diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/model/RSEModelObject.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/model/RSEModelObject.java
index a9b14ff2276..60266973248 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/model/RSEModelObject.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/model/RSEModelObject.java
@@ -29,15 +29,23 @@ public abstract class RSEModelObject extends PropertySetContainer implements IRS
 	protected boolean _wasRestored = false;
 	
 	
+	/* (non-Javadoc)
+	 * @see org.eclipse.rse.core.persistance.IRSEPersistableContainer#isDirty()
+	 */
 	public final boolean isDirty()
 	{
 		return _isDirty;
 	}
 
-	public final void setDirty(boolean flag)
+	/* (non-Javadoc)
+	 * @see org.eclipse.rse.core.persistance.IRSEPersistableContainer#setDirty(boolean)
+	 */
+	public void setDirty(boolean flag)
 	{
 		_isDirty = flag;
 	}
+	
+	
 
 
 	public final boolean wasRestored() 
@@ -54,4 +62,22 @@ public abstract class RSEModelObject extends PropertySetContainer implements IRS
 	{
 		return RSEModelResources.RESID_MODELOBJECTS_MODELOBJECT_DESCRIPTION;
 	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * Does a null-aware string comparison. Two strings that are
+	 * <code>null</code> will compare equal. Otherwise the result is 
+	 * the same as s1.equals(s2), if s1 is not null.
+	 * @param s1 The first string to compare
+	 * @param s2 the second string
+	 * @return true if the strings are equal or both null.
+	 */
+	protected boolean compareStrings(String s1, String s2) {
+		boolean result = false;
+		if (s1 == null) {
+			result = s1 == null;
+		} else {
+			result = s1.equals(s2);
+		}
+		return result;
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/persistance/IRSEPersistableContainer.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/persistance/IRSEPersistableContainer.java
index 55115849526..b9df036c574 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/persistance/IRSEPersistableContainer.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/persistance/IRSEPersistableContainer.java
@@ -18,11 +18,42 @@ package org.eclipse.rse.core.persistance;
 
 public interface IRSEPersistableContainer
 {
+	/**
+	 * An object is dirty if a change has been made to it that requires
+	 * it to be persisted.
+	 * @return true if the object is dirty
+	 */
 	public boolean isDirty();
+
+	/**
+	 * An object is dirty if a change has been made to it that requires
+	 * it to be persisted. Objects should usually mark themselves dirty
+	 * when a persistable change is made. However, there may be a need
+	 * to mark related objects dirty as well.
+	 * Setting this value to false should be done only in the persistence
+	 * manager after the object has been written to the DOM.
+	 * @param flag true if the object must be persisted.
+	 */
 	public void setDirty(boolean flag);
 	
+	/**
+	 * Request a persistence manager to persist this object.
+	 * @return true if the object was persisted.
+	 */
 	public boolean commit();
 	
+	/**
+	 * An object was restored if it originated from a persistent form.
+	 * @return true if the object was created from its persistent form,
+	 * false if the object has never been persisted.
+	 */
 	public boolean wasRestored();
+	
+	/**
+	 * The the "restored" state of the object. Only persistence managers 
+	 * should do this.
+	 * @param flag true if the object was restored.
+	 */
 	public void setWasRestored(boolean flag);
+	
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/model/org/eclipse/rse/internal/model/Host.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/model/org/eclipse/rse/internal/model/Host.java
index 04c8aac9aa7..d2c1feb0df6 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/model/org/eclipse/rse/internal/model/Host.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/model/org/eclipse/rse/internal/model/Host.java
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ public class Host extends RSEModelObject implements IHost, IAdaptable
     	  newId = newId.toUpperCase();
 
     	if ((newId == null) || (newId.length()==0)) // a "clear" request?
-        {          
+        {  
           clearLocalDefaultUserId();
         }
     	else
@@ -543,6 +543,7 @@ public class Host extends RSEModelObject implements IHost, IAdaptable
 	 */
 	public void setDescription(String newDescription)
 	{
+		setDirty(!compareStrings(description, newDescription));
 		description = newDescription;
 	}
 
@@ -559,6 +560,7 @@ public class Host extends RSEModelObject implements IHost, IAdaptable
 	 */
 	public void setPromptable(boolean newPromptable)
 	{
+		setDirty(promptable != newPromptable);
 		promptable = newPromptable;
 	}
 
@@ -583,6 +585,7 @@ public class Host extends RSEModelObject implements IHost, IAdaptable
 	 */
 	public void setOffline(boolean newOffline)
 	{
+		setDirty(offline != newOffline);
 		offline = newOffline;
 	}
 
@@ -591,6 +594,7 @@ public class Host extends RSEModelObject implements IHost, IAdaptable
 	 */
 	public void setSystemTypeGen(String newSystemType)
 	{
+		setDirty(!compareStrings(systemType, newSystemType));
 		systemType = newSystemType;
 	}
 
@@ -599,6 +603,7 @@ public class Host extends RSEModelObject implements IHost, IAdaptable
 	 */
 	public void setAliasNameGen(String newAliasName)
 	{
+		setDirty(!compareStrings(aliasName, newAliasName));
 		aliasName = newAliasName;
 	}
 
@@ -607,6 +612,7 @@ public class Host extends RSEModelObject implements IHost, IAdaptable
 	 */
 	public void setHostNameGen(String newHostName)
 	{
+		setDirty(!compareStrings(hostName, newHostName));
 		hostName = newHostName;
 	}
 
@@ -623,6 +629,7 @@ public class Host extends RSEModelObject implements IHost, IAdaptable
 	 */
 	public void setDefaultUserIdGen(String newDefaultUserId)
 	{
+		setDirty(!compareStrings(defaultUserId, newDefaultUserId));
 		defaultUserId = newDefaultUserId;
 	}
 
@@ -650,6 +657,17 @@ public class Host extends RSEModelObject implements IHost, IAdaptable
 		return result.toString();
 	}
 	
+	/* (non-Javadoc)
+	 * @see org.eclipse.rse.core.model.RSEModelObject#setDirty(boolean)
+	 */
+	public void setDirty(boolean flag) {
+		super.setDirty(flag);
+		ISystemHostPool myPool = getHostPool();
+		if (myPool != null && flag) {
+			myPool.setDirty(true);
+		}
+	};
+	
 	public boolean commit() 
 	{
 		return RSEUIPlugin.getThePersistenceManager().commit(this);
diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/model/org/eclipse/rse/internal/model/SystemHostPool.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/model/org/eclipse/rse/internal/model/SystemHostPool.java
index 68ed7b4e0a2..421e61c31bd 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/model/org/eclipse/rse/internal/model/SystemHostPool.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/model/org/eclipse/rse/internal/model/SystemHostPool.java
@@ -387,7 +387,6 @@ public class SystemHostPool extends RSEModelObject implements ISystemHostPool
     public void deleteHost(IHost conn)
     {
     	conn.deletingHost(); // let connection do any necessary cleanup
-	
         getHostList().remove(conn);
         setDirty(true);
         RSEUIPlugin.getThePersistenceManager().commit(conn.getSystemProfile());
@@ -409,7 +408,6 @@ public class SystemHostPool extends RSEModelObject implements ISystemHostPool
     {
         conn.setAliasName(newName);
         invalidateCache();
-        conn.setDirty(true);
    	    commit(conn);
     }