diff --git a/src/common/util.c b/src/common/util.c
index 5ae4d04082..90aaf0ebeb 100644
--- a/src/common/util.c
+++ b/src/common/util.c
@@ -1094,7 +1094,7 @@ string_is_valid_dest(const char *string)
 
   retval = string_is_valid_ipv4_address(string) ||
     string_is_valid_ipv6_address(string) ||
-    string_is_valid_hostname(string);
+    string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname(string);
 
   tor_free(tmp);
 
@@ -1108,7 +1108,7 @@ string_is_valid_dest(const char *string)
  * with misconfigured zones that have been encountered in the wild.
  */
 int
-string_is_valid_hostname(const char *string)
+string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname(const char *string)
 {
   int result = 1;
   int has_trailing_dot;
diff --git a/src/common/util.h b/src/common/util.h
index d6bda80363..9380789128 100644
--- a/src/common/util.h
+++ b/src/common/util.h
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ const char *find_str_at_start_of_line(const char *haystack,
 int string_is_C_identifier(const char *string);
 int string_is_key_value(int severity, const char *string);
 int string_is_valid_dest(const char *string);
-int string_is_valid_hostname(const char *string);
+int string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname(const char *string);
 int string_is_valid_ipv4_address(const char *string);
 int string_is_valid_ipv6_address(const char *string);
 
diff --git a/src/test/test_util.c b/src/test/test_util.c
index c734426a5a..036f739b89 100644
--- a/src/test/test_util.c
+++ b/src/test/test_util.c
@@ -5559,56 +5559,57 @@ test_util_hostname_validation(void *arg)
   (void)arg;
 
   // Lets try valid hostnames first.
-  tt_assert(string_is_valid_hostname("torproject.org"));
-  tt_assert(string_is_valid_hostname("ocw.mit.edu"));
-  tt_assert(string_is_valid_hostname("i.4cdn.org"));
-  tt_assert(string_is_valid_hostname("stanford.edu"));
-  tt_assert(string_is_valid_hostname("multiple-words-with-hypens.jp"));
+  tt_assert(string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("torproject.org"));
+  tt_assert(string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("ocw.mit.edu"));
+  tt_assert(string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("i.4cdn.org"));
+  tt_assert(string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("stanford.edu"));
+  tt_assert(string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("multiple-words-with-hypens.jp"));
 
   // Subdomain name cannot start with '-' or '_'.
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("-torproject.org"));
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("subdomain.-domain.org"));
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("-subdomain.domain.org"));
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("___abc.org"));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("-torproject.org"));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("subdomain.-domain.org"));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("-subdomain.domain.org"));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("___abc.org"));
 
   // Hostnames cannot contain non-alphanumeric characters.
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("%%domain.\\org."));
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("***x.net"));
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("\xff\xffxyz.org"));
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("word1 word2.net"));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("%%domain.\\org."));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("***x.net"));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("\xff\xffxyz.org"));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("word1 word2.net"));
 
   // Test workaround for nytimes.com stupidity, technically invalid,
   // but we allow it since they are big, even though they are failing to
   // comply with a ~30 year old standard.
-  tt_assert(string_is_valid_hostname("core3_euw1.fabrik.nytimes.com"));
+  tt_assert(string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("core3_euw1.fabrik.nytimes.com"));
 
   // Firefox passes FQDNs with trailing '.'s  directly to the SOCKS proxy,
   // which is redundant since the spec states DOMAINNAME addresses are fully
   // qualified.  While unusual, this should be tollerated.
-  tt_assert(string_is_valid_hostname("core9_euw1.fabrik.nytimes.com."));
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("..washingtonpost.is.better.com"));
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("so.is..ft.com"));
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("..."));
+  tt_assert(string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("core9_euw1.fabrik.nytimes.com."));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname(
+                                         "..washingtonpost.is.better.com"));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("so.is..ft.com"));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("..."));
 
   // XXX: do we allow single-label DNS names?
   // We shouldn't for SOCKS (spec says "contains a fully-qualified domain name"
   // but only test pathologically malformed traling '.' cases for now.
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("."));
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname(".."));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("."));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname(".."));
 
   // IP address strings are not hostnames.
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("8.8.8.8"));
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("[2a00:1450:401b:800::200e]"));
-  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_hostname("2a00:1450:401b:800::200e"));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("8.8.8.8"));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("[2a00:1450:401b:800::200e]"));
+  tt_assert(!string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("2a00:1450:401b:800::200e"));
 
   // We allow alphanumeric TLDs. For discussion, see ticket #25055.
-  tt_assert(string_is_valid_hostname("lucky.13"));
-  tt_assert(string_is_valid_hostname("luck.y13"));
-  tt_assert(string_is_valid_hostname("luck.y13."));
+  tt_assert(string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("lucky.13"));
+  tt_assert(string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("luck.y13"));
+  tt_assert(string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("luck.y13."));
 
   // We allow punycode TLDs. For examples, see
   // http://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt
-  tt_assert(string_is_valid_hostname("example.xn--l1acc"));
+  tt_assert(string_is_valid_nonrfc_hostname("example.xn--l1acc"));
 
   done:
   return;