diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 78d0653c..af879740 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 export WEB_APP_URL="http://localhost:8000"
 export RELEASE_COOKIE="PDpbnyo6mEI_0T4ZsHH_ESmi1vT1toQ8PTc0vbfg5FIT4Ih-Lh98mw=="
+# Erlang node name for distributed Erlang (optional - defaults to wanderer@hostname)
+# export RELEASE_NODE="wanderer@localhost"
 export EVE_CLIENT_ID="<EVE_CLIENT_ID>"
 export EVE_CLIENT_SECRET="<EVE_CLIENT_SECRET>"
 export EVE_CLIENT_WITH_WALLET_ID="<EVE_CLIENT_WITH_WALLET_ID>"
diff --git a/rel/env.sh.eex b/rel/env.sh.eex
index f1f71b10..77a21a6d 100755
--- a/rel/env.sh.eex
+++ b/rel/env.sh.eex
@@ -2,4 +2,15 @@
 
 export ERL_AFLAGS="-proto_dist inet6_tcp"
 export RELEASE_DISTRIBUTION="name"
-export RELEASE_NODE="${FLY_APP_NAME}-${FLY_IMAGE_REF##*-}@${FLY_PRIVATE_IP}"
+
+# Use custom RELEASE_NODE if set, otherwise detect environment
+if [ -n "$RELEASE_NODE" ]; then
+  # RELEASE_NODE already set, use as-is
+  export RELEASE_NODE
+elif [ -n "$FLY_APP_NAME" ] && [ -n "$FLY_IMAGE_REF" ] && [ -n "$FLY_PRIVATE_IP" ]; then
+  # Fly.io environment detected
+  export RELEASE_NODE="${FLY_APP_NAME}-${FLY_IMAGE_REF##*-}@${FLY_PRIVATE_IP}"
+else
+  # Generic deployment - use hostname
+  export RELEASE_NODE="wanderer@$(hostname)"
+fi