diff --git a/Source/ARTClientOptions.h b/Source/ARTClientOptions.h
index ecf0e0ee0..4708b47f3 100644
--- a/Source/ARTClientOptions.h
+++ b/Source/ARTClientOptions.h
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ ART_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
 /**
  Optionally allows one or more fallback hosts to be used instead of the default fallback hosts.
  */
-@property (art_nullable, nonatomic, copy) NSArray<NSString *> *fallbackHosts;
+@property (art_nullable, nonatomic, copy) __GENERIC(NSArray, NSString *) *fallbackHosts;
 
 - (BOOL)isBasicAuth;
 - (NSURL *)restUrl;
diff --git a/Source/ARTFallback.h b/Source/ARTFallback.h
index 0a696725a..f2e78fb6c 100644
--- a/Source/ARTFallback.h
+++ b/Source/ARTFallback.h
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ extern int (^ARTFallback_getRandomHostIndex)(int count);
     
 }
 
-- (id)initWithFallbackHosts:(art_nullable NSArray<NSString*> *)fallbackHosts;
+/**
+ Init with fallback hosts array.
+ */
+- (instancetype)initWithFallbackHosts:(art_nullable __GENERIC(NSArray, NSString *) *)fallbackHosts;
 
 /**
  returns a random fallback host, returns null when all hosts have been popped.
diff --git a/Source/ARTFallback.m b/Source/ARTFallback.m
index 4a45954a0..2444f7ec0 100644
--- a/Source/ARTFallback.m
+++ b/Source/ARTFallback.m
@@ -25,15 +25,15 @@ @interface ARTFallback ()
 
 @implementation ARTFallback
 
-- (id)initWithFallbackHosts:(art_nullable NSArray<NSString*> *)fallbackHosts {
+- (instancetype)initWithFallbackHosts:(art_nullable __GENERIC(NSArray, NSString *) *)fallbackHosts {
     self = [super init];
-    if(self) {
+    if (self) {
         if (fallbackHosts != nil && fallbackHosts.count == 0) {
             return nil;
         }
-        
+
         self.hosts = [NSMutableArray array];
-        NSMutableArray * hostArray =[[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithArray: fallbackHosts ? fallbackHosts : [ARTDefault fallbackHosts]];
+        NSMutableArray * hostArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithArray: fallbackHosts ? fallbackHosts : [ARTDefault fallbackHosts]];
         size_t count = [hostArray count];
         for (int i=0; i <count; i++) {
             int randomIndex = ARTFallback_getRandomHostIndex((int)[hostArray count]);
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ - (id)initWithFallbackHosts:(art_nullable NSArray<NSString*> *)fallbackHosts {
     return self;
 }
 
-- (id)init {
+- (instancetype)init {
     return [self initWithFallbackHosts:nil];
 }
 
diff --git a/Spec/RestClient.swift b/Spec/RestClient.swift
index 4a561f3fa..6db486efd 100644
--- a/Spec/RestClient.swift
+++ b/Spec/RestClient.swift
@@ -788,6 +788,37 @@ class RestClient: QuickSpec {
 
                         expect(resultFallbackHosts).to(equal(expectedFallbackHosts))
                     }
+                    
+                    it("use custom fallback hosts if set") {
+                        let options = ARTClientOptions(key: "xxxx:xxxx")
+                        options.httpMaxRetryCount = 10
+                        let customFallbackHosts = ["j.ably-realtime.com",
+                                                   "i.ably-realtime.com",
+                                                   "h.ably-realtime.com",
+                                                   "g.ably-realtime.com",
+                                                   "f.ably-realtime.com"]
+                        options.fallbackHosts = customFallbackHosts
+                        let client = ARTRest(options: options)
+                        client.httpExecutor = testHTTPExecutor
+                        testHTTPExecutor.http = MockHTTP(network: .HostUnreachable)
+                        let channel = client.channels.get("test")
+                        
+                        waitUntil(timeout: testTimeout) { done in
+                            channel.publish(nil, data: "nil") { _ in
+                                done()
+                            }
+                        }
+
+                        expect(testHTTPExecutor.requests).to(haveCount(customFallbackHosts.count + 1))
+                        
+                        let extractHostname = { (request: NSMutableURLRequest) in
+                            NSRegularExpression.extract(request.URL!.absoluteString, pattern: "[f-j].ably-realtime.com")
+                        }
+                        let resultFallbackHosts = testHTTPExecutor.requests.flatMap(extractHostname)
+                        let expectedFallbackHosts = expectedHostOrder.map { customFallbackHosts[$0] }
+                        
+                        expect(resultFallbackHosts).to(equal(expectedFallbackHosts))
+                    }
 
                     it("until all fallback hosts have been tried") {
                         let options = ARTClientOptions(key: "xxxx:xxxx")
diff --git a/Tests/ARTFallbackTest.m b/Tests/ARTFallbackTest.m
index 92663e6ab..eed3fbb92 100644
--- a/Tests/ARTFallbackTest.m
+++ b/Tests/ARTFallbackTest.m
@@ -43,4 +43,40 @@ - (void)testAllHostsIncludedOnce {
     }    
 }
 
+- (void)testCustomFallbackHosts {
+    __weak int (^originalARTFallback_getRandomHostIndex)(int) = ARTFallback_getRandomHostIndex;
+    @try {
+        ARTFallback_getRandomHostIndex = ^() {
+            __block NSArray *hostIndexes = @[@1, @2, @0, @1, @0, @0];
+            __block int i = 0;
+            return ^int(int count) {
+                NSNumber *hostIndex = hostIndexes[i];
+                i++;
+                return hostIndex.intValue;
+            };
+        }();
+
+        NSArray *customHosts = @[@"testA.ably.com",
+                                 @"testB.ably.com",
+                                 @"testC.ably.com",
+                                 @"testD.ably.com",
+                                 @"testE.ably.com",
+                                 @"testF.ably.com"];
+
+        ARTFallback *f = [[ARTFallback alloc] initWithFallbackHosts:customHosts];
+
+        XCTAssertEqualObjects([f popFallbackHost], @"testF.ably.com");
+        XCTAssertEqualObjects([f popFallbackHost], @"testC.ably.com");
+        XCTAssertEqualObjects([f popFallbackHost], @"testE.ably.com");
+        XCTAssertEqualObjects([f popFallbackHost], @"testA.ably.com");
+        XCTAssertEqualObjects([f popFallbackHost], @"testD.ably.com");
+        XCTAssertEqualObjects([f popFallbackHost], @"testB.ably.com");
+
+        XCTAssertEqual([f popFallbackHost], nil);
+    }
+    @finally {
+        ARTFallback_getRandomHostIndex = originalARTFallback_getRandomHostIndex;
+    }
+}
+
 @end