diff --git a/fairmq/FairMQChannel.cxx b/fairmq/FairMQChannel.cxx
index 417f183c..88280189 100644
--- a/fairmq/FairMQChannel.cxx
+++ b/fairmq/FairMQChannel.cxx
@@ -390,17 +390,6 @@ bool FairMQChannel::ValidateChannel()
             exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
         }
 
-        // validate socket method
-        const string socketMethodNames[] = { "bind", "connect" };
-        const set<string> socketMethods(socketMethodNames, socketMethodNames + sizeof(socketMethodNames) / sizeof(string));
-        if (socketMethods.find(fMethod) == socketMethods.end())
-        {
-            ss << "INVALID";
-            LOG(DEBUG) << ss.str();
-            LOG(ERROR) << "Invalid channel method: \"" << fMethod << "\"";
-            exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-        }
-
         // validate socket address
         if (fAddress == "unspecified" || fAddress == "")
         {
@@ -421,7 +410,17 @@ bool FairMQChannel::ValidateChannel()
                 if (endpoint[0]=='@'||endpoint[0]=='+'||endpoint[0]=='>') {
                   address = endpoint.substr(1);
                 } else {
-                  address = endpoint;
+                    // we don't have a method modifier, check if the default method is set
+                    const string socketMethodNames[] = { "bind", "connect" };
+                    const set<string> socketMethods(socketMethodNames, socketMethodNames + sizeof(socketMethodNames) / sizeof(string));
+                    if (socketMethods.find(fMethod) == socketMethods.end())
+                    {
+                        ss << "INVALID";
+                        LOG(DEBUG) << ss.str();
+                        LOG(ERROR) << "Invalid endpoint connection method: \"" << fMethod << "\" for " << endpoint;
+                        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+                    }
+                    address = endpoint;
                 }
                 // check if address is a tcp or ipc address
                 if (address.compare(0, 6, "tcp://") == 0)
diff --git a/fairmq/FairMQDevice.cxx b/fairmq/FairMQDevice.cxx
index 5776e1b4..27dc7bc0 100644
--- a/fairmq/FairMQDevice.cxx
+++ b/fairmq/FairMQDevice.cxx
@@ -208,6 +208,15 @@ void FairMQDevice::InitWrapper()
                 // fill the uninitialized list
                 uninitializedConnectingChannels.push_back(&(*vi));
             }
+            else if (vi->fAddress.find_first_of("@+>") != string::npos)
+            {
+                // set channel name: name + vector index
+                stringstream ss;
+                ss << mi->first << "[" << vi - (mi->second).begin() << "]";
+                vi->fChannelName = ss.str();
+                // fill the uninitialized list
+                uninitializedConnectingChannels.push_back(&(*vi));
+            }
             else
             {
                 LOG(ERROR) << "Cannot update configuration. Socket method (bind/connect) not specified.";