diff --git a/netjsonconfig/backends/openwisp/openwisp.py b/netjsonconfig/backends/openwisp/openwisp.py
index 2e67f0e32..dca27b6d0 100644
--- a/netjsonconfig/backends/openwisp/openwisp.py
+++ b/netjsonconfig/backends/openwisp/openwisp.py
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ def _get_install_context(self):
                 break
         # return context
         return dict(
-            hostname=config['general']['hostname'],  # hostname is required
+            hostname=config.get('general', {}).get('hostname', 'OpenWISP1'),
             l2vpn=l2vpn,
             bridges=bridges,
             radios=config.get('radios', []),  # radios might be empty
diff --git a/tests/openwisp/test_backend.py b/tests/openwisp/test_backend.py
index 923eb0dc3..5e334b2a1 100644
--- a/tests/openwisp/test_backend.py
+++ b/tests/openwisp/test_backend.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from copy import deepcopy
 from hashlib import md5
 from time import sleep
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
 from netjsonconfig import OpenWisp
 from netjsonconfig.exceptions import ValidationError
@@ -123,6 +124,17 @@ def test_hostname_required(self):
         with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
             o.validate()
 
+    @patch.object(OpenWisp, 'validate')
+    def test_fallback_hostname(self, *args):
+        config = deepcopy(self.config)
+        del config['general']['hostname']
+        o = OpenWisp(config)
+        tar = tarfile.open(fileobj=o.generate(), mode='r')
+        install = tar.getmember('install.sh')
+        contents = tar.extractfile(install).read().decode()
+        self.assertIn('echo "Changing hostname"', contents)
+        self.assertIn('echo "OpenWISP1" > /proc/sys/kernel/hostname', contents)
+
     def test_install_script(self):
         config = deepcopy(self.config)
         o = OpenWisp(config)