCase):
         b.wait_present(".container-fluid p")
         b.wait_text(".container-fluid p", "Running on " + hostname)
 
+        # change current hostname
+        m.execute("echo new-%s > /etc/hostname" % hostname)
+        # verify new hostname name
+        b.wait_text(".container-fluid p", "Running on new-" + hostname)
+
         # change language to German
         b.switch_to_top()
         b.click("#content-user-name")