diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 40844b9..b9c66ce 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ setup those functions through pillar::
         mine_function: cmd.run
         cmd: cat /etc/ssh/ssh_host_*_key.pub
         python_shell: True
-      public_ssh_hostname:
+      public_ssh_host_names:
         mine_function: grains.get
         key: id
 
@@ -132,6 +132,16 @@ The state tries to fetch the SSH host keys via ``salt-ssh``. It calls the comman
         salt_ssh:
           user: salt-master
 
+It's possible to define aliases for certain hosts::
+
+    openssh:
+      known_hosts:
+        salt_ssh:
+          public_ssh_host_names:
+            minion.id:
+              - minion.id
+              - alias.of.minion.id
+
 You can use a cronjob to populate a host key cache::
 
     # crontab -e -u salt-master
diff --git a/_pillar/known_hosts_salt_ssh.sls b/_pillar/known_hosts_salt_ssh.sls
index a4050ab..dcf60a5 100644
--- a/_pillar/known_hosts_salt_ssh.sls
+++ b/_pillar/known_hosts_salt_ssh.sls
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 #!py
 
-import logging as log
+import logging
 import os.path
 import re
 import subprocess
 
 cache = {}
 ssh_key_pattern = re.compile("^[^ ]+ (ssh-.+)$")
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 def config_dir():
     if '__master_opts__' in __opts__:
@@ -103,11 +104,11 @@ def host_keys(minion_id):
 def run():
     config = {
         'public_ssh_host_keys': {},
-        'public_ssh_hostname': {}
+        'public_ssh_host_names': {}
     }
     for minion in minions().keys():
-        config['public_ssh_hostname'][minion] = minion
         config['public_ssh_host_keys'][minion] = host_keys(minion)
+        config['public_ssh_host_names'][minion] = minion
     return {'openssh': {'known_hosts': {'salt_ssh': config}}}
 
 # vim: ts=4:sw=4:syntax=python
diff --git a/openssh/files/ssh_known_hosts b/openssh/files/ssh_known_hosts
index 7fee8ba..743a14d 100644
--- a/openssh/files/ssh_known_hosts
+++ b/openssh/files/ssh_known_hosts
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@
 
 {#-   The host names to use are to be found within the dict 'host_names'. #}
 {#-   If there are none, the host is used directly. #}
-{%-   set names = [host_names.get(host, host)] -%}
+{%-   set names = host_names.get(host, host) -%}
+{%-   set names = [names] if names is string else names %}
 
 {#-   Extract the hostname from the FQDN and add it to the names. #}
 {%-   if use_hostnames is iterable -%}
@@ -76,12 +77,13 @@
 {%      do host_keys.update({minion_id: minion_host_keys}) %}
 {%-   endif -%}
 {%- endfor -%}
-{%- for minion_id, minion_host_name in salt['pillar.get'](
+{%- for minion_id, minion_host_names in salt['pillar.get'](
   'openssh:known_hosts:salt_ssh:public_ssh_host_names',
   {}
 ).items() -%}
+{{ minion_host_names }}
 {%-   if salt["match.{}".format(tgt_type)](target, minion_id=minion_id) -%}
-{%      do host_names.update({minion_id: minion_host_name}) %}
+{%      do host_names.update({minion_id: minion_host_names}) %}
 {%-   endif -%}
 {%- endfor %}