diff --git a/startvnc b/startvnc
index 1c5bd53095e42b6f586c6bb4d34e602c1e60818f..8a8fd6c373e4d33991698b026bbd825a591f8fb3 100755
--- a/startvnc
+++ b/startvnc
@@ -1,5 +1,39 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 #
+# Copyright 2017
+#
+# Mathis Rosenhauer
+# Deutsches Klimarechenzentrum GmbH
+# Bundesstr. 45a
+# 20146 Hamburg Germany
+#
+# All rights reserved.
+#
+# Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+# modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
+# are met:
+#
+# 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+#    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+# 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above
+#    copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following
+#    disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided
+#    with the distribution.
+#
+# THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
+# ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+# LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS
+# FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+# COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT,
+# INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
+# (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR
+# SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
+# HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
+# STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
+# ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED
+# OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+#
+#
 # startvnc
 #
 # Starts vncserver on a GPU node by submitting a generated job script.
@@ -14,50 +48,60 @@
 # The vncviewer client has to support the -via option. TurboVNC,
 # TigerVNC and TightVNC are known to work.
 #
-# Set SVNC_SSH_MUX="true" to share one ssh connection. This can speed
-# up the script if ssh login is slow. If you have to use password
-# authentication, you will only have to give your password twice.
 
 set -e
 
 # Default settings
 
-SVNC_USERNAME=""                     # LDAP username
-SVNC_ACCTCODE=""                     # project account code
-SVNC_RUNTIME=240                     # session run time in minutes
-SVNC_QOS="normal"                    # quality of service
-SVNC_GEOMETRY="1920x1200"            # resolution of remote desktop window
-SVNC_VNCVIEWER="/usr/bin/vncviewer"  # path to local vncviewer
+# LDAP username
+SVNC_USERNAME=""
+
+# Project account code
+SVNC_ACCTCODE=""
+
+# Session run time in minutes
+SVNC_RUNTIME=240
+
+# Quality of service
+SVNC_QOS="normal"
+
+# Resolution of remote desktop window
+SVNC_GEOMETRY="1920x1200"
+
+# Path to local vncviewer
+SVNC_VNCVIEWER="/usr/bin/vncviewer"
+
+# Uncomment this if you use TurboVNC as vncviewer
+#readonly SVNC_VNC_OPTIONS="-extssh"
+
+# Frontend host. Must be directly accessible from client.  Frontend
+# and node where vnc server is running need a shared home file system.
+readonly SVNC_FRONTEND_HOST="mistral.dkrz.de"
+
+# Copy vncpassword temporarily to the local workstation
+readonly SVNC_PASSWORD="true"
 
-readonly SVNC_PASSWORD="true"        # copy vncpassword temporarily to
-                                     # the local workstation
-readonly SVNC_SSH_MUX="true"         # use sharing of multiple ssh sessions
-                                     # over a single network connection
-#readonly SVNC_VNC_OPTIONS="-extssh" # uncomment this if you use
-                                     # TurboVNC as vncviewer
 
 clean_up () {
     trap - ERR EXIT
     set +e
 
-    if [[ ${vnc_host} ]]; then
-        ssh_mistral "ssh ${vnc_host} \"/opt/TurboVNC/bin/vncserver \
-                    -kill :${vnc_display}\""
+    if [[ -n ${vnc_host} ]]; then
+        ssh_frontend "ssh ${vnc_host} \"/opt/TurboVNC/bin/vncserver \
+                     -kill :${vnc_display}\""
     fi
 
     echo "Removing job."
-    if [[ ${job_id} ]]; then
-        ssh_mistral "scancel -Q ${job_id}; sleep 1; \
-                    cd .startvnc && rm -f out.${job_id}"
+    if [[ -n ${job_id} ]]; then
+        ssh_frontend "scancel -Q ${job_id}; sleep 1; \
+                     cd .startvnc && rm -f out.${job_id}"
     else
         echo "Job ID not available. Make sure the vncjob is not running!"
-        ssh_mistral "squeue -u ${SVNC_USERNAME}"
+        ssh_frontend "squeue -u ${SVNC_USERNAME}"
     fi
 
