diff --git a/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go b/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go
index 853d3316f61..155b4718dc6 100644
--- a/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go
+++ b/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ import (
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/gossip/common"
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/gossip/util"
 	proto "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/gossip"
@@ -153,8 +156,25 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) Connect(member NetworkMember) {
 }
 
 func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) connect2BootstrapPeers(endpoints []string) {
+	if d.self.InternalEndpoint == nil || len(d.self.InternalEndpoint.Endpoint) == 0 {
+		d.logger.Panic("Internal endpoint is empty:", d.self.InternalEndpoint)
+	}
+
+	if len(strings.Split(d.self.InternalEndpoint.Endpoint, ":")) != 2 {
+		d.logger.Panicf("Self endpoint %s isn't formatted as 'host:port'", d.self.InternalEndpoint.Endpoint)
+	}
+
+	myPort, err := strconv.ParseInt(strings.Split(d.self.InternalEndpoint.Endpoint, ":")[1], 10, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		d.logger.Panicf("Self endpoint %s has not valid port'", d.self.InternalEndpoint.Endpoint)
+	}
+
 	d.logger.Info("Entering:", endpoints)
 	defer d.logger.Info("Exiting")
+	endpoints = filterOutLocalhost(endpoints, int(myPort))
+	if len(endpoints) == 0 {
+		return
+	}
 
 	for !d.somePeerIsKnown() {
 		var wg sync.WaitGroup
@@ -822,3 +842,14 @@ func getAliveExpirationCheckInterval() time.Duration {
 func getReconnectInterval() time.Duration {
 	return util.GetDurationOrDefault("peer.gossip.reconnectInterval", getAliveExpirationTimeout())
 }
+
+func filterOutLocalhost(endpoints []string, port int) []string {
+	var returnedEndpoints []string
+	for _, endpoint := range endpoints {
+		if endpoint == fmt.Sprintf("127.0.0.1:%d", port) || endpoint == fmt.Sprintf("localhost:%d", port) {
+			continue
+		}
+		returnedEndpoints = append(returnedEndpoints, endpoint)
+	}
+	return returnedEndpoints
+}
diff --git a/gossip/discovery/discovery_test.go b/gossip/discovery/discovery_test.go
index 7b403be8a8b..a3a64e76488 100644
--- a/gossip/discovery/discovery_test.go
+++ b/gossip/discovery/discovery_test.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	proto "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/gossip"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/mock"
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 )
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ type dummyCommModule struct {
 	incMsgs      chan *proto.GossipMessage
 	lastSeqs     map[string]uint64
 	shouldGossip bool
+	mock         *mock.Mock
 }
 
 type gossipMsg struct {
@@ -92,10 +94,16 @@ func (comm *dummyCommModule) Gossip(msg *proto.GossipMessage) {
 }
 
 func (comm *dummyCommModule) SendToPeer(peer *NetworkMember, msg *proto.GossipMessage) {
+	var mock *mock.Mock
 	comm.lock.RLock()
 	_, exists := comm.streams[peer.Endpoint]
+	mock = comm.mock
 	comm.lock.RUnlock()
 
+	if mock != nil {
+		mock.Called()
+	}
+
 	if !exists {
 		if comm.Ping(peer) == false {
 			fmt.Printf("Ping to %v failed\n", peer.Endpoint)
@@ -111,6 +119,10 @@ func (comm *dummyCommModule) Ping(peer *NetworkMember) bool {
 	comm.lock.Lock()
 	defer comm.lock.Unlock()
 
+	if comm.mock != nil {
+		comm.mock.Called()
+	}
+
 	_, alreadyExists := comm.streams[peer.Endpoint]
 	if !alreadyExists {
 		newConn, err := grpc.Dial(peer.Endpoint, grpc.WithInsecure())
@@ -451,6 +463,22 @@ func TestGossipDiscoveryStopping(t *testing.T) {
 
 }
 
+func TestGossipDiscoverySkipConnectingToLocalhostBootstrap(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	inst := createDiscoveryInstance(11611, "d1", []string{"localhost:11611", "127.0.0.1:11611"})
+	inst.comm.lock.Lock()
+	inst.comm.mock = &mock.Mock{}
+	inst.comm.mock.On("SendToPeer", mock.Anything).Run(func(mock.Arguments) {
+		t.Fatal("Should not have connected to any peer")
+	})
+	inst.comm.mock.On("Ping", mock.Anything).Run(func(mock.Arguments) {
+		t.Fatal("Should not have connected to any peer")
+	})
+	inst.comm.lock.Unlock()
+	time.Sleep(time.Second * 3)
+	waitUntilOrFailBlocking(t, inst.Stop)
+}
+
 func TestConvergence(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	// scenario:
@@ -522,6 +550,20 @@ func TestConfigFromFile(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, time.Duration(25)*time.Second, getReconnectInterval())
 }
 
+func TestFilterOutLocalhost(t *testing.T) {
+	endpoints := []string{"localhost:5611", "127.0.0.1:5611", "1.2.3.4:5611"}
+	assert.Len(t, filterOutLocalhost(endpoints, 5611), 1)
+	endpoints = []string{"1.2.3.4:5611"}
+	assert.Len(t, filterOutLocalhost(endpoints, 5611), 1)
+	endpoints = []string{"localhost:5611", "127.0.0.1:5611"}
+	assert.Len(t, filterOutLocalhost(endpoints, 5611), 0)
+	// Check slice returned is a copy
+	endpoints = []string{"localhost:5611", "127.0.0.1:5611", "1.2.3.4:5611"}
+	endpoints2 := filterOutLocalhost(endpoints, 5611)
+	endpoints2[0] = "bla bla"
+	assert.NotEqual(t, endpoints[2], endpoints[0])
+}
+
 func waitUntilOrFail(t *testing.T, pred func() bool) {
 	start := time.Now()
 	limit := start.UnixNano() + timeout.Nanoseconds()
diff --git a/peer/core.yaml b/peer/core.yaml
index 7c93cce3d46..ea7edb21e9e 100644
--- a/peer/core.yaml
+++ b/peer/core.yaml
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ peer:
 
     # Gossip related configuration
     gossip:
-        bootstrap: 0.0.0.0:7051
-        # For debug - is peer is its org leader and should pass blocks from orderer to other peers in org
+        bootstrap: 127.0.0.1:7051
+        # Is peer is its org leader and should pass blocks from orderer to other peers in org
         orgLeader: true
         # ID of this instance
         endpoint: