diff --git a/testUpdateHostsFile.py b/testUpdateHostsFile.py
index 171cb21ba..6b13b567d 100644
--- a/testUpdateHostsFile.py
+++ b/testUpdateHostsFile.py
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class TestGetDefaults(Base):
                         "replace": False,
                         "backup": False,
                         "skipstatichosts": False,
-                        "keepdomaincomments": False,
+                        "keepdomaincomments": True,
                         "extensionspath": "foo" + self.sep + "extensions",
                         "extensions": [],
                         "compress": False,
@@ -753,10 +753,12 @@ class TestStripRule(Base):
             self.assertEqual(output, line)
 
     def test_strip_more_than_two(self):
+        comment = " # comments here galore"
+
         for line in ["0.0.0.0 twitter.com", "127.0.0.1 facebook.com",
                      "8.8.8.8 google.com", "1.2.3.4 foo.bar.edu"]:
-            output = strip_rule(line + " # comments here galore")
-            self.assertEqual(output, line)
+            output = strip_rule(line + comment)
+            self.assertEqual(output, line + comment)
 
 
 class TestWriteOpeningHeader(BaseMockDir):
diff --git a/updateHostsFile.py b/updateHostsFile.py
index 09affa6a9..5647db447 100644
--- a/updateHostsFile.py
+++ b/updateHostsFile.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def get_defaults():
         "replace": False,
         "backup": False,
         "skipstatichosts": False,
-        "keepdomaincomments": False,
+        "keepdomaincomments": True,
         "extensionspath": path_join_robust(BASEDIR_PATH, "extensions"),
         "extensions": [],
         "compress": False,
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ def main():
     parser.add_argument("--ip", "-i", dest="targetip", default="0.0.0.0",
                         help="Target IP address. Default is 0.0.0.0.")
     parser.add_argument("--keepdomaincomments", "-k",
-                        dest="keepdomaincomments", default=False,
-                        help="Keep domain line comments.")
+                        dest="keepdomaincomments", action="store_false", default=True,
+                        help="Do not keep domain line comments.")
     parser.add_argument("--noupdate", "-n", dest="noupdate", default=False,
                         action="store_true", help="Don't update from "
                                                   "host data sources.")
@@ -843,7 +843,10 @@ def normalize_rule(rule, target_ip, keep_domain_comments):
         rule = "%s %s" % (target_ip, hostname)
 
         if suffix and keep_domain_comments:
-            rule += " #%s" % suffix
+            if not suffix.strip().startswith('#'):
+                rule += " #%s" % suffix
+            else:
+                rule += " %s" % suffix
 
         return hostname, rule + "\n"
 
@@ -860,7 +863,10 @@ def normalize_rule(rule, target_ip, keep_domain_comments):
         rule = "%s %s" % (target_ip, ip_host)
 
         if suffix and keep_domain_comments:
-            rule += " #%s" % suffix
+            if not suffix.strip().startswith('#'):
+                rule += " #%s" % suffix
+            else:
+                rule += " %s" % suffix
 
         return ip_host, rule + "\n"
 
@@ -875,9 +881,6 @@ def strip_rule(line):
     """
     Sanitize a rule string provided before writing it to the output hosts file.
 
-    Some sources put comments around their rules, for accuracy we need
-    to strip them the comments are preserved in the output hosts file.
-
     Parameters
     ----------
     line : str
@@ -894,7 +897,7 @@ def strip_rule(line):
         # just return blank
         return ""
     else:
-        return split_line[0] + " " + split_line[1]
+        return " ".join(split_line)
 
 
 def write_opening_header(final_file, **header_params):