diff --git a/nestkernel/nest_names.cpp b/nestkernel/nest_names.cpp
index 393c11baf1..1eed7b4866 100644
--- a/nestkernel/nest_names.cpp
+++ b/nestkernel/nest_names.cpp
@@ -287,6 +287,7 @@ const Name min( "min" );
 const Name min_delay( "min_delay" );
 const Name min_update_time( "min_update_time" );
 const Name minor_axis( "minor_axis" );
+const Name mpi_address( "mpi_address" );
 const Name model( "model" );
 const Name model_id( "model_id" );
 const Name ms_per_tic( "ms_per_tic" );
diff --git a/nestkernel/nest_names.h b/nestkernel/nest_names.h
index efb9f826d2..03caa15f0c 100644
--- a/nestkernel/nest_names.h
+++ b/nestkernel/nest_names.h
@@ -312,6 +312,7 @@ extern const Name min;
 extern const Name min_delay;
 extern const Name min_update_time;
 extern const Name minor_axis;
+extern const Name mpi_address;
 extern const Name model;
 extern const Name model_id;
 extern const Name ms_per_tic;
diff --git a/nestkernel/recording_backend_mpi.cpp b/nestkernel/recording_backend_mpi.cpp
index aa059b6156..3c048211a0 100644
--- a/nestkernel/recording_backend_mpi.cpp
+++ b/nestkernel/recording_backend_mpi.cpp
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ nest::RecordingBackendMPI::finalize()
 }
 
 void
-nest::RecordingBackendMPI::enroll( const RecordingDevice& device, const DictionaryDatum& )
+nest::RecordingBackendMPI::enroll( const RecordingDevice& device, const DictionaryDatum& params )
 {
   if ( device.get_type() == RecordingDevice::SPIKE_RECORDER )
   {
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ nest::RecordingBackendMPI::enroll( const RecordingDevice& device, const Dictiona
     std::tuple< int, MPI_Comm*, const RecordingDevice* > tuple = std::make_tuple( -1, nullptr, &device );
     devices_[ tid ].insert( std::make_pair( node_id, tuple ) );
     enrolled_ = true;
+
+    updateValue< std::string >( params, names::mpi_address, mpi_address_ );
   }
   else
   {
@@ -359,7 +361,22 @@ nest::RecordingBackendMPI::set_status( const DictionaryDatum& )
 void
 nest::RecordingBackendMPI::get_port( const RecordingDevice* device, std::string* port_name )
 {
-  get_port( device->get_node_id(), device->get_label(), port_name );
+  const std::string& label = device->get_label();
+
+  // The MPI address can be provided by two different means.
+  // a) the address is given via the mpi_address device status
+  // b) the file is provided via a file: {data_path}/{data_prefix}{label}/{node_id}.txt
+
+  // Case a: MPI address is given via device status, use the supplied address
+  if ( not mpi_address_.empty() )
+  {
+    *port_name = mpi_address_;
+  }
+  // Case b: fallback to get_port implementation that reads the address from file
+  else
+  {
+    get_port( device->get_node_id(), label, port_name );
+  }
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/nestkernel/recording_backend_mpi.h b/nestkernel/recording_backend_mpi.h
index 7db492bbcd..dd9d8f673d 100644
--- a/nestkernel/recording_backend_mpi.h
+++ b/nestkernel/recording_backend_mpi.h
@@ -47,9 +47,13 @@ Description
 The `mpi` recording backend sends collected data to a remote process
 using MPI.
 
-The name of the MPI port to send data to is read from a file for each
-device configured to use this backend. The file needs to be named
-according to the following pattern:
+There are two ways to set the MPI port. If both are set, option A has precedence
+
+1. The address is supplied via the recording backends "mpi_address" status property.
+
+2. The name of the MPI port to send data to is read from a file for each
+   device configured to use this backend. The file needs to be named
+   according to the following pattern:
 
 ::
 
@@ -169,11 +173,15 @@ class RecordingBackendMPI : public RecordingBackend
   typedef std::map< std::string, std::tuple< int, MPI_Comm*, int > > comm_map;
   comm_map commMap_;
 
