diff --git a/scripts/network/variables/variables_init_app.sh b/scripts/network/variables/variables_init_app.sh
index 9515519..df5e9ad 100755
--- a/scripts/network/variables/variables_init_app.sh
+++ b/scripts/network/variables/variables_init_app.sh
@@ -35,7 +35,16 @@ initializeAppVariables()
     app_title="${!app_title_var}"
     domain_var_name="CFG_DOMAIN_${domain}"
     domain_full="${!domain_var_name}"
-    host_setup=${app_name}.${domain_full}
+    # FQDN for this app's Traefik Host() rule (also feeds the app URL and
+    # trusted-domains):
+    #   HOST_NAME="@" or "root"  -> <domain>             (apex / root of domain)
+    #   HOST_NAME set            -> <HOST_NAME>.<domain> (custom subdomain)
+    #   HOST_NAME empty          -> <app_name>.<domain>  (fallback default)
+    if [[ "$host_name" == "@" || "$host_name" == "root" ]]; then
+        host_setup="${domain_full}"
+    else
+        host_setup="${host_name:-$app_name}.${domain_full}"
+    fi
     ssl_key=${domain_full}.key
     ssl_crt=${domain_full}.crt
 
diff --git a/scripts/webui/data/generators/categories/webui_create_app_field_mappings.sh b/scripts/webui/data/generators/categories/webui_create_app_field_mappings.sh
index c4e896a..8e29f3a 100755
--- a/scripts/webui/data/generators/categories/webui_create_app_field_mappings.sh
+++ b/scripts/webui/data/generators/categories/webui_create_app_field_mappings.sh
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ webuiCreateAppFieldMappings() {
       "category": "network",
       "label": "Hostname",
       "type": "text",
-      "tooltip": "The hostname for this application",
-      "placeholder": "myapp"
+      "tooltip": "Subdomain this app is served on — e.g. myapp becomes myapp.yourdomain.com. Use @ to serve it on the root of your domain (yourdomain.com itself).",
+      "placeholder": "myapp  ·  @ = root domain"
     },
     "DOMAIN": {
       "category": "network",