diff --git a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier.java b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier.java
index df777ed9..2267e0ed 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ final class Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier implements Supplier<InstanceIdH
 
 	private final Service service;
 
-	Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier(EndpointAddress endpointAddress, Service service) {
+	private Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier(EndpointAddress endpointAddress, Service service) {
 		this.endpointAddress = endpointAddress;
 		this.service = service;
 	}
@@ -46,6 +46,20 @@ final class Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier implements Supplier<InstanceIdH
 		return new InstanceIdHostPodName(instanceId(), host(), podName());
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * to be used when .spec.type of the Service is != 'ExternalName'.
+	 */
+	static Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier nonExternalName(EndpointAddress endpointAddress, Service service) {
+		return new Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier(endpointAddress, service);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * to be used when .spec.type of the Service is == 'ExternalName'.
+	 */
+	static Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier externalName(Service service) {
+		return new Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier(null, service);
+	}
+
 	// instanceId is usually the pod-uid as seen in the .metadata.uid
 	private String instanceId() {
 		return Optional.ofNullable(endpointAddress).map(EndpointAddress::getTargetRef).map(ObjectReference::getUid)
diff --git a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8KubernetesDiscoveryClientUtils.java b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8KubernetesDiscoveryClientUtils.java
index 28d62495..0613591c 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8KubernetesDiscoveryClientUtils.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8KubernetesDiscoveryClientUtils.java
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 
 import org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.commons.KubernetesNamespaceProvider;
 import org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.commons.discovery.KubernetesDiscoveryProperties;
+import org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.commons.discovery.ServiceMetadataForServiceInstance;
 import org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.Fabric8Utils;
 import org.springframework.core.log.LogAccessor;
 import org.springframework.util.CollectionUtils;
@@ -214,6 +215,11 @@ final class Fabric8KubernetesDiscoveryClientUtils {
 		return result;
 	}
 
+	static ServiceMetadataForServiceInstance forServiceInstance(Service service) {
+		return new ServiceMetadataForServiceInstance(service.getMetadata().getName(), service.getMetadata().getLabels(),
+				service.getMetadata().getAnnotations());
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * serviceName can be null, in which case, such a filter will not be applied.
 	 */
diff --git a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier.java b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier.java
index 46b1526f..633f0463 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier.java
@@ -36,11 +36,25 @@ final class Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier implements Function<String, P
 
 	private final String namespace;
 
-	Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier(KubernetesClient client, String namespace) {
+	private Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier(KubernetesClient client, String namespace) {
 		this.client = client;
 		this.namespace = namespace;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * to be used when .spec.type of the Service is != 'ExternalName'.
+	 */
+	static Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier nonExternalName(KubernetesClient client, String namespace) {
+		return new Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier(client, namespace);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * to be used when .spec.type of the Service is == 'ExternalName'.
+	 */
+	static Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier externalName() {
+		return new Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier(null, null);
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public PodLabelsAndAnnotations apply(String podName) {
 		ObjectMeta metadata = Optional.ofNullable(client.pods().inNamespace(namespace).withName(podName).get())
diff --git a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/KubernetesDiscoveryClient.java b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/KubernetesDiscoveryClient.java
index 778f40a3..7b7284dd 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/KubernetesDiscoveryClient.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/KubernetesDiscoveryClient.java
@@ -44,11 +44,16 @@ import org.springframework.core.log.LogAccessor;
 
 import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.commons.discovery.DiscoveryClientUtils.serviceInstance;
 import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.commons.discovery.KubernetesDiscoveryConstants.EXTERNAL_NAME;
+import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.discovery.Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier.externalName;
+import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.discovery.Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier.nonExternalName;
 import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.discovery.Fabric8KubernetesDiscoveryClientUtils.addresses;
 import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.discovery.Fabric8KubernetesDiscoveryClientUtils.endpointSubsetPortsData;
 import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.discovery.Fabric8KubernetesDiscoveryClientUtils.endpoints;
+import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.discovery.Fabric8KubernetesDiscoveryClientUtils.forServiceInstance;
 import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.discovery.Fabric8KubernetesDiscoveryClientUtils.portsData;
 import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.discovery.Fabric8KubernetesDiscoveryClientUtils.services;
+import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.discovery.Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier.externalName;
+import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.discovery.Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier.nonExternalName;
 
