diff --git a/src/php/ext/grpc/call.c b/src/php/ext/grpc/call.c
index 4e40dc43ce7..5ca6a7d43c2 100644
--- a/src/php/ext/grpc/call.c
+++ b/src/php/ext/grpc/call.c
@@ -216,13 +216,18 @@ PHP_METHOD(Call, __construct) {
   char *method;
   int method_len;
   zval *deadline_obj;
-  /* "OsO" == 1 Object, 1 string, 1 Object */
-  if (zend_parse_parameters(ZEND_NUM_ARGS() TSRMLS_CC, "OsO", &channel_obj,
-                            grpc_ce_channel, &method, &method_len,
-                            &deadline_obj, grpc_ce_timeval) == FAILURE) {
+  char *host_override = NULL;
+  int host_override_len = 0;
+  /* "OsO|s" == 1 Object, 1 string, 1 Object, 1 optional string */
+  if (zend_parse_parameters(ZEND_NUM_ARGS() TSRMLS_CC, "OsO|s",
+                            &channel_obj, grpc_ce_channel,
+                            &method, &method_len,
+                            &deadline_obj, grpc_ce_timeval,
+                            &host_override, &host_override_len)
+      == FAILURE) {
     zend_throw_exception(
         spl_ce_InvalidArgumentException,
-        "Call expects a Channel, a String, and a Timeval",
+        "Call expects a Channel, a String, a Timeval and an optional String",
         1 TSRMLS_CC);
     return;
   }
@@ -239,9 +244,15 @@ PHP_METHOD(Call, __construct) {
   wrapped_grpc_timeval *deadline =
       (wrapped_grpc_timeval *)zend_object_store_get_object(
           deadline_obj TSRMLS_CC);
-  call->wrapped = grpc_channel_create_call(
-      channel->wrapped, NULL, GRPC_PROPAGATE_DEFAULTS, completion_queue, method,
-      channel->target, deadline->wrapped, NULL);
+  if (host_override != NULL) {
+    call->wrapped = grpc_channel_create_call(
+        channel->wrapped, NULL, GRPC_PROPAGATE_DEFAULTS, completion_queue, method,
+        host_override, deadline->wrapped, NULL);
+  } else {
+    call->wrapped = grpc_channel_create_call(
+        channel->wrapped, NULL, GRPC_PROPAGATE_DEFAULTS, completion_queue, method,
+        NULL, deadline->wrapped, NULL);
+  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/php/ext/grpc/channel.c b/src/php/ext/grpc/channel.c
index f8ce04d9023..138af0de221 100644
--- a/src/php/ext/grpc/channel.c
+++ b/src/php/ext/grpc/channel.c
@@ -141,9 +141,6 @@ PHP_METHOD(Channel, __construct) {
   HashTable *array_hash;
   zval **creds_obj = NULL;
   wrapped_grpc_credentials *creds = NULL;
-  zval **override_obj;
-  char *override;
-  int override_len;
   /* "s|a" == 1 string, 1 optional array */
   if (zend_parse_parameters(ZEND_NUM_ARGS() TSRMLS_CC, "s|a", &target,
                             &target_length, &args_array) == FAILURE) {
@@ -151,8 +148,6 @@ PHP_METHOD(Channel, __construct) {
                          "Channel expects a string and an array", 1 TSRMLS_CC);
     return;
   }
-  override = target;
-  override_len = target_length;
   if (args_array == NULL) {
     channel->wrapped = grpc_insecure_channel_create(target, NULL, NULL);
   } else {
@@ -169,19 +164,6 @@ PHP_METHOD(Channel, __construct) {
           *creds_obj TSRMLS_CC);
       zend_hash_del(array_hash, "credentials", 12);
     }
-    if (zend_hash_find(array_hash, GRPC_SSL_TARGET_NAME_OVERRIDE_ARG,
-                       sizeof(GRPC_SSL_TARGET_NAME_OVERRIDE_ARG),
-                       (void **)&override_obj) == SUCCESS) {
-      if (Z_TYPE_PP(override_obj) != IS_STRING) {
-        zend_throw_exception(spl_ce_InvalidArgumentException,
-                             GRPC_SSL_TARGET_NAME_OVERRIDE_ARG
-                             " must be a string",
-                             1 TSRMLS_CC);
-        return;
-      }
-      override = Z_STRVAL_PP(override_obj);
-      override_len = Z_STRLEN_PP(override_obj);
-    }
     php_grpc_read_args_array(args_array, &args);
     if (creds == NULL) {
       channel->wrapped = grpc_insecure_channel_create(target, &args, NULL);
@@ -192,8 +174,8 @@ PHP_METHOD(Channel, __construct) {
     }
     efree(args.args);
   }
-  channel->target = ecalloc(override_len + 1, sizeof(char));
-  memcpy(channel->target, override, override_len);
+  channel->target = ecalloc(target_length + 1, sizeof(char));
+  memcpy(channel->target, target, target_length);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/php/tests/unit_tests/SecureEndToEndTest.php b/src/php/tests/unit_tests/SecureEndToEndTest.php
index f91c006da5e..60341b983db 100755
--- a/src/php/tests/unit_tests/SecureEndToEndTest.php
+++ b/src/php/tests/unit_tests/SecureEndToEndTest.php
@@ -40,13 +40,15 @@ class SecureEndToEndTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase{
         file_get_contents(dirname(__FILE__) . '/../data/server1.key'),
         file_get_contents(dirname(__FILE__) . '/../data/server1.pem'));
     $this->server = new Grpc\Server();
-    $port = $this->server->addSecureHttp2Port('0.0.0.0:0',
+    $this->port = $this->server->addSecureHttp2Port('0.0.0.0:0',
                                               $server_credentials);
     $this->server->start();
+    $this->host_override = 'foo.test.google.fr';
     $this->channel = new Grpc\Channel(
-        'localhost:' . $port,
+        'localhost:' . $this->port,
         [
-            'grpc.ssl_target_name_override' => 'foo.test.google.fr',
+            'grpc.ssl_target_name_override' => $this->host_override,
+            'grpc.default_authority' => $this->host_override,
             'credentials' => $credentials
          ]);
   }
@@ -61,7 +63,8 @@ class SecureEndToEndTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase{
     $status_text = 'xyz';
     $call = new Grpc\Call($this->channel,
                           'dummy_method',
-                          $deadline);
+                          $deadline,
+                          $this->host_override);
 
     $event = $call->startBatch([
         Grpc\OP_SEND_INITIAL_METADATA => [],
@@ -112,7 +115,8 @@ class SecureEndToEndTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase{
 
     $call = new Grpc\Call($this->channel,
                           'dummy_method',
-                          $deadline);
+                          $deadline,
+                          $this->host_override);
 
     $event = $call->startBatch([
         Grpc\OP_SEND_INITIAL_METADATA => [],