-  static void get_port( const RecordingDevice* device, std::string* port_name );
-  static void get_port( size_t index_node, const std::string& label, std::string* port_name );
-  static void send_data( const MPI_Comm* comm, const double data[], int size );
+
+  std::string mpi_address_;
+
+  void get_port( const RecordingDevice* device, std::string* port_name );
+  void get_port( size_t index_node, const std::string& label, std::string* port_name );
+  void send_data( const MPI_Comm* comm, const double data[], int size );
 };
 
+
 } // namespace
 
 #endif /* #ifndef RECORDING_BACKEND_MPI_H */
diff --git a/nestkernel/stimulation_backend_mpi.cpp b/nestkernel/stimulation_backend_mpi.cpp
index 521a2a55da..189207f08f 100644
--- a/nestkernel/stimulation_backend_mpi.cpp
+++ b/nestkernel/stimulation_backend_mpi.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ nest::StimulationBackendMPI::finalize()
 }
 
 void
-nest::StimulationBackendMPI::enroll( nest::StimulationDevice& device, const DictionaryDatum& )
+nest::StimulationBackendMPI::enroll( nest::StimulationDevice& device, const DictionaryDatum& params )
 {
   size_t tid = device.get_thread();
   size_t node_id = device.get_node_id();
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ nest::StimulationBackendMPI::enroll( nest::StimulationDevice& device, const Dict
   std::pair< size_t, std::pair< const MPI_Comm*, StimulationDevice* > > secondpair = std::make_pair( node_id, pair );
   devices_[ tid ].insert( secondpair );
   enrolled_ = true;
+
+  // Try to read the mpi_address from the device status
+  updateValue< std::string >( params, names::mpi_address, mpi_address_ );
 }
 
 
@@ -285,7 +288,21 @@ nest::StimulationBackendMPI::cleanup()
 void
 nest::StimulationBackendMPI::get_port( nest::StimulationDevice* device, std::string* port_name )
 {
-  get_port( device->get_node_id(), device->get_label(), port_name );
+  const std::string& label = device->get_label();
+  // The MPI address can be provided by two different means.
+  // a) the address is given via the mpi_address device status
+  // b) the file is provided via a file: {data_path}/{data_prefix}{label}/{node_id}.txt
+
+  // Case a: MPI address is given via device status, use the supplied address
+  if ( not mpi_address_.empty() )
+  {
+    *port_name = mpi_address_;
+  }
+  // Case b: fallback to get_port implementation that reads the address from file
+  else
+  {
+    get_port( device->get_node_id(), label, port_name );
+  }
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/nestkernel/stimulation_backend_mpi.h b/nestkernel/stimulation_backend_mpi.h
index bcf67de572..d06427c741 100644
--- a/nestkernel/stimulation_backend_mpi.h
+++ b/nestkernel/stimulation_backend_mpi.h
@@ -47,9 +47,13 @@ The `mpi` stimulation backend collects data from MPI channels and
 updates stimulation devices just before each run. This is useful for
 co-simulation or for receiving stimuli from external software.
 
-The name of the MPI port to receive data on is read from a file for
-each device configured to use this backend.  The file needs to be
-named according to the following pattern:
+There are two ways to set the MPI port. If both are set, option A has precedence
+
+1. The address is supplied via the recording backends "mpi_address" status property.
+
+2. The name of the MPI port to send data to is read from a file for each
+   device configured to use this backend. The file needs to be named
+   according to the following pattern:
 
 ::
 
@@ -150,14 +154,15 @@ class StimulationBackendMPI : public StimulationBackend
   typedef std::map< std::string, std::tuple< MPI_Comm*, std::vector< int >*, int* > > comm_map;
   comm_map commMap_;
 
+  std::string mpi_address_;
   /**
    * Getting the port name for the MPI connection
    *
    * @param device : input device for finding the file with the port
    * @param port_name : result of the port name
    */
-  static void get_port( StimulationDevice* device, std::string* port_name );
-  static void get_port( size_t index_node, const std::string& label, std::string* port_name );
+  void get_port( StimulationDevice* device, std::string* port_name );
+  void get_port( size_t index_node, const std::string& label, std::string* port_name );
   /**
    * MPI communication for receiving the data before each run.
    *