diff --git a/ui/fixtures/cmd.hosts.json b/ui/fixtures/cmd.hosts.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a950d88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/fixtures/cmd.hosts.json
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+[
+{
+	"title": "gen ident",
+	"cmd": [ "genident", "name=A Test User" ]
+},
+{
+	"special": "set hostid",
+	"comment": "and that a modified hostid",
+	"hostid": "ceaa4862-dd00-41ba-9787-7480ec1b2679"
+},
+{
+	"title": "that hosts lists itself",
+	"cmd": [ "hosts" ],
+	"stdout_re": ".*\tceaa4862-dd00-41ba-9787-7480ec1b2679\n"
+},
+{
+	"special": "verify store object cnt",
+	"comment": "and that the host object was created",
+	"count": 1
+}
+]
diff --git a/ui/medashare/cli.py b/ui/medashare/cli.py
index 7ce9392..936ffe2 100644
--- a/ui/medashare/cli.py
+++ b/ui/medashare/cli.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import pathlib
 import pasn1
 import re
 import shutil
+import socket
 import string
 import sys
 import tempfile
@@ -327,6 +328,11 @@ class Persona(object):
 
 		self._created_by_ref = self._identity.uuid
 
+	def Host(self, *args, **kwargs):
+		kwargs['created_by_ref'] = self.uuid
+
+		return self.sign(Host(*args, **kwargs))
+
 	def Container(self, *args, **kwargs):
 		kwargs['created_by_ref'] = self.uuid
 
@@ -471,6 +477,13 @@ class ObjectStore(object):
 		self._created_by_ref = created_by_ref
 		self._uuids = {}
 		self._hashes = {}
+		self._hostuuids = {}
+
+	def get_host(self, hostuuid):
+		return self._hostuuids[hostuuid]
+
+	def get_hosts(self):
+		return self._hostuuids.values()
 
 	@staticmethod
 	def makehash(hashstr, strict=True):
@@ -553,10 +566,18 @@ class ObjectStore(object):
 			self._uuids[_makeuuid(obj.id)] = obj
 		elif obj.type == 'container':
 			self._uuids[obj.make_id(obj.uri)] = obj
+		elif obj.type == 'host':
+			self._uuids[obj.hostuuid] = obj
+			self._hostuuids[obj.hostuuid] = obj
 
-		for j in obj.hashes:
-			h = self.makehash(j)
-			self._hashes.setdefault(h, []).append(obj)
+		try:
+			hashes = obj.hashes
+		except AttributeError:
+			pass
+		else:
+			for j in hashes:
+				h = self.makehash(j)
+				self._hashes.setdefault(h, []).append(obj)
 
 	@classmethod
 	def load(cls, fname):
@@ -679,6 +700,9 @@ def _hashfile(fname):
 
 	return '%s:%s' % (_defaulthash, hash.hexdigest())
 
+class Host(MDBase):
+	_type = 'host'
+
 class FileObject(MDBase):
 	_type = 'file'
 
@@ -892,6 +916,32 @@ def cmd_modify(options):
 
 	write_objstore(options, objstr)
 
+def printhost(host):
+	print('%s\t%s' % (host.name, host.hostuuid))
+
+def cmd_hosts(options):
+	persona, objstr = get_objstore(options)
+
+	selfuuid = hostuuid()
+
+	try:
+		host = objstr.get_host(selfuuid)
+	except KeyError:
+		host = persona.Host(name=socket.gethostname(), hostuuid=selfuuid)
+		objstr.loadobj(host)
+
+	printhost(host)
+
+	hosts = objstr.get_hosts()
+
+	for i in hosts:
+		if i is host:
+			continue
+
+		printhost(i)
+
+	write_objstore(options, objstr)
+
 def cmd_dump(options):
 	persona, objstr = get_objstore(options)
 
@@ -1096,6 +1146,9 @@ def main():
 	    help='files to modify')
 	parser_container.set_defaults(func=cmd_container)
 
+	parser_hosts = subparsers.add_parser('hosts', help='dump all the hosts, self is always first')
+	parser_hosts.set_defaults(func=cmd_hosts)
+
 	parser_dump = subparsers.add_parser('dump', help='dump all the objects')
 	parser_dump.set_defaults(func=cmd_dump)
 
@@ -1597,7 +1650,8 @@ class _TestCases(unittest.TestCase):
 					self.assertEqual(objcnt, cmd['count'])
 				elif special == 'set hostid':
 					hostidpatch = mock.patch(__name__ + '.hostuuid')
-					hostidpatch.start().return_value = uuid.uuid4()
+					hid = cmd['hostid'] if 'hostid' in cmd else uuid.uuid4()
+					hostidpatch.start().return_value = hid
 					patches.append(hostidpatch)
 				elif special == 'iter is unique':
 					objst = ObjectStore.load(storefname)