 /**
  * Fabric8 Kubernetes implementation of {@link DiscoveryClient}.
@@ -129,14 +134,13 @@ public class KubernetesDiscoveryClient implements DiscoveryClient, EnvironmentAw
 						serviceMetadata.getLabels(), serviceMetadata.getAnnotations(), Map.of(), properties,
 						serviceMetadata.getNamespace(), service.getSpec().getType());
 
-				ServiceMetadataForServiceInstance forServiceInstance = new ServiceMetadataForServiceInstance(
-						service.getMetadata().getName(), service.getMetadata().getLabels(),
-						service.getMetadata().getAnnotations());
+				ServiceMetadataForServiceInstance forServiceInstance = forServiceInstance(service);
+				Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplierOne = externalName(service);
+				Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier supplierTwo = externalName();
 
-				ServiceInstance externalNameServiceInstance = serviceInstance(null, forServiceInstance,
-						new Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier(null, service),
-						new Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier(null, null), new ServicePortNameAndNumber(-1, null),
-						serviceId, result, service.getMetadata().getNamespace(), properties);
+				ServiceInstance externalNameServiceInstance = serviceInstance(null, forServiceInstance, supplierOne,
+						supplierTwo, new ServicePortNameAndNumber(-1, null), serviceId, result,
+						service.getMetadata().getNamespace(), properties);
 
 				instances.add(externalNameServiceInstance);
 			}
@@ -175,14 +179,12 @@ public class KubernetesDiscoveryClient implements DiscoveryClient, EnvironmentAw
 			List<EndpointAddress> addresses = addresses(endpointSubset, properties);
 			for (EndpointAddress endpointAddress : addresses) {
 
-				ServiceMetadataForServiceInstance forServiceInstance = new ServiceMetadataForServiceInstance(
-						service.getMetadata().getName(), service.getMetadata().getLabels(),
-						service.getMetadata().getAnnotations());
+				ServiceMetadataForServiceInstance forServiceInstance = forServiceInstance(service);
+				Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplierOne = nonExternalName(endpointAddress, service);
+				Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier supplierTwo = nonExternalName(client, namespace);
 
 				ServiceInstance serviceInstance = serviceInstance(servicePortSecureResolver, forServiceInstance,
-						new Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier(endpointAddress, service),
-						new Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier(client, namespace), portData, serviceId, result,
-						namespace, properties);
+						supplierOne, supplierTwo, portData, serviceId, result, namespace, properties);
 				instances.add(serviceInstance);
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplierTests.java b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplierTests.java
index 24bb82e0..c7b7e62b 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplierTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplierTests.java
@@ -36,12 +36,10 @@ class Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplierTests {
 
 	@Test
 	void instanceIdNoEndpointAddress() {
-		EndpointAddress endpointAddress = null;
 		Service service = new ServiceBuilder().withSpec(new ServiceSpecBuilder().build())
 				.withMetadata(new ObjectMetaBuilder().withUid("123").build()).build();
 
-		Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplier = new Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier(endpointAddress,
-				service);
+		Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplier = Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier.externalName(service);
 		InstanceIdHostPodName result = supplier.get();
 
 		Assertions.assertNotNull(result);
@@ -55,8 +53,8 @@ class Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplierTests {
 		Service service = new ServiceBuilder().withSpec(new ServiceSpecBuilder().build())
 				.withMetadata(new ObjectMetaBuilder().withUid("123").build()).build();
 
-		Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplier = new Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier(endpointAddress,
-				service);
+		Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplier = Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier
+				.nonExternalName(endpointAddress, service);
 		InstanceIdHostPodName result = supplier.get();
 
 		Assertions.assertNotNull(result);
@@ -65,13 +63,11 @@ class Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplierTests {
 
