diff --git a/cmd/sync.go b/cmd/sync.go
index 977178a45699..4d0d7c38d650 100644
--- a/cmd/sync.go
+++ b/cmd/sync.go
@@ -213,13 +213,18 @@ func syncStorageFlags() []cli.Flag {
 func clusterFlags() []cli.Flag {
 	return addCategories("CLUSTER", []cli.Flag{
 		&cli.StringFlag{
-			Name:  "manager",
-			Usage: "manager address",
+			Name:   "manager",
+			Usage:  "the manager address used only by the worker node",
+			Hidden: true,
 		},
 		&cli.StringSliceFlag{
 			Name:  "worker",
 			Usage: "hosts (separated by comma) to launch worker",
 		},
+		&cli.StringFlag{
+			Name:  "manager-addr",
+			Usage: "the IP address to communicate with workers",
+		},
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/sync/cluster.go b/pkg/sync/cluster.go
index 63fa55092352..656e820f4d41 100644
--- a/pkg/sync/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/sync/cluster.go
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ func sendStats(addr string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func startManager(tasks <-chan object.Object) (string, error) {
+func startManager(config *Config, tasks <-chan object.Object) (string, error) {
 	http.HandleFunc("/fetch", func(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 		var objs []object.Object
 		obj, ok := <-tasks
@@ -171,29 +171,37 @@ func startManager(tasks <-chan object.Object) (string, error) {
 		logger.Debugf("receive stats %+v from %s", r, req.RemoteAddr)
 		_, _ = w.Write([]byte("OK"))
 	})
-	ips, err := utils.FindLocalIPs()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("find local ips: %s", err)
-	}
-	var ip string
-	for _, i := range ips {
-		if i = i.To4(); i != nil {
-			ip = i.String()
-			break
+	var addr string
+	if config.ManagerAddr != "" {
+		addr = config.ManagerAddr
+	} else {
+		ips, err := utils.FindLocalIPs()
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("find local ips: %s", err)
+		}
+		var ip string
+		for _, i := range ips {
+			if i = i.To4(); i != nil {
+				ip = i.String()
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if ip == "" {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("no local ip found")
 		}
 	}
-	if ip == "" {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("no local ip found")
+
+	if !strings.Contains(addr, ":") {
+		addr += ":"
 	}
-	l, err := net.Listen("tcp", ip+":")
+
+	l, err := net.Listen("tcp", addr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("listen: %s", err)
 	}
 	logger.Infof("Listen at %s", l.Addr())
 	go func() { _ = http.Serve(l, nil) }()
-	ps := strings.Split(l.Addr().String(), ":")
-	port := ps[len(ps)-1]
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", ip, port), nil
+	return l.Addr().String(), nil
 }
 
 func findSelfPath() (string, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/sync/cluster_test.go b/pkg/sync/cluster_test.go
index cde0fcea26a8..84e3c8834883 100644
--- a/pkg/sync/cluster_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sync/cluster_test.go
@@ -40,13 +40,13 @@ func (o *obj) StorageClass() string { return "" }
 func TestCluster(t *testing.T) {
 	// manager
 	todo := make(chan object.Object, 100)
-	addr, err := startManager(todo)
+	var conf Config
+	addr, err := startManager(&conf, todo)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	// sendStats(addr)
 	// worker
-	var conf Config
 	conf.Manager = addr
 	mytodo := make(chan object.Object, 100)
 	go fetchJobs(mytodo, &conf)
diff --git a/pkg/sync/config.go b/pkg/sync/config.go
index 3a9e09003205..bad0ee524a0e 100644
--- a/pkg/sync/config.go
+++ b/pkg/sync/config.go
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	Limit          int64
 	Manager        string
 	Workers        []string
+	ManagerAddr    string
 	ListThreads    int
 	ListDepth      int
 	BWLimit        int
@@ -149,6 +150,7 @@ func NewConfigFromCli(c *cli.Context) *Config {
 		Links:          c.Bool("links"),
 		Limit:          c.Int64("limit"),
 		Workers:        c.StringSlice("worker"),
+		ManagerAddr:    c.String("manager-addr"),
 		Manager:        c.String("manager"),
 		BWLimit:        c.Int("bwlimit"),
 		NoHTTPS:        c.Bool("no-https"),
diff --git a/pkg/sync/sync.go b/pkg/sync/sync.go
index a6697eef42f5..358287814ec6 100644
--- a/pkg/sync/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/sync/sync.go
@@ -1034,7 +1034,7 @@ func Sync(src, dst object.ObjectStorage, config *Config) error {
 
 	if config.Manager == "" {
 		if len(config.Workers) > 0 {
-			addr, err := startManager(tasks)
+			addr, err := startManager(config, tasks)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}