diff --git a/src/blackmisc/dbusserver.cpp b/src/blackmisc/dbusserver.cpp
index 8b9b413b5..378fbb9b3 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/dbusserver.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/dbusserver.cpp
@@ -291,17 +291,34 @@ namespace BlackMisc
 
     QString CDBusServer::p2pAddress(const QString &host, const QString &port)
     {
-        QString h = host.isEmpty() ? "127.0.0.1" : host.trimmed();
-        QString p = port;
+        QString h = host.trimmed().toLower().remove(' ');
+        if (h.isEmpty()) { h = "127.0.0.1"; }
+
+        // check port
+        bool ok = false;
+        QString p = port.toLower().trimmed();
+        if (!p.isEmpty())
+        {
+            p.toInt(&ok);
+            if (!ok)
+            {
+                p = ""; // was not a number
+            }
+        }
 
         // can handle host and port separately or combined, e.g. "myhost:1234"
         if (port.isEmpty())
         {
+            if (h.startsWith("tcp:") && h.contains("host=") && h.contains("port="))
+            {
+                // looks we already got a full string
+                return h;
+            }
+
+            // 192.168.5.3:9300 style
             if (h.contains(":"))
             {
                 QStringList parts = h.split(":");
-                // todo: Replace assert with input validation
-                Q_ASSERT_X(parts.length() == 2, "p2pAdress", "Wrong IP string split");
                 h = parts.at(0).trimmed();
                 p = parts.at(1).trimmed();
             }
@@ -318,7 +335,16 @@ namespace BlackMisc
 
     QString CDBusServer::normalizeAddress(const QString &address)
     {
-        if (address.isEmpty() || address == sessionBusAddress() || address == systemBusAddress()) { return address; }
+        QString lc(address.toLower().trimmed());
+
+        if (lc.isEmpty()) { return sessionBusAddress(); }
+        if (lc == sessionBusAddress() || lc == systemBusAddress()) { return lc; }
+
+        // some aliases
+        if (lc.startsWith("sys")) { return systemBusAddress(); }
+        if (lc.startsWith("ses")) { return sessionBusAddress(); }
+
+        // Qt / p2p
         if (isQtDBusAddress(address)) { return address; }
         return p2pAddress(address);
     }
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/dbusserver.h b/src/blackmisc/dbusserver.h
index 3c0d86841..1a9023dfe 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/dbusserver.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/dbusserver.h
@@ -85,9 +85,12 @@ namespace BlackMisc
 
         //! Address denoting a P2P server at the given host and port.
         //! \remarks Port number may be embedding in the host string after a colon.
-        static QString p2pAddress(const QString &host = "127.0.0.1", const QString &port = "");
+        //! \return p2p address like "tcp:host=foo.bar.com,port=1234"
+        static QString p2pAddress(const QString &host, const QString &port = "");
 
         //! Turn something like 127.0.0.1:45000 into "tcp:host=127.0.0.1,port=45000"
+        //! \note Handles also "session" and "system" as valid address while CDBusServer::p2pAddress is for
+        //! P2P addresses only.
         static QString normalizeAddress(const QString &address);
 
         //! Return the server mode of the given address
diff --git a/src/xbus/plugin.cpp b/src/xbus/plugin.cpp
index f8dbbad14..ce386f629 100644
--- a/src/xbus/plugin.cpp
+++ b/src/xbus/plugin.cpp
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ namespace XBus
     {
         m_startServerMenuItems.push_back(m_menu.item("Start server on session bus", [this]{ startServer(BlackMisc::CDBusServer::sessionBusAddress()); }));
         m_startServerMenuItems.push_back(m_menu.item("Start server on system bus", [this]{ startServer(BlackMisc::CDBusServer::systemBusAddress()); }));
-        m_startServerMenuItems.push_back(m_menu.item("Start server on localhost P2P", [this]{ startServer(BlackMisc::CDBusServer::p2pAddress()); }));
+        m_startServerMenuItems.push_back(m_menu.item("Start server on localhost P2P", [this]{ startServer(BlackMisc::CDBusServer::p2pAddress("localhost")); }));
     }
 
     void CPlugin::startServer(const QString &address)