diff --git a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/internal/Node.kt b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/internal/Node.kt
index 2cb8452750..28c0ffc245 100644
--- a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/internal/Node.kt
+++ b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/internal/Node.kt
@@ -22,9 +22,8 @@ import net.corda.node.services.config.FullNodeConfiguration
 import net.corda.node.services.messaging.ArtemisMessagingComponent.NetworkMapAddress
 import net.corda.node.services.messaging.ArtemisMessagingServer
 import net.corda.node.services.messaging.NodeMessagingClient
-import net.corda.node.services.transactions.PersistentUniquenessProvider
-import net.corda.node.services.transactions.RaftUniquenessProvider
-import net.corda.node.services.transactions.RaftValidatingNotaryService
+import net.corda.node.services.transactions.*
+import net.corda.node.utilities.AddressUtils
 import net.corda.node.utilities.AffinityExecutor
 import java.io.RandomAccessFile
 import java.lang.management.ManagementFactory
@@ -122,16 +121,47 @@ class Node(override val configuration: FullNodeConfiguration,
 
     override fun makeMessagingService(): MessagingServiceInternal {
         userService = RPCUserServiceImpl(configuration)
-
-        val serverAddress = with(configuration) {
-            messagingServerAddress ?: {
-                messageBroker = ArtemisMessagingServer(this, artemisAddress, services.networkMapCache, userService)
-                artemisAddress
-            }()
-        }
+        val serverAddress = configuration.messagingServerAddress ?: makeLocalMessageBroker()
         val myIdentityOrNullIfNetworkMapService = if (networkMapAddress != null) obtainLegalIdentity().owningKey else null
-        return NodeMessagingClient(configuration, serverAddress, myIdentityOrNullIfNetworkMapService, serverThread, database,
-                networkMapRegistrationFuture)
+
+        return NodeMessagingClient(
+                configuration,
+                serverAddress,
+                myIdentityOrNullIfNetworkMapService,
+                serverThread,
+                database,
+                networkMapRegistrationFuture
+        )
+    }
+
+    private fun makeLocalMessageBroker(): HostAndPort {
+        with(configuration) {
+            val useHost = tryDetectIfNotPublicHost(artemisAddress.hostText)
+            val useAddress = useHost?.let { HostAndPort.fromParts(it, artemisAddress.port) } ?: artemisAddress
+            messageBroker = ArtemisMessagingServer(this, useAddress, services.networkMapCache, userService)
+            return useAddress
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Checks whether the specified [host] is a public IP address or hostname. If not, tries to discover the current
+     * machine's public IP address to be used instead. Note that it will only work if the machine is internet-facing.
+     * If none found, outputs a warning message.
+     */
+    private fun tryDetectIfNotPublicHost(host: String): String? {
+        if (!AddressUtils.isPublic(host)) {
+            val foundPublicIP = AddressUtils.tryDetectPublicIP()
+            if (foundPublicIP == null) {
+                val message = "The specified messaging host \"$host\" is private, " +
+                        "this node will not be reachable by any other nodes outside the private network."
+                println("WARNING: $message")
+                log.warn(message)
+            } else {
+                log.info("Detected public IP: $foundPublicIP. This will be used instead the provided \"$host\" as the advertised address.")
+            }
+            return foundPublicIP?.hostAddress
+        }
+        return null
     }
 
     override fun startMessagingService(rpcOps: RPCOps) {
diff --git a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/utilities/AddressUtils.kt b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/utilities/AddressUtils.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f22156e22f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/utilities/AddressUtils.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package net.corda.node.utilities
+
+import java.net.InetAddress
+import java.net.NetworkInterface
+
+object AddressUtils {
+    /** Returns the first public IP address found on any of the network interfaces, or `null` if none found. */
+    fun tryDetectPublicIP(): InetAddress? {
+        for (int in NetworkInterface.getNetworkInterfaces()) {
+            for (address in int.inetAddresses) {
+                if (isPublic(address)) return address
+            }
+        }
+        return null
+    }
+
+    /** Returns `true` if the provided `address` is a public IP address or hostname. */
+    fun isPublic(address: InetAddress): Boolean {
+        return !(address.isSiteLocalAddress || address.isAnyLocalAddress ||
+                address.isLinkLocalAddress || address.isLoopbackAddress ||
+                address.isMulticastAddress)
+    }
+
+    fun isPublic(hostText: String) = isPublic(InetAddress.getByName(hostText))
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/node/src/test/kotlin/net/corda/node/utilities/AddressUtilsTests.kt b/node/src/test/kotlin/net/corda/node/utilities/AddressUtilsTests.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..26ce708b4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node/src/test/kotlin/net/corda/node/utilities/AddressUtilsTests.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package net.corda.node.utilities
+
+import org.junit.Test
+import java.net.InetAddress
+import kotlin.test.assertFalse
+import kotlin.test.assertTrue
+
+class AddressUtilsTests {
+    @Test
+    fun `correctly determines if the provided address is public`() {
+        val hostName = InetAddress.getLocalHost()
+        assertFalse { AddressUtils.isPublic(hostName) }
+        assertFalse { AddressUtils.isPublic("localhost") }
+        assertFalse { AddressUtils.isPublic("127.0.0.1") }
+        assertFalse { AddressUtils.isPublic("::1") }
+        assertFalse { AddressUtils.isPublic("0.0.0.0") }
+        assertFalse { AddressUtils.isPublic("::") }
+        assertFalse { AddressUtils.isPublic("10.0.0.0") }
+        assertFalse { AddressUtils.isPublic("10.255.255.255") }
+        assertFalse { AddressUtils.isPublic("192.168.0.10") }
+        assertFalse { AddressUtils.isPublic("192.168.255.255") }
+        assertFalse { AddressUtils.isPublic("172.16.0.0") }
+        assertFalse { AddressUtils.isPublic("172.31.255.255") }
+
+        assertTrue { AddressUtils.isPublic("172.32.0.0") }
+        assertTrue { AddressUtils.isPublic("192.169.0.0") }
+        assertTrue { AddressUtils.isPublic("11.0.0.0") }
+        assertTrue { AddressUtils.isPublic("corda.net") }
+        assertTrue { AddressUtils.isPublic("2607:f298:5:110f::eef:8729") }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file