-    if [[ ${SVNC_SSH_MUX} = "true" ]]; then
-        ssh_mistral "" "-O exit"
-        rmdir "${ssh_socket_dir}"
-    fi
+    ssh_frontend "" "-O exit"
+    rmdir "${ssh_socket_dir}"
 
     # Remove local vnc PasswordFile
     if [[ ${SVNC_PASSWORD} = "true" ]]; then
@@ -72,12 +116,10 @@ usage () {
     printf -- "-v path_to_vncviewer\n-x vncviewer_options\n" >&2
 }
 
-ssh_mistral () {
-    local ssh_options="$2 -o ForwardX11=no"
-    if [[ ${SVNC_SSH_MUX} = "true" ]]; then
-        ssh_options+=" -o ControlPath=${ssh_socket_dir}/control:%h:%p:%r"
-    fi
-    ssh ${ssh_options} "${SVNC_USERNAME}@mistral00.dkrz.de" "$1"
+ssh_frontend () {
+    local ssh_options="$2 -o ForwardX11=no \
+          -o ControlPath=${ssh_socket_dir}/control:%h:%p:%r"
+    ssh ${ssh_options} "${SVNC_USERNAME}@${SVNC_FRONTEND_HOST}" "$1"
 }
 
 parse_options () {
@@ -121,17 +163,17 @@ parse_options () {
 }
 
 prepare_vncserver () {
-    ssh_mistral "mkdir -p .startvnc"
-    if ! ssh_mistral "test -s .vnc/passwd"; then
+    ssh_frontend "mkdir -p .startvnc"
+    if ! ssh_frontend "test -s .vnc/passwd"; then
         echo "No VNC password found. Please set now."
-        ssh_mistral "salloc -Q -n1 -pgpu -A${SVNC_ACCTCODE} -- /bin/bash -c \
-                    'ssh -tt \$SLURM_JOB_NODELIST -- mkdir -p .vnc \
-                    && /opt/TurboVNC/bin/vncpasswd'" "-t"
+        ssh_frontend "salloc -Q -n1 -pgpu -A${SVNC_ACCTCODE} -- /bin/bash -c \
+                     'ssh -tt \$SLURM_JOB_NODELIST -- mkdir -p .vnc \
+                     && /opt/TurboVNC/bin/vncpasswd'" "-t"
     fi
 }
 
 submit_vnc_job () {
-    ssh_mistral "cd .startvnc && sbatch" <<EOF
+    ssh_frontend "cd .startvnc && sbatch" <<EOF
 #!/bin/bash -l
 #SBATCH --partition=gpu
 #SBATCH --ntasks=12
@@ -148,7 +190,7 @@ EOF
 
 get_vnc_host_and_display () {
     local job_id="$1"
-    ssh_mistral "/bin/bash" <<EOF
+    ssh_frontend "/bin/bash" <<EOF
 logfile=\${HOME}/.startvnc/out.${job_id}
 while [[ -z \${host_and_display} ]]; do
     sleep 1
@@ -165,11 +207,8 @@ main () {
     parse_options "$@"
     trap clean_up INT QUIT TERM ERR EXIT
 
-    if [[ ${SVNC_SSH_MUX} = "true" ]]; then
-        ssh_socket_dir=$(mktemp -d "${HOME}/.ssh/socket.XXXXX")
-        ssh_mistral "" "-MNf"
-    fi
-
+    ssh_socket_dir=$(mktemp -d "${HOME}/.ssh/socket.XXXXX")
+    ssh_frontend "" "-MNf"
     prepare_vncserver
 
     echo "Submitting vncserver job."
@@ -183,11 +222,11 @@ main () {
     local vnc_options="${SVNC_VNC_OPTIONS} \
                        -via ${SVNC_USERNAME}@${vnc_host}.dkrz.de"
     if [[ ${SVNC_PASSWORD} = "true" ]]; then
-        ssh_mistral "cat .vnc/passwd" > ${HOME}/vnc_passwd
+        ssh_frontend "cat .vnc/passwd" > ${HOME}/vnc_passwd
         vnc_options+=" -passwd ${HOME}/vnc_passwd"
     fi
 
-    ${SVNC_VNCVIEWER} ${vnc_options} :${vnc_display}
+    "${SVNC_VNCVIEWER}" ${vnc_options} :${vnc_display}
 }
 
 main "$@"