diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 97a45bd6..b569b8ce 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ PACKAGES_FOR_UNIT_TESTS = $(shell go list -f '{{.ImportPath}}/' ./... | grep -v
 # Run all the e2e tests by default
 E2E_TEST_SELECTOR ?= .*
 
-JENKINS_API_HOSTNAME := $(shell $(JENKINS_API_HOSTNAME_COMMAND) 2> /dev/null || echo 127.0.0.1 )
+JENKINS_API_HOSTNAME := $(shell $(JENKINS_API_HOSTNAME_COMMAND) 2> /dev/null || echo "" )
 OPERATOR_ARGS ?= --jenkins-api-hostname=$(JENKINS_API_HOSTNAME) --jenkins-api-port=$(JENKINS_API_PORT) --jenkins-api-use-nodeport=$(JENKINS_API_USE_NODEPORT) $(OPERATOR_EXTRA_ARGS)
 
 .DEFAULT_GOAL := help