diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Changed-20250321-090849.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Changed-20250321-090849.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d66733
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Changed-20250321-090849.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+kind: Changed
+body: 'Commands: `host` can now be `localhost` or `127.0.0.1` to run commands locally'
+time: 2025-03-21T09:08:49.871021144-05:00
diff --git a/pkg/backy/backy.go b/pkg/backy/backy.go
index fc9d93b..14b9618 100644
--- a/pkg/backy/backy.go
+++ b/pkg/backy/backy.go
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ func (command *Command) RunCmd(cmdCtxLogger zerolog.Logger, opts *ConfigOpts) ([
 		}
 	}
 
-	if command.Host != nil {
+	if !IsHostLocal(command.Host) {
+
 		outputArr, errSSH = command.RunCmdSSH(cmdCtxLogger, opts)
 		if errSSH != nil {
 			return outputArr, errSSH
@@ -492,11 +493,10 @@ func (cmd *Command) GenerateLogger(opts *ConfigOpts) zerolog.Logger {
 		Str("Backy-cmd", cmd.Name).Str("Host", "local machine").
 		Logger()
 
-	if cmd.Host != nil {
+	if !IsHostLocal(cmd.Host) {
 		cmdLogger = opts.Logger.With().
-			Str("Backy-cmd", cmd.Name).Str("Host", *cmd.Host).
+			Str("Backy-cmd", cmd.Name).Str("Host", cmd.Host).
 			Logger()
-
 	}
 	return cmdLogger
 }
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ func (opts *ConfigOpts) ExecCmdsSSH(cmdList []string, hostsList []string) {
 		for _, c := range cmdList {
 			cmd := opts.Cmds[c]
 			cmd.RemoteHost = host
-			cmd.Host = &host.Host
+			cmd.Host = host.Host
 			opts.Logger.Info().Str("host", h).Str("cmd", c).Send()
 			_, err := cmd.RunCmdSSH(cmd.GenerateLogger(opts), opts)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -541,6 +541,7 @@ func (c *Command) GetVariablesFromConf(opts *ConfigOpts) {
 	c.ScriptEnvFile = replaceVarInString(opts.Vars, c.ScriptEnvFile, opts.Logger)
 	c.Name = replaceVarInString(opts.Vars, c.Name, opts.Logger)
 	c.OutputFile = replaceVarInString(opts.Vars, c.OutputFile, opts.Logger)
+	c.Host = replaceVarInString(opts.Vars, c.Host, opts.Logger)
 }
 
 // func executeUserCommands() []string {
diff --git a/pkg/backy/config.go b/pkg/backy/config.go
index 4a4af03..bdefa64 100644
--- a/pkg/backy/config.go
+++ b/pkg/backy/config.go
@@ -527,13 +527,13 @@ func processCmds(opts *ConfigOpts) error {
 			}
 		}
 
-		// resolve hosts
-		if cmd.Host != nil {
-			cmdHost := replaceVarInString(opts.Vars, *cmd.Host, opts.Logger)
-			if cmdHost != *cmd.Host {
-				cmd.Host = &cmdHost
+		if !IsHostLocal(cmd.Host) {
+
+			cmdHost := replaceVarInString(opts.Vars, cmd.Host, opts.Logger)
+			if cmdHost != cmd.Host {
+				cmd.Host = cmdHost
 			}
-			host, hostFound := opts.Hosts[*cmd.Host]
+			host, hostFound := opts.Hosts[cmd.Host]
 			if hostFound {
 				cmd.RemoteHost = host
 				cmd.RemoteHost.Host = host.Host
@@ -541,12 +541,12 @@ func processCmds(opts *ConfigOpts) error {
 					cmd.RemoteHost.HostName = host.HostName
 				}
 			} else {
-				opts.Logger.Info().Msgf("adding host %s to host list", *cmd.Host)
+				opts.Logger.Info().Msgf("adding host %s to host list", cmd.Host)
 				if opts.Hosts == nil {
 					opts.Hosts = make(map[string]*Host)
 				}
-				opts.Hosts[*cmd.Host] = &Host{Host: *cmd.Host}
-				cmd.RemoteHost = &Host{Host: *cmd.Host}
+				opts.Hosts[cmd.Host] = &Host{Host: cmd.Host}
+				cmd.RemoteHost = &Host{Host: cmd.Host}
 			}
 		} else {
 
