diff --git a/bokeh/server/tests/test_tornado.py b/bokeh/server/tests/test_tornado.py
index bc69ec298d9..d7228d3f191 100644
--- a/bokeh/server/tests/test_tornado.py
+++ b/bokeh/server/tests/test_tornado.py
@@ -17,4 +17,16 @@ def test__whitelist_replaces_prepare_only_once():
     tornado._whitelist(h)
     new_prepare = h.prepare
     tornado._whitelist(h)
-    assert h.prepare == new_prepare
\ No newline at end of file
+    assert h.prepare == new_prepare
+
+def test_check_whitelist_rejects_port_mismatch():
+    assert False == tornado.check_whitelist("foo:100", ["foo:101", "foo:102"])
+
+def test_check_whitelist_rejects_name_mismatch():
+    assert False == tornado.check_whitelist("foo:100", ["bar:100", "baz:100"])
+
+def test_check_whitelist_accepts_name_port_match():
+    assert True == tornado.check_whitelist("foo:100", ["foo:100", "baz:100"])
+
+def test_check_whitelist_accepts_implicit_port_80():
+    assert True == tornado.check_whitelist("foo", ["foo:80"])
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bokeh/server/tornado.py b/bokeh/server/tornado.py
index 09b2ebf863b..6d2ccae16e4 100644
--- a/bokeh/server/tornado.py
+++ b/bokeh/server/tornado.py
@@ -25,12 +25,29 @@
 from .application_context import ApplicationContext
 from .views.static_handler import StaticHandler
 
+# factored out to be easier to test
+def check_whitelist(request_host, whitelist):
+    ''' Check a given request host against a whitelist.
+
+    '''
+    if request_host not in whitelist:
+
+        # see if the request came with no port, assume port 80 in that case
+        if len(request_host.split(':')) == 1:
+            host = request_host + ":80"
+            return host in whitelist
+        else:
+            return False
+
+    return True
+
+
 def _whitelist(handler_class):
     if hasattr(handler_class.prepare, 'patched'):
         return
     old_prepare = handler_class.prepare
     def _prepare(self, *args, **kw):
-        if self.request.host not in self.application._hosts:
+        if not check_whitelist(self.request.host, self.application._hosts):
             log.info("Rejected connection from host '%s' because it is not in the --host whitelist" % self.request.host)
             raise HTTPError(403)
         return old_prepare(self, *args, **kw)
diff --git a/bokeh/server/views/ws.py b/bokeh/server/views/ws.py
index f0be930e37f..ee8606977b5 100644
--- a/bokeh/server/views/ws.py
+++ b/bokeh/server/views/ws.py
@@ -42,12 +42,14 @@ def initialize(self, application_context, bokeh_websocket_path):
         pass
 
     def check_origin(self, origin):
+        from ..tornado import check_whitelist
         parsed_origin = urlparse(origin)
         origin_host = parsed_origin.netloc.lower()
 
-        allowed = self.application.websocket_origins
+        allowed_hosts = self.application.websocket_origins
 
-        if origin_host in allowed:
+        allowed = check_whitelist(origin_host, allowed_hosts)
+        if allowed:
             return True
         else:
             log.error("Refusing websocket connection from Origin '%s'; use --allow-websocket-origin=%s to permit this; currently we allow origins %r", origin, origin_host, allowed)