diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompBrokerRelayMessageHandler.java b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompBrokerRelayMessageHandler.java
index 08da6d15a8a..7c4017d3b8a 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompBrokerRelayMessageHandler.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompBrokerRelayMessageHandler.java
@@ -47,9 +47,24 @@ import reactor.tuple.Tuple2;
 
 
 /**
- * A {@link MessageHandler} that handles messages by forwarding them to a STOMP broker and
- * reversely sends any returned messages from the broker to the provided
- * {@link MessageChannel}.
+ * A {@link MessageHandler} that handles messages by forwarding them to a STOMP broker.
+ * For each new {@link SimpMessageType#CONNECT CONNECT} message, an independent TCP
+ * connection to the broker is opened and used exclusively for all messages from the
+ * client that originated the CONNECT message. Messages from the same client are
+ * identified through the session id message header. Reversely, when the STOMP broker
+ * sends messages back on the TCP connection, those messages are enriched with the session
+ * id of the client and sent back downstream through the {@link MessageChannel} provided
+ * to the constructor.
+ * <p>
+ * This class also automatically opens a default "system" TCP connection to the message
+ * broker that is used for sending messages that originate from the server application (as
+ * opposed to from a client). Such messages are recognized because they are not associated
+ * with any client and therefore do not have a session id header. The "system" connection
+ * is effectively shared and cannot be used to receive messages. Several properties are
+ * provided to configure the "system" session including the the
+ * {@link #setSystemLogin(String) login} {@link #setSystemPasscode(String) passcode},
+ * heartbeat {@link #setSystemHeartbeatSendInterval(long) send} and
+ * {@link #setSystemHeartbeatReceiveInterval(long) receive} intervals.
  *
  * @author Rossen Stoyanchev
  * @author Andy Wilkinson
@@ -71,6 +86,8 @@ public class StompBrokerRelayMessageHandler extends AbstractBrokerMessageHandler
 
 	private long systemHeartbeatReceiveInterval = 10000;
 
+	private String virtualHost;
+
 	private Environment environment;
 
 	private TcpClient<Message<byte[]>, Message<byte[]>> tcpClient;
@@ -120,11 +137,13 @@ public class StompBrokerRelayMessageHandler extends AbstractBrokerMessageHandler
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Set the interval, in milliseconds, at which the "system" relay session will,
-	 * in the absence of any other data being sent, send a heartbeat to the STOMP broker.
-	 * A value of zero will prevent heartbeats from being sent to the broker.
+	 * Set the interval, in milliseconds, at which the "system" relay session will, in the
+	 * absence of any other data being sent, send a heartbeat to the STOMP broker. A value
+	 * of zero will prevent heartbeats from being sent to the broker.
 	 * <p>
 	 * The default value is 10000.
+	 * <p>
+	 * See class-level documentation for more information on the "system" session.
 	 */
 	public void setSystemHeartbeatSendInterval(long systemHeartbeatSendInterval) {
 		this.systemHeartbeatSendInterval = systemHeartbeatSendInterval;
@@ -145,6 +164,8 @@ public class StompBrokerRelayMessageHandler extends AbstractBrokerMessageHandler
 	 * heartbeats from the broker.
 	 * <p>
 	 * The default value is 10000.
+	 * <p>
+	 * See class-level documentation for more information on the "system" session.
 	 */
 	public void setSystemHeartbeatReceiveInterval(long heartbeatReceiveInterval) {
 		this.systemHeartbeatReceiveInterval = heartbeatReceiveInterval;
@@ -161,6 +182,8 @@ public class StompBrokerRelayMessageHandler extends AbstractBrokerMessageHandler
 	/**
 	 * Set the login for the "system" relay session used to send messages to the STOMP
 	 * broker without having a client session (e.g. REST/HTTP request handling method).
+	 * <p>
+	 * See class-level documentation for more information on the "system" session.
 	 */
 	public void setSystemLogin(String systemLogin) {
 		Assert.hasText(systemLogin, "systemLogin must not be empty");
@@ -177,6 +200,8 @@ public class StompBrokerRelayMessageHandler extends AbstractBrokerMessageHandler
 	/**
 	 * Set the passcode for the "system" relay session used to send messages to the STOMP
 	 * broker without having a client session (e.g. REST/HTTP request handling method).
+	 * <p>
+	 * See class-level documentation for more information on the "system" session.
 	 */
 	public void setSystemPasscode(String systemPasscode) {
 		this.systemPasscode = systemPasscode;
@@ -189,6 +214,26 @@ public class StompBrokerRelayMessageHandler extends AbstractBrokerMessageHandler
 		return this.systemPasscode;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Set the value of the "host" header to use in STOMP CONNECT frames. When this
+	 * property is configured, a "host" header will be added to every STOMP frame sent to
+	 * the STOMP broker. This may be useful for example in a cloud environment where the
+	 * actual host to which the TCP connection is established is different from the host
+	 * providing the cloud-based STOMP service.
+	 * <p>
+	 * By default this property is not set.
+	 */
+	public void setVirtualHost(String virtualHost) {
+		this.virtualHost = virtualHost;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the configured virtual host value.
+	 */
+	public String getVirtualHost() {
+		return this.virtualHost;
+	}
+
 
 	@Override
 	protected void startInternal() {
@@ -252,7 +297,10 @@ public class StompBrokerRelayMessageHandler extends AbstractBrokerMessageHandler
 		}
 
 		if (SimpMessageType.CONNECT.equals(messageType)) {
-			message = MessageBuilder.withPayload(message.getPayload()).setHeaders(headers).build();
+			if (getVirtualHost() != null) {
+				headers.setHost(getVirtualHost());
+				message = MessageBuilder.withPayload(message.getPayload()).setHeaders(headers).build();
+			}
 			StompRelaySession session = new StompRelaySession(sessionId);
 			this.relaySessions.put(sessionId, session);
 			session.connect(message);
@@ -516,6 +564,9 @@ public class StompBrokerRelayMessageHandler extends AbstractBrokerMessageHandler
 			headers.setLogin(systemLogin);
 			headers.setPasscode(systemPasscode);
 			headers.setHeartbeat(systemHeartbeatSendInterval, systemHeartbeatReceiveInterval);
+			if (getVirtualHost() != null) {
+				headers.setHost(getVirtualHost());
+			}
 			Message<?> connectMessage = MessageBuilder.withPayload(new byte[0]).setHeaders(headers).build();
 			super.connect(connectMessage);
 		}
diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompBrokerRelayMessageHandlerIntegrationTests.java b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompBrokerRelayMessageHandlerIntegrationTests.java
index ccd6b4bc54d..0dcd4c78dd9 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompBrokerRelayMessageHandlerIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompBrokerRelayMessageHandlerIntegrationTests.java
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ public class StompBrokerRelayMessageHandlerIntegrationTests {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// test "host" header (virtualHost property) when TCP client is behind interface and configurable
+
 	@Test
 	public void publishSubscribe() throws Exception {