diff --git a/vite.config.ts b/vite.config.ts
index bcd0b38af6..cc9986a94c 100644
--- a/vite.config.ts
+++ b/vite.config.ts
@@ -74,12 +74,6 @@ export default defineConfig(({ mode }: UserConfig): UserConfig => {
             hosts: ["nice-name.com"],
             canisterName: "test_app",
           },
-          {
-            /* nice for deploying locally without having
-             * to look up & type the canister ID */
-            hosts: ["issuer.localhost:5173"],
-            canisterName: "issuer",
-          },
           ...(process.env.NO_HOT_RELOAD === "1"
             ? [
                 {
diff --git a/vite.plugins.ts b/vite.plugins.ts
index 59ab13172d..5edad948e0 100644
--- a/vite.plugins.ts
+++ b/vite.plugins.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { isNullish } from "@dfinity/utils";
+import { execSync } from "child_process";
 import { minify } from "html-minifier-terser";
 import httpProxy from "http-proxy";
 import { extname } from "path";
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ export const replicaForwardPlugin = ({
       // forward to the specified canister (served by the replica)
       const forwardToReplica = ({ canisterId }: { canisterId: string }) => {
         console.log(
-          `forwarding ${req.method} https://${req.headers.host}${req.url} to canister ${canisterId}`
+          `forwarding ${req.method} https://${req.headers.host}${req.url} to canister ${canisterId} ${replicaOrigin}`
         );
         req.headers["host"] = `${canisterId}.localhost`;
         proxy.web(req, res, {
@@ -148,6 +149,16 @@ export const replicaForwardPlugin = ({
         return forwardToReplica({ canisterId: subdomain });
       }
 
+      // Try to read the canister ID of a potential canister called <subdomain>
+      // and if found forward to that
+      try {
+        const canisterId = execSync(`dfx canister id ${subdomain}`)
+          .toString()
+          .trim();
+        console.log("Forwarding to", canisterId);
+        return forwardToReplica({ canisterId });
+      } catch {}
+
       return next();
     });
   },