diff --git a/src/php/ext/grpc/channel.c b/src/php/ext/grpc/channel.c
index e631abaceca1f35e56e408c3b3f04060ae29fcdc..47e1525d986d2608a9efc6829f087a1583613013 100644
--- a/src/php/ext/grpc/channel.c
+++ b/src/php/ext/grpc/channel.c
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@ PHP_METHOD(Channel, __construct) {
   HashTable *array_hash;
   zval **creds_obj = NULL;
   wrapped_grpc_credentials *creds = NULL;
+  zval **override_obj;
+  char *override;
+  int override_len;
   /* "s|a" == 1 string, 1 optional array */
   if (zend_parse_parameters(ZEND_NUM_ARGS() TSRMLS_CC, "s|a", &target,
                             &target_length, &args_array) == FAILURE) {
@@ -143,6 +146,8 @@ PHP_METHOD(Channel, __construct) {
                          "Channel expects a string and an array", 1 TSRMLS_CC);
     return;
   }
+  override = target;
+  override_len = target_length;
   if (args_array == NULL) {
     channel->wrapped = grpc_channel_create(target, NULL);
   } else {
@@ -159,6 +164,19 @@ PHP_METHOD(Channel, __construct) {
           *creds_obj TSRMLS_CC);
       zend_hash_del(array_hash, "credentials", 12);
     }
+    if (zend_hash_find(array_hash, GRPC_SSL_TARGET_NAME_OVERRIDE_ARG,
+                       sizeof(GRPC_SSL_TARGET_NAME_OVERRIDE_ARG),
+                       (void **)&override_obj) == SUCCESS) {
+      if (Z_TYPE_PP(override_obj) != IS_STRING) {
+        zend_throw_exception(spl_ce_InvalidArgumentException,
+                             GRPC_SSL_TARGET_NAME_OVERRIDE_ARG
+                             " must be a string",
+                             1 TSRMLS_CC);
+        return;
+      }
+      override = Z_STRVAL_PP(override_obj);
+      override_len = Z_STRLEN_PP(override_obj);
+    }
     php_grpc_read_args_array(args_array, &args);
     if (creds == NULL) {
       channel->wrapped = grpc_channel_create(target, &args);
@@ -169,8 +187,8 @@ PHP_METHOD(Channel, __construct) {
     }
     efree(args.args);
   }
-  channel->target = ecalloc(target_length + 1, sizeof(char));
-  memcpy(channel->target, target, target_length);
+  channel->target = ecalloc(override_len + 1, sizeof(char));
+  memcpy(channel->target, override, override_len);
 }
 
 /**