diff --git a/lib/whois/server/adapters/base.rb b/lib/whois/server/adapters/base.rb
index 6b1e24d8e..92cc032fd 100644
--- a/lib/whois/server/adapters/base.rb
+++ b/lib/whois/server/adapters/base.rb
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ class Base
         # Default WHOIS request port.
         DEFAULT_WHOIS_PORT = 43
 
+        # Default bind hostname.
+        DEFAULT_BIND_HOST = "0.0.0.0"
+
+
         # @return [Symbol] The type of WHOIS server
         attr_reader :type
         # @return [String] The allocation this server is responsible for.
@@ -150,7 +154,7 @@ def query_the_socket(query, host, port = nil)
               query,
               host,
               port || options[:port] || DEFAULT_WHOIS_PORT,
-              options[:bind_host],
+              options[:bind_host] || DEFAULT_BIND_HOST,
               options[:bind_port]
             )
           end
@@ -162,6 +166,7 @@ def query_the_socket(query, host, port = nil)
           #
           # @api internal
           def ask_the_socket(query, host, port, local_host, local_port)
+            args   = [host, port, local_host, local_port].compact
             client = TCPSocket.open(host, port, local_host, local_port)
             client.write("#{query}\r\n")    # I could use put(foo) and forget the \n
             client.read                     # but write/read is more symmetric than puts/read
diff --git a/spec/integration_spec.rb b/spec/integration_spec.rb
index d1a586095..6a9cefa39 100644
--- a/spec/integration_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration_spec.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     it "works" do
       with_definitions do
         Whois::Server.define(:tld, ".it", "whois.nic.it")
-        Whois::Server::Adapters::Standard.any_instance.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("example.it", "whois.nic.it", 43, nil, nil).returns(<<-EOS)
+        Whois::Server::Adapters::Standard.any_instance.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("example.it", "whois.nic.it", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(<<-EOS)
   Domain:             example.it
   Status:             AVAILABLE
         EOS
diff --git a/spec/whois/server/adapters/afilias_spec.rb b/spec/whois/server/adapters/afilias_spec.rb
index dcf76eb11..c7e744a65 100644
--- a/spec/whois/server/adapters/afilias_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/whois/server/adapters/afilias_spec.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
       it "returns the WHOIS record" do
         response = "No match for DOMAIN.TEST."
         expected = response
-        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.afilias-grs.info", 43, nil, nil).returns(response)
+        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.afilias-grs.info", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(response)
 
         record = @server.query("domain.test")
         record.to_s.should  == expected
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@
         referral = File.read(fixture("referrals/afilias.bz.txt"))
         response = "Match for DOMAIN.TEST."
         expected = referral + "\n" + response
-        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.afilias-grs.info", 43, nil, nil).returns(referral)
-        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.belizenic.bz", 43, nil, nil).returns(response)
+        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.afilias-grs.info", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(referral)
+        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.belizenic.bz", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(response)
 
         record = @server.query("domain.test")
         record.to_s.should  == expected
diff --git a/spec/whois/server/adapters/formatted_spec.rb b/spec/whois/server/adapters/formatted_spec.rb
index fde7bfb0d..5e9fe8c8d 100644
--- a/spec/whois/server/adapters/formatted_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/whois/server/adapters/formatted_spec.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
       response = "Whois Response"
       expected = response
       server = klass.new(*@definition)
-      server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("-T dn,ace -C US-ASCII domain.de", "whois.denic.de", 43, nil, nil).returns(response)
+      server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("-T dn,ace -C US-ASCII domain.de", "whois.denic.de", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(response)
 
       record = server.query("domain.de")
       record.to_s.should  == expected
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
       it "sends the request to given port" do
         response = "Whois Response"
         server = klass.new(:tld, ".de", "whois.denic.de", { :format => "-T dn,ace -C US-ASCII %s", :port => 20 })
-        server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("-T dn,ace -C US-ASCII domain.de", "whois.denic.de", 20, nil, nil).returns(response)
+        server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("-T dn,ace -C US-ASCII domain.de", "whois.denic.de", 20, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(response)
 
