diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e3ce5606..95de2f46 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -108,7 +108,12 @@ Additionally check out the sparrow [configuration](#configuration) variants.
 
 ## Usage
 
-Use `sparrow run` to execute the instance using the binary.
+Use `sparrow run` to execute the instance using the binary. A `sparrowName` (a valid DNS name) is required to be passed, else
+the sparrow will not start:
+    
+```sh
+sparrow run --sparrowName sparrow.telekom.de
+```
 
 ### Container Image
 
diff --git a/cmd/run.go b/cmd/run.go
index 8a185959..026465c8 100644
--- a/cmd/run.go
+++ b/cmd/run.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ const (
 func NewCmdRun() *cobra.Command {
 	flagMapping := config.RunFlagsNameMapping{
 		ApiAddress:           "apiAddress",
+		SparrowName:          "sparrowName",
 		LoaderType:           "loaderType",
 		LoaderInterval:       "loaderInterval",
 		LoaderHttpUrl:        "loaderHttpUrl",
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ func NewCmdRun() *cobra.Command {
 	}
 
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().String(flagMapping.ApiAddress, ":8080", "api: The address the server is listening on")
+	cmd.PersistentFlags().String(flagMapping.SparrowName, "sparrow", "The DNS name of the sparrow")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP(flagMapping.LoaderType, "l", "http",
 		"defines the loader type that will load the checks configuration during the runtime. The fallback is the fileLoader")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().Int(flagMapping.LoaderInterval, defaultLoaderInterval, "defines the interval the loader reloads the configuration in seconds")
@@ -71,6 +73,7 @@ func NewCmdRun() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().String(flagMapping.TargetManagerConfig, "tmconfig.yaml", "target manager: The path to the file to read the target manager config from")
 
 	_ = viper.BindPFlag(flagMapping.ApiAddress, cmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup(flagMapping.ApiAddress))
+	_ = viper.BindPFlag(flagMapping.SparrowName, cmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup(flagMapping.SparrowName))
 	_ = viper.BindPFlag(flagMapping.LoaderType, cmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup(flagMapping.LoaderType))
 	_ = viper.BindPFlag(flagMapping.LoaderInterval, cmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup(flagMapping.LoaderInterval))
 	_ = viper.BindPFlag(flagMapping.LoaderHttpUrl, cmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup(flagMapping.LoaderHttpUrl))
@@ -94,6 +97,7 @@ func run(fm *config.RunFlagsNameMapping) func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string)
 		cfg.SetTargetManagerConfig(config.NewTargetManagerConfig(viper.GetString(fm.TargetManagerConfig)))
 
 		cfg.SetApiAddress(viper.GetString(fm.ApiAddress))
+		cfg.SetSparrowName(viper.GetString(fm.SparrowName))
 
