diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index bcb5b7e6f1f..a0e0a5919e5 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-web/dist/app/app
+# Ev: this is temporary
+assets/docker
 
 # Compiled binaries, Object files, Static and Dynamic libs (Shared Objects)
 out
diff --git a/lib/service/cfg.go b/lib/service/cfg.go
index c25864ae7ab..4ecb271f5f4 100644
--- a/lib/service/cfg.go
+++ b/lib/service/cfg.go
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ type Config struct {
 	// via multiple reverse tunnels
 	Proxy ProxyConfig
 
+	// Unique UUID of this host (it will be known via this UUID within
+	// a teleport cluster). It's automatically generated on 1st start
+	HostUUID string
+
 	// Console writer to speak to a user
 	Console io.Writer
 }
diff --git a/lib/service/service.go b/lib/service/service.go
index bcd68272917..af9bd0ec727 100644
--- a/lib/service/service.go
+++ b/lib/service/service.go
@@ -76,6 +76,12 @@ func NewTeleport(cfg Config) (Supervisor, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// read or generate a host UUID for this node
+	cfg.HostUUID, err = utils.ReadOrMakeHostUUID(cfg.DataDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+
 	// if user started auth and another service (without providing the auth address for
 	// that service, the address of the in-process auth will be used
 	if cfg.Auth.Enabled && len(cfg.AuthServers) == 0 {
diff --git a/lib/srv/srv.go b/lib/srv/srv.go
index 0b9d246e876..67c85424d0e 100644
--- a/lib/srv/srv.go
+++ b/lib/srv/srv.go
@@ -160,11 +160,11 @@ func New(addr utils.NetAddr,
 	advertiseIP net.IP,
 	options ...ServerOption) (*Server, error) {
 
+	// read the host UUID:
 	uuid, err := utils.ReadOrMakeHostUUID(dataDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
-	log.Infof("node UUID: %v", uuid)
 
 	s := &Server{
 		addr:        addr,
diff --git a/web/dist/app/app b/web/dist/app/app
index 8aaec0d3130..13a90ff41eb 120000
--- a/web/dist/app/app
+++ b/web/dist/app/app
@@ -1 +1 @@
-/Users/ekontsevoy/go/src/github.com/gravitational/teleport/web/dist/app
\ No newline at end of file
+/home/ekontsevoy/go/src/github.com/gravitational/teleport/web/dist/app
\ No newline at end of file