diff --git a/internal/pkg/configure/hostfile.go b/internal/pkg/configure/hostfile.go
index 5632ae9e..27866775 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/configure/hostfile.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/configure/hostfile.go
@@ -20,10 +20,11 @@ func Hostfile() error {
 		wwlog.Error("'the overlay template '/etc/hosts.ww' does not exists in 'host' overlay")
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
-	var nodeInfo node.NodeInfo
-	tstruct := overlay.InitStruct(nodeInfo)
+
+	nodeInfo := node.NewInfo()
 	hostname, _ := os.Hostname()
 	nodeInfo.Id.Set(hostname)
+	tstruct := overlay.InitStruct(nodeInfo)
 	buffer, backupFile, writeFile, err := overlay.RenderTemplateFile(
 		hostTemplate,
 		tstruct)
diff --git a/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go b/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
index b8e053e0..06ddc1fa 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
@@ -81,14 +81,11 @@ func BuildSpecificOverlays(nodes []node.NodeInfo, overlayNames []string) error {
 Build overlay for the host, so no argument needs to be given
 */
 func BuildHostOverlay() error {
-	var host node.NodeInfo
-	host.Kernel = new(node.KernelEntry)
-	host.Ipmi = new(node.IpmiEntry)
-	var idEntry node.Entry
+	host := node.NewInfo()
 	hostname, _ := os.Hostname()
+	host.Id.Set(hostname)
+
 	wwlog.Info("Building overlay for %s: host", hostname)
-	idEntry.Set(hostname)
-	host.Id = idEntry
 	hostdir := OverlaySourceDir("host")
 	stats, err := os.Stat(hostdir)
 	if err != nil {