 	@Test
 	void hostNoEndpointAddress() {
-		EndpointAddress endpointAddress = null;
 		Service service = new ServiceBuilder()
 				.withSpec(new ServiceSpecBuilder().withExternalName("external-name").build())
 				.withMetadata(new ObjectMeta()).build();
 
-		Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplier = new Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier(endpointAddress,
-				service);
+		Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplier = Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier.externalName(service);
 		InstanceIdHostPodName result = supplier.get();
 
 		Assertions.assertNotNull(result);
@@ -85,14 +81,25 @@ class Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplierTests {
 				.withSpec(new ServiceSpecBuilder().withExternalName("external-name").build())
 				.withMetadata(new ObjectMeta()).build();
 
-		Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplier = new Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier(endpointAddress,
-				service);
+		Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplier = Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier
+				.nonExternalName(endpointAddress, service);
 		InstanceIdHostPodName result = supplier.get();
 
 		Assertions.assertNotNull(result);
 		Assertions.assertEquals(result.host(), "127.0.0.1");
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void testPodNameIsNull() {
+		Service service = new ServiceBuilder().withMetadata(new ObjectMetaBuilder().withUid("123").build())
+				.withSpec(new ServiceSpecBuilder().withExternalName("external-name").build()).build();
+		Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplier = Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier.externalName(service);
+		InstanceIdHostPodName result = supplier.get();
+
+		Assertions.assertNotNull(result);
+		Assertions.assertNull(result.podName());
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	void podNameKindNotPod() {
 		EndpointAddress endpointAddress = new EndpointAddressBuilder()
@@ -101,8 +108,8 @@ class Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplierTests {
 				.withSpec(new ServiceSpecBuilder().withExternalName("external-name").build())
 				.withMetadata(new ObjectMeta()).build();
 
-		Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplier = new Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier(endpointAddress,
-				service);
+		Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplier = Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier
+				.nonExternalName(endpointAddress, service);
 		InstanceIdHostPodName result = supplier.get();
 
 		Assertions.assertNotNull(result);
@@ -117,8 +124,8 @@ class Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplierTests {
 				.withSpec(new ServiceSpecBuilder().withExternalName("external-name").build())
 				.withMetadata(new ObjectMeta()).build();
 
-		Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplier = new Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier(endpointAddress,
-				service);
+		Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier supplier = Fabric8InstanceIdHostPodNameSupplier
+				.nonExternalName(endpointAddress, service);
 		InstanceIdHostPodName result = supplier.get();
 
 		Assertions.assertNotNull(result);
diff --git a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplierTests.java b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplierTests.java
index db530b53..08e5de08 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplierTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-discovery/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/discovery/Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplierTests.java
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ class Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplierTests {
 				.resource(new PodBuilder().withMetadata(new ObjectMetaBuilder().withName(POD_NAME).build()).build())
 				.create();
 
-		PodLabelsAndAnnotations result = new Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier(client, NAMESPACE).apply(POD_NAME);
+		PodLabelsAndAnnotations result = Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier.nonExternalName(client, NAMESPACE)
+				.apply(POD_NAME);
 		Assertions.assertNotNull(result);
 		Assertions.assertTrue(result.labels().isEmpty());
 		Assertions.assertTrue(result.annotations().isEmpty());
@@ -63,7 +64,8 @@ class Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplierTests {
 				.withName(POD_NAME).withLabels(Map.of("a", "b")).withAnnotations(Map.of("c", "d")).build()).build())
 				.create();
 
-		PodLabelsAndAnnotations result = new Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier(client, NAMESPACE).apply(POD_NAME);
+		PodLabelsAndAnnotations result = Fabric8PodLabelsAndAnnotationsSupplier.nonExternalName(client, NAMESPACE)
+				.apply(POD_NAME);
 		Assertions.assertNotNull(result);
 		Assertions.assertEquals(result.labels(), Map.of("a", "b"));
 		Assertions.assertEquals(result.annotations(), Map.of("c", "d"));