diff --git a/public/gatk-queue/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/gatk/queue/engine/gridengine/GridEngineJobRunner.scala b/public/gatk-queue/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/gatk/queue/engine/gridengine/GridEngineJobRunner.scala
index 7ca585e01..b21f43b17 100644
--- a/public/gatk-queue/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/gatk/queue/engine/gridengine/GridEngineJobRunner.scala
+++ b/public/gatk-queue/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/gatk/queue/engine/gridengine/GridEngineJobRunner.scala
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ import org.ggf.drmaa.Session
 class GridEngineJobRunner(session: Session, function: CommandLineFunction) extends DrmaaJobRunner(session, function) with Logging {
   // Grid Engine disallows certain characters from being in job names.
   // This replaces all illegal characters with underscores
-  protected override val jobNameFilter = """[\n\t\r/:,@\\*?]"""
+  protected override val jobNameFilter = """[\s/:,@\\*?]"""
   protected override val minRunnerPriority = -1023
   protected override val maxRunnerPriority = 0
 
diff --git a/public/gatk-queue/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/gatk/queue/util/SystemUtils.scala b/public/gatk-queue/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/gatk/queue/util/SystemUtils.scala
index 35b047a93..cf8537224 100644
--- a/public/gatk-queue/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/gatk/queue/util/SystemUtils.scala
+++ b/public/gatk-queue/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/gatk/queue/util/SystemUtils.scala
@@ -33,14 +33,22 @@ import io.Source
  * A collection of various system utilities.
  */
 object SystemUtils extends Logging {
-  val inetAddress = InetAddress.getLocalHost.getHostAddress
-  val canonicalHostName = InetAddress.getLocalHost.getCanonicalHostName
+  private val localAddress = {
+    try {
+      InetAddress.getLocalHost
+    } catch {
+      case e: Exception =>
+        InetAddress.getLoopbackAddress
+    }
+  }
+  val inetAddress = localAddress.getHostAddress
+  val canonicalHostName = localAddress.getCanonicalHostName
 
   val hostName = {
     if (canonicalHostName != inetAddress)
       canonicalHostName
     else
-      InetAddress.getLocalHost.getHostName
+      localAddress.getHostName
   }
 
   val mailName = {