         server.query("domain.de")
       end
diff --git a/spec/whois/server/adapters/pir_spec.rb b/spec/whois/server/adapters/pir_spec.rb
index 0351bc228..9a060b47a 100644
--- a/spec/whois/server/adapters/pir_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/whois/server/adapters/pir_spec.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
       it "returns the WHOIS record" do
         response = "No match for DOMAIN.TEST."
         expected = response
-        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("FULL domain.test", "whois.publicinterestregistry.net", 43, nil, nil).returns(response)
+        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("FULL domain.test", "whois.publicinterestregistry.net", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(response)
 
         record = @server.query("domain.test")
         record.to_s.should  == expected
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@
         referral = File.read(fixture("referrals/pir.org.txt"))
         response = "Match for DOMAIN.TEST."
         expected = referral + "\n" + response
-        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("FULL domain.test", "whois.publicinterestregistry.net", 43, nil, nil).returns(referral)
-        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.iana.org", 43, nil, nil).returns(response)
+        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("FULL domain.test", "whois.publicinterestregistry.net", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(referral)
+        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.iana.org", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(response)
 
         record = @server.query("domain.test")
         record.to_s.should  == expected
diff --git a/spec/whois/server/adapters/standard_spec.rb b/spec/whois/server/adapters/standard_spec.rb
index 2cddc5c6f..60d2e5d87 100644
--- a/spec/whois/server/adapters/standard_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/whois/server/adapters/standard_spec.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
       response = "Whois Response"
       expected = response
       server = klass.new(*@definition)
-      server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.test", 43, nil, nil).returns(response)
+      server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.test", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(response)
 
       record = server.query("domain.test")
       record.to_s.should  == expected
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
       it "sends the request to given port" do
         response = "Whois Response"
         server = klass.new(:tld, ".test", "whois.test", { :port => 20 })
-        server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.test", 20, nil, nil).returns(response)
+        server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.test", 20, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(response)
 
         server.query("domain.test")
       end
diff --git a/spec/whois/server/adapters/verisign_spec.rb b/spec/whois/server/adapters/verisign_spec.rb
index 951276e66..cb6f3d2b7 100644
--- a/spec/whois/server/adapters/verisign_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/whois/server/adapters/verisign_spec.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
       it "returns the WHOIS record" do
         response = "No match for DOMAIN.TEST."
         expected = response
-        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("=domain.test", "whois.test", 43, nil, nil).returns(response)
+        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("=domain.test", "whois.test", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(response)
 
         record = @server.query("domain.test")
         record.to_s.should  == expected
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@
         referral = File.read(fixture("referrals/crsnic.com.txt"))
         response = "Match for DOMAIN.TEST."
         expected = referral + "\n" + response
-        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("=domain.test", "whois.test", 43, nil, nil).returns(referral)
-        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.markmonitor.com", 43, nil, nil).returns(response)
+        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("=domain.test", "whois.test", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(referral)
+        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.markmonitor.com", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(response)
 
         record = @server.query("domain.test")
         record.to_s.should  == expected
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 
       it "ignore referral when is not defined" do
         referral = File.read(fixture("referrals/crsnic.com_referral_not_defined.txt"))
-        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("=domain.test", "whois.test", 43, nil, nil).returns(referral)
+        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("=domain.test", "whois.test", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(referral)
         @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).never
 
         record = @server.query("domain.test")
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@
 
       it "extracts the closest referral when multiple referrals" do
         referral = File.read(fixture("referrals/crsnic.com_referral_multiple.txt"))
-        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("=domain.test", "whois.test", 43, nil, nil).returns(referral)
-        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.markmonitor.com", 43, nil, nil).returns("")
+        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("=domain.test", "whois.test", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns(referral)
+        @server.expects(:ask_the_socket).with("domain.test", "whois.markmonitor.com", 43, Whois::Server::Adapters::Base::DEFAULT_BIND_HOST, nil).returns("")
 
         record = @server.query("domain.test")
         record.parts.should have(2).parts