diff --git a/src/common/crypto.c b/src/common/crypto.c
index 60775e7e7f..8d8c78a1e3 100644
--- a/src/common/crypto.c
+++ b/src/common/crypto.c
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@
 #include "util.h"
 
 #ifdef MS_WINDOWS
+#define WIN32_WINNT 0x400
+#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x400
+#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #include <wincrypt.h>
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/common/util.c b/src/common/util.c
index fb92681e93..64e3a9b5a4 100644
--- a/src/common/util.c
+++ b/src/common/util.c
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_SYS_SOCKET_H
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #endif
+#ifdef HAVE_NETDB_H
+#include <netdb.h>
+#endif
 #ifdef HAVE_UNISTD_H
 #include <unistd.h>
 #endif
@@ -55,6 +58,18 @@
 #include <grp.h>
 #endif
 
+#ifdef HAVE_WINSOCK_H
+#define WIN32_WINNT 0x400
+#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x400
+#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
+#endif
+#if _MSC_VER > 1300
+#include <winsock2.h>
+#include <ws2tcpip.h>
+#elif defined(_MSC_VER)
+#include <winsock.h>
+#endif
+
 /* used by inet_addr, not defined on solaris anywhere!? */
 #ifndef INADDR_NONE
 #define INADDR_NONE ((unsigned long) -1)
@@ -1368,6 +1383,42 @@ int tor_inet_aton(const char *c, struct in_addr* addr)
 #endif
 }
 
+/* Similar behavior to Unix gethostbyname: resolve 'name', and set
+ * *addr to the proper IP address, in network byte order.  Returns 0
+ * on success, -1 on failure; 1 on transient failure.
+ *
+ * (This function exists because standard windows gethostbyname
+ * doesn't treat raw IP addresses properly.)
+ */
+/* Perhaps eventually this should be replaced by a tor_getaddrinfo or
+ * something.
+ */
+int tor_lookup_hostname(const char *name, uint32_t *addr)
+{
+  struct in_addr iaddr;
+  struct hostent *ent;
+  tor_assert(addr);
+  if (tor_inet_aton(name, &iaddr)) {
+    /* It's an IP. */
+    memcpy(addr, &iaddr.s_addr, 4);
+    return 0;
+  } else {
+    ent = gethostbyname(name);
+    if (ent) {
+      /* break to remind us if we move away from IPv4 */
+      tor_assert(ent->h_length == 4);
+      memcpy(addr, ent->h_addr, 4);
+      return 0;
+    }
+    memset(addr, 0, 4);
+#ifdef MS_WINDOWS
+    return (WSAGetLastError() == WSATRY_AGAIN) ? 1 : -1;
+#else
+    return (h_errno == TRY_AGAIN) ? 1 : -1;
+#endif
+  }
+}
+
 /*
   Local Variables:
   mode:c
diff --git a/src/common/util.h b/src/common/util.h
index b0120e7d37..bd65a0153b 100644
--- a/src/common/util.h
+++ b/src/common/util.h
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ int switch_id(char *user, char *group);
 
 struct in_addr;
 int tor_inet_aton(const char *cp, struct in_addr *addr);
+int tor_lookup_hostname(const char *name, uint32_t *addr);
 
 /* For stupid historical reasons, windows sockets have an independent set of
  * errnos which they use as the fancy strikes them.
diff --git a/src/or/dns.c b/src/or/dns.c
index b49e6dafa9..6d7f36fc8a 100644
--- a/src/or/dns.c
+++ b/src/or/dns.c
@@ -451,7 +451,6 @@ int dnsworker_main(void *data) {
   char address[MAX_ADDRESSLEN];
   unsigned char address_len;
   char answer[5];
-  struct hostent *rent;
   int *fdarray = data;
   int fd;
 
@@ -475,21 +474,17 @@ int dnsworker_main(void *data) {
     }
     address[address_len] = 0; /* null terminate it */
 
-    rent = gethostbyname(address);
-    if (!rent) {
-      if(h_errno == TRY_AGAIN) { /* transient error -- don't cache it */
+    switch (tor_lookup_hostname(address, (uint32_t*)answer+1)) {
+      case 1:
         log_fn(LOG_INFO,"Could not resolve dest addr %s (transient).",address);
         answer[0] = DNS_RESOLVE_FAILED_TRANSIENT;
-      } else { /* permanent error, can be cached */
+        break;
+      case -1:
         log_fn(LOG_INFO,"Could not resolve dest addr %s (permanent).",address);
         answer[0] = DNS_RESOLVE_FAILED_PERMANENT;
-      }
-      memset(answer+1,0,4);
-    } else {
-      tor_assert(rent->h_length == 4); /* break to remind us if we move away from ipv4 */
-      answer[0] = DNS_RESOLVE_SUCCEEDED;
-      memcpy(answer+1, rent->h_addr, 4);
-      log_fn(LOG_INFO,"Resolved address '%s'.",address);
+      case 0:
+        log_fn(LOG_INFO,"Resolved address '%s'.",address);
+        answer[0] = DNS_RESOLVE_SUCCEEDED;
     }
     if(write_all(fd, answer, 5, 1) != 5) {
       log_fn(LOG_ERR,"writing answer failed. Child exiting.");
diff --git a/src/or/routerlist.c b/src/or/routerlist.c
index 3c01838dc0..3183820314 100644
--- a/src/or/routerlist.c
+++ b/src/or/routerlist.c
@@ -507,14 +507,11 @@ router_resolve(routerinfo_t *router)
 {
   struct hostent *rent;
 
-  rent = (struct hostent *)gethostbyname(router->address);
-  if (!rent) {
+  if (tor_lookup_hostname(router->address, &router->addr)) {
     log_fn(LOG_WARN,"Could not get address for router %s (%s).",
            router->address, router->nickname);
     return -1;
   }
-  tor_assert(rent->h_length == 4);
-  memcpy(&router->addr, rent->h_addr,rent->h_length);
   router->addr = ntohl(router->addr); /* get it back into host order */
 
   return 0;