diff --git a/nse_main.cc b/nse_main.cc
index d3855b6a2..64a4d50f3 100644
--- a/nse_main.cc
+++ b/nse_main.cc
@@ -629,10 +629,14 @@ static int run_main (lua_State *L)
     lua_newtable(L);
     set_hostinfo(L, target);
     lua_rawseti(L, targets_table, lua_rawlen(L, targets_table) + 1);
-    if (TargetName != NULL && strcmp(TargetName, "") != 0)
+    /* Index this Target in NSE_CURRENT_HOSTS under targetname and IP so we can
+     * retrieve it later */
+    if (TargetName != NULL && strcmp(TargetName, "") != 0) {
       lua_pushstring(L, TargetName);
-    else
-      lua_pushstring(L, targetipstr);
+      lua_pushlightuserdata(L, target);
+      lua_rawset(L, current_hosts); /* add to NSE_CURRENT_HOSTS */
+    }
+    lua_pushstring(L, targetipstr);
     lua_pushlightuserdata(L, target);
     lua_rawset(L, current_hosts); /* add to NSE_CURRENT_HOSTS */
   }
diff --git a/nse_utility.cc b/nse_utility.cc
index 3c0e88abe..058878fb5 100644
--- a/nse_utility.cc
+++ b/nse_utility.cc
@@ -184,16 +184,19 @@ Target *nseU_gettarget (lua_State *L, int idx)
   lua_getfield(L, idx, "ip");
   if (!(lua_isstring(L, -2) || lua_isstring(L, -1)))
     luaL_error(L, "host table does not have a 'ip' or 'targetname' field");
-  if (lua_isstring(L, -2)) /* targetname */
+  /* IP is preferred to targetname because it is more unique. Really, though, a
+   * user can scan the same IP or targetname multiple times, and NSE will get
+   * all mixed up. */
+  if (lua_isstring(L, -1)) /* ip */
   {
-    nse_gettarget(L, -2); /* use targetname */
+    nse_gettarget(L, -1); /* use ip */
     if (lua_islightuserdata(L, -1))
       goto done;
     else
       lua_pop(L, 1);
   }
-  if (lua_isstring(L, -1)) /* ip */
-    nse_gettarget(L, -1); /* use ip */
+  if (lua_isstring(L, -2)) /* targetname */
+    nse_gettarget(L, -2); /* use targetname */
   if (!lua_islightuserdata(L, -1))
     luaL_argerror(L, 1, "host is not being processed right now");
 done: