diff --git a/build/build.c b/build/build.c
index e50c3784ea..a6888b77dc 100644
--- a/build/build.c
+++ b/build/build.c
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <netdb.h>
 #include <time.h>
 
@@ -42,21 +44,26 @@ static rpm_time_t getBuildTime(void)
 static char * buildHost(void)
 {
     char* hostname;
-    struct hostent *hbn;
     char *bhMacro;
 
     bhMacro = rpmExpand("%{?_buildhost}", NULL);
     if (strcmp(bhMacro, "") != 0) {
         rasprintf(&hostname, "%s", bhMacro);
     } else {
-        hostname = rcalloc(1024, sizeof(*hostname));
-        (void) gethostname(hostname, 1024);
-        hbn = gethostbyname(hostname);
-        if (hbn)
-            strcpy(hostname, hbn->h_name);
-        else
-            rpmlog(RPMLOG_WARNING,
+	hostname = rcalloc(NI_MAXHOST + 1, sizeof(*hostname));
+	if (gethostname(hostname, NI_MAXHOST) == 0) {
+	    struct addrinfo *ai, hints;
+	    memset(&hints, 0, sizeof(hints));
+	    hints.ai_flags = AI_CANONNAME;
+
+	    if (getaddrinfo(hostname, NULL, &hints, &ai) == 0) {
+		strcpy(hostname, ai->ai_canonname);
+	    } else {
+		rpmlog(RPMLOG_WARNING,
                     _("Could not canonicalize hostname: %s\n"), hostname);
+	    }
+	    freeaddrinfo(ai);
+	}
     }
     free(bhMacro);
     return(hostname);
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 38d3c286a4..d786270528 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -621,7 +621,7 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS([secure_getenv __secure_getenv])
 
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(
    [mkstemp getcwd basename dirname realpath setenv unsetenv regcomp lchown \
-    utimes getline localtime_r statvfs ],
+    utimes getline localtime_r statvfs getaddrinfo ],
    [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([function required by rpm])])
 
 AC_LIBOBJ(fnmatch)
diff --git a/lib/rpmug.c b/lib/rpmug.c
index 119d8e5856..2de62111c1 100644
--- a/lib/rpmug.c
+++ b/lib/rpmug.c
@@ -174,7 +174,6 @@ static void loadLibs(void)
     endpwent();
     (void) getgrnam(GID_0_GROUP);
     endgrent();
-    (void) gethostbyname("localhost");
 }
 
 int rpmugInit(void)