 		cfg.SetLoaderType(viper.GetString(fm.LoaderType))
 		cfg.SetLoaderInterval(viper.GetInt(fm.LoaderInterval))
diff --git a/docs/sparrow_run.md b/docs/sparrow_run.md
index 80b12f51..6fb373fa 100644
--- a/docs/sparrow_run.md
+++ b/docs/sparrow_run.md
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ sparrow run [flags]
       --loaderHttpUrl string       http loader: The url where to get the remote configuration
       --loaderInterval int         defines the interval the loader reloads the configuration in seconds (default 300)
   -l, --loaderType string          defines the loader type that will load the checks configuration during the runtime. The fallback is the fileLoader (default "http")
+      --sparrowName string         The DNS name of the sparrow (default "sparrow")
       --tmconfig string            target manager: The path to the file to read the target manager config from (default "tmconfig.yaml")
 ```
 
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index 4f57b84b..547ffc61 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ type TargetManagerConfig struct {
 }
 
 type Config struct {
+	// SparrowName is the DNS name of the sparrow
+	SparrowName string
+	// Checks is a map of configurations for the checks
 	Checks        map[string]any
 	Loader        LoaderConfig
 	Api           ApiConfig
@@ -101,6 +104,11 @@ func (c *Config) SetApiAddress(address string) {
 	c.Api.ListeningAddress = address
 }
 
+// SetSparrowName sets the DNS name of the sparrow
+func (c *Config) SetSparrowName(name string) {
+	c.SparrowName = name
+}
+
 // SetLoaderType sets the loader type
 func (c *Config) SetLoaderType(loaderType string) {
 	c.Loader.Type = loaderType
diff --git a/pkg/config/flags.go b/pkg/config/flags.go
index 098adc1b..2509c186 100644
--- a/pkg/config/flags.go
+++ b/pkg/config/flags.go
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@
 package config
 
 type RunFlagsNameMapping struct {
-	ApiAddress string
+	ApiAddress  string
+	SparrowName string
 
 	LoaderType           string
 	LoaderInterval       string
diff --git a/pkg/config/validate.go b/pkg/config/validate.go
index 4ed3cc1c..e87b845e 100644
--- a/pkg/config/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/config/validate.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
+	"regexp"
 
 	"github.com/caas-team/sparrow/internal/logger"
 )
@@ -33,6 +34,12 @@ func (c *Config) Validate(ctx context.Context, fm *RunFlagsNameMapping) error {
 	log := logger.FromContext(ctx)
 
 	ok := true
+
+	if !isDNSName(c.SparrowName) {
+		ok = false
+		log.Error("The name of the sparrow must be DNS compliant", fm.SparrowName, c.SparrowName)
+	}
+
 	switch c.Loader.Type { //nolint:gocritic
 	case "http":
 		if _, err := url.ParseRequestURI(c.Loader.http.url); err != nil {
@@ -52,3 +59,9 @@ func (c *Config) Validate(ctx context.Context, fm *RunFlagsNameMapping) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+// isDNSName checks if the given string is a valid DNS name
+func isDNSName(s string) bool {
+	re := regexp.MustCompile(`^([a-z0-9]([a-z0-9\-]{0,61}[a-z0-9])?\.)+[a-z]{2,}$`)
+	return re.MatchString(s)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/config/validate_test.go b/pkg/config/validate_test.go
index e5c340fe..451299bf 100644
--- a/pkg/config/validate_test.go
+++ b/pkg/config/validate_test.go
@@ -115,8 +115,9 @@ func TestConfig_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			c := &Config{
-				Checks: nil,
-				Loader: tt.fields.Loader,
+				Checks:      nil,
+				SparrowName: "cool-dns-name.org",
+				Loader:      tt.fields.Loader,
 			}
 			if err := c.Validate(ctx, &RunFlagsNameMapping{}); (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
 				t.Errorf("Config.Validate() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
@@ -124,3 +125,30 @@ func TestConfig_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_isDNSName(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		dnsName string
+		want    bool
+	}{
+		{name: "dns name", dnsName: "sparrow.de", want: true},
+		{name: "dns name with subdomain", dnsName: "sparrow.test.de", want: true},
+		{name: "dns name with subdomain and tld and -", dnsName: "sub-sparrow.test.de", want: true},
+		{name: "empty name", dnsName: "", want: false},
+		{name: "dns name without tld", dnsName: "sparrow", want: false},
+		{name: "name with underscore", dnsName: "test_de", want: false},
+		{name: "name with space", dnsName: "test de", want: false},
+		{name: "name with special chars", dnsName: "test!de", want: false},
+		{name: "name with capitals", dnsName: "tEst.de", want: false},
+		{name: "name with empty tld", dnsName: "tEst.de.", want: false},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := isDNSName(tt.dnsName); got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("isDNSName() = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/sparrow/run.go b/pkg/sparrow/run.go
index 41925bb7..4288ae32 100644
--- a/pkg/sparrow/run.go
+++ b/pkg/sparrow/run.go
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func New(cfg *config.Config) *Sparrow {
 	}
 
 	// Set the target manager
-	gm := targets.NewGitlabManager("sparrow-with-cfg-file", cfg.TargetManager)
+	gm := targets.NewGitlabManager(cfg.SparrowName, cfg.TargetManager)
 	sparrow.targets = gm
 
 	sparrow.loader = config.NewLoader(cfg, sparrow.cCfgChecks)