diff --git a/briar-android/src/org/briarproject/plugins/tor/TorPlugin.java b/briar-android/src/org/briarproject/plugins/tor/TorPlugin.java
index 1c388cbe8..b7539d0dc 100644
--- a/briar-android/src/org/briarproject/plugins/tor/TorPlugin.java
+++ b/briar-android/src/org/briarproject/plugins/tor/TorPlugin.java
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Scanner;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
@@ -69,8 +68,6 @@ import static android.os.PowerManager.PARTIAL_WAKE_LOCK;
 import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS;
 import static java.util.logging.Level.INFO;
 import static java.util.logging.Level.WARNING;
-import static net.freehaven.tor.control.TorControlCommands.HS_ADDRESS;
-import static net.freehaven.tor.control.TorControlCommands.HS_PRIVKEY;
 import static org.briarproject.util.PrivacyUtils.scrubOnion;
 
 class TorPlugin implements DuplexPlugin, EventHandler, EventListener {
@@ -84,6 +81,7 @@ class TorPlugin implements DuplexPlugin, EventHandler, EventListener {
 	private static final String OWNER = "__OwningControllerProcess";
 	private static final int SOCKS_PORT = 59050, CONTROL_PORT = 59051;
 	private static final int COOKIE_TIMEOUT = 3000; // Milliseconds
+	private static final int HOSTNAME_TIMEOUT = 30 * 1000; // Milliseconds
 	private static final Pattern ONION = Pattern.compile("[a-z2-7]{16}");
 	private static final Logger LOG =
 			Logger.getLogger(TorPlugin.class.getName());
@@ -98,7 +96,7 @@ class TorPlugin implements DuplexPlugin, EventHandler, EventListener {
 	private final int pollingInterval;
 	private final ConnectionStatus connectionStatus;
 	private final File torDirectory, torFile, geoIpFile, configFile;
-	private final File doneFile, cookieFile;
+	private final File doneFile, cookieFile, hostnameFile;
 	private final PowerManager.WakeLock wakeLock;
 	private final AtomicBoolean used = new AtomicBoolean(false);
 
@@ -131,6 +129,7 @@ class TorPlugin implements DuplexPlugin, EventHandler, EventListener {
 		configFile = new File(torDirectory, "torrc");
 		doneFile = new File(torDirectory, "done");
 		cookieFile = new File(torDirectory, ".tor/control_auth_cookie");
+		hostnameFile = new File(torDirectory, "hs/hostname");
 		Object o = appContext.getSystemService(POWER_SERVICE);
 		PowerManager pm = (PowerManager) o;
 		wakeLock = pm.newWakeLock(PARTIAL_WAKE_LOCK, "TorPlugin");
@@ -380,40 +379,48 @@ class TorPlugin implements DuplexPlugin, EventHandler, EventListener {
 
 	private void publishHiddenService(String port) {
 		if (!running) return;
-		LOG.info("Creating hidden service");
-		String privKey = callback.getSettings().get(HS_PRIVKEY);
-		Map<Integer, String> portLines =
-				Collections.singletonMap(80, "127.0.0.1:" + port);
-		Map<String, String> response;
-		try {
-			// Use the control connection to set up the hidden service
-			if (privKey == null)
-				response = controlConnection.addOnion(portLines);
-			else response = controlConnection.addOnion(privKey, portLines);
-		} catch (IOException e) {
-			if (LOG.isLoggable(WARNING)) LOG.log(WARNING, e.toString(), e);
-			return;
-		}
-		if (!response.containsKey(HS_ADDRESS)) {
-			LOG.warning("Tor did not return a hidden service address");
-			return;
-		}
-		if (privKey == null && !response.containsKey(HS_PRIVKEY)) {
-			LOG.warning("Tor did not return a private key");
-			return;
+		if (!hostnameFile.exists()) {
+			LOG.info("Creating hidden service");
+			try {
+				// Watch for the hostname file being created/updated
+				File serviceDirectory = hostnameFile.getParentFile();
+				serviceDirectory.mkdirs();
+				hostnameFile.createNewFile();
+				CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(1);
+				FileObserver obs = new WriteObserver(hostnameFile, latch);
+				obs.startWatching();
+				// Use the control connection to update the Tor config
+				List<String> config = Arrays.asList(
+						"HiddenServiceDir " +
+								serviceDirectory.getAbsolutePath(),
+						"HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:" + port);
+				controlConnection.setConf(config);
+				controlConnection.saveConf();
+				// Wait for the hostname file to be created/updated
+				if (!latch.await(HOSTNAME_TIMEOUT, MILLISECONDS)) {
+					LOG.warning("Hidden service not created");
+					if (LOG.isLoggable(INFO)) listFiles(torDirectory);
+					return;
+				}
+				if (!running) return;
+			} catch (IOException e) {
+				if (LOG.isLoggable(WARNING)) LOG.log(WARNING, e.toString(), e);
+			} catch (InterruptedException e) {
+				LOG.warning("Interrupted while creating hidden service");
+				Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+				return;
+			}
 		}
 		// Publish the hidden service's onion hostname in transport properties
-		String hostname = response.get(HS_ADDRESS);
-		if (LOG.isLoggable(INFO))
-			LOG.info("Hidden service " + scrubOnion(hostname));
-		TransportProperties p = new TransportProperties();
-		p.put(PROP_ONION, hostname);
-		callback.mergeLocalProperties(p);
-		if (privKey == null) {
-			// Save the hidden service's private key for next time
-			Settings s = new Settings();
-			s.put(HS_PRIVKEY, response.get(HS_PRIVKEY));
-			callback.mergeSettings(s);
+		try {
+			String hostname = new String(read(hostnameFile), "UTF-8").trim();
+			if (LOG.isLoggable(INFO))
+				LOG.info("Hidden service " + scrubOnion(hostname));
+			TransportProperties p = new TransportProperties();
+			p.put(PROP_ONION, hostname.substring(0, 16));
+			callback.mergeLocalProperties(p);
+		} catch (IOException e) {
+			if (LOG.isLoggable(WARNING)) LOG.log(WARNING, e.toString(), e);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/briar-core/src/org/briarproject/util/PrivacyUtils.java b/briar-core/src/org/briarproject/util/PrivacyUtils.java
index 247ccda3f..a87e72697 100644
--- a/briar-core/src/org/briarproject/util/PrivacyUtils.java
+++ b/briar-core/src/org/briarproject/util/PrivacyUtils.java
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 package org.briarproject.util;
 
-import java.net.Inet4Address;
 import java.net.Inet6Address;
 import java.net.InetAddress;
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
@@ -9,8 +8,7 @@ import java.net.SocketAddress;
 public class PrivacyUtils {
 
 	public static String scrubOnion(String onion) {
-		// keep first three characters of onion address
-		return onion.substring(0, 3) + "[_scrubbed_]";
+		return onion;
 	}
 
 	public static String scrubMacAddress(String address) {