@@ -607,8 +607,10 @@ func processCmds(opts *ConfigOpts) error {
 					opts.Logger.Debug().Msg("changing password for user: " + cmd.Username)
 					cmd.UserPassword = getExternalConfigDirectiveValue(cmd.UserPassword, opts)
 				}
-				if cmd.Host != nil {
-					host, ok := opts.Hosts[*cmd.Host]
+
+				if !IsHostLocal(cmd.Host) {
+
+					host, ok := opts.Hosts[cmd.Host]
 					if ok {
 						cmd.userMan, err = usermanager.NewUserManager(host.OS)
 					}
@@ -677,7 +679,9 @@ func processHooks(cmd *Command, hooks []string, opts *ConfigOpts, hookType strin
 }
 
 func detectOSType(cmd *Command, opts *ConfigOpts) error {
-	if cmd.Host == nil {
+
+	if IsHostLocal(cmd.Host) {
+
 		if runtime.GOOS == "linux" {
 			cmd.OS = "linux"
 			opts.Logger.Info().Msg("Unix/Linux type OS detected")
@@ -686,7 +690,7 @@ func detectOSType(cmd *Command, opts *ConfigOpts) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("using an os that is not yet supported for user commands")
 	}
 
-	host, ok := opts.Hosts[*cmd.Host]
+	host, ok := opts.Hosts[cmd.Host]
 	if ok {
 		if host.OS != "" {
 			return nil
diff --git a/pkg/backy/list.go b/pkg/backy/list.go
index 06226db..f224f93 100644
--- a/pkg/backy/list.go
+++ b/pkg/backy/list.go
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ func (opts *ConfigOpts) ListCommand(cmd string) {
 		}
 
 		// is it remote or local
-		if cmdInfo.Host != nil {
+		if !IsHostLocal(cmdInfo.Host) {
 			println()
-			print("Host: ", *cmdInfo.Host)
+			print("Host: ", cmdInfo.Host)
 			println()
 
 		} else {
diff --git a/pkg/backy/ssh.go b/pkg/backy/ssh.go
index 29fcb3c..86e10b8 100644
--- a/pkg/backy/ssh.go
+++ b/pkg/backy/ssh.go
@@ -441,8 +441,8 @@ func (command *Command) RunCmdSSH(cmdCtxLogger zerolog.Logger, opts *ConfigOpts)
 
 	cmdCtxLogger.Info().
 		Str("Command", command.Name).
-		Str("Host", *command.Host).
-		Msgf("Running %s on host %s", getCommandTypeAndSetCommandInfoLabel(command.Type), *command.Host)
+		Str("Host", command.Host).
+		Msgf("Running %s on host %s", getCommandTypeAndSetCommandInfoLabel(command.Type), command.Host)
 
 	// cmdCtxLogger.Debug().Str("cmd", command.Cmd).Strs("args", command.Args).Send()
 
@@ -811,3 +811,8 @@ func CheckIfHostHasHostName(host string) (bool, string) {
 	println(HostName)
 	return HostName != "", HostName
 }
+
+func IsHostLocal(host string) bool {
+	host = strings.ToLower(host)
+	return host == "127.0.0.1" || host == "localhost" || host == ""
+}
diff --git a/pkg/backy/types.go b/pkg/backy/types.go
index 2ed4491..1cf4245 100644
--- a/pkg/backy/types.go
+++ b/pkg/backy/types.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ type (
 		// See CommandType enum further down the page for acceptable values
 		Type CommandType `yaml:"type,omitempty"`
 
-		Host *string `yaml:"host,omitempty"`
+		Host string `yaml:"host,omitempty"`
 
 		Hooks *Hooks `yaml:"hooks,omitempty"`