diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index e65534cde7..1f8428ec12 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -317,6 +317,7 @@ wireshark_LDADD = \
 	@PCRE_LIBS@			\
 	@PCAP_LIBS@			\
 	@GTK_LIBS@			\
+	@C_ARES_LIBS@			\
 	@ADNS_LIBS@			\
 	@KRB5_LIBS@			\
 	@FRAMEWORKS@			\
@@ -346,6 +347,7 @@ tshark_LDADD = \
 	@PCAP_LIBS@			\
 	@SOCKET_LIBS@			\
 	@NSL_LIBS@			\
+	@C_ARES_LIBS@			\
 	@ADNS_LIBS@			\
 	@KRB5_LIBS@			\
 	@FRAMEWORKS@			\
@@ -374,6 +376,7 @@ rawshark_LDADD = \
 	@PCAP_LIBS@			\
 	@SOCKET_LIBS@			\
 	@NSL_LIBS@			\
+	@C_ARES_LIBS@			\
 	@ADNS_LIBS@			\
 	@KRB5_LIBS@			\
 	@FRAMEWORKS@			\
@@ -418,6 +421,7 @@ randpkt_LDADD = \
 	@PCAP_LIBS@			\
 	@SOCKET_LIBS@			\
 	@NSL_LIBS@			\
+	@C_ARES_LIBS@			\
 	@ADNS_LIBS@
 
 # Libraries and plugin flags with which to link dftest.
@@ -433,6 +437,7 @@ dftest_LDADD = \
 	@PCAP_LIBS@			\
 	@SOCKET_LIBS@			\
 	@NSL_LIBS@			\
+	@C_ARES_LIBS@			\
 	@ADNS_LIBS@			\
 	@KRB5_LIBS@			\
 	@LIBGCRYPT_LIBS@		\
diff --git a/acinclude.m4 b/acinclude.m4
index ca97345c2f..d08bb1183b 100644
--- a/acinclude.m4
+++ b/acinclude.m4
@@ -1192,6 +1192,37 @@ AC_DEFUN([AC_WIRESHARK_GNU_SED_CHECK],
 	fi
 ])
 
+#
+# AC_WIRESHARK_C_ARES_CHECK
+#
+AC_DEFUN([AC_WIRESHARK_C_ARES_CHECK],
+[
+	want_c_ares=defaultyes
+
+	if test "x$want_c_ares" = "xdefaultyes"; then
+		want_c_ares=yes
+		if test "x$ac_cv_enable_usr_local" = "xyes" ; then
+			withval=/usr/local
+			if test -d "$withval"; then
+				AC_WIRESHARK_ADD_DASH_L(LDFLAGS, ${withval}/lib)
+			fi
+		fi
+	fi
+
+	if test "x$want_c_ares" = "xyes"; then
+		AC_CHECK_LIB(cares, ares_init,
+		  [
+		    C_ARES_LIBS=-lcares
+	    	AC_DEFINE(HAVE_C_ARES, 1, [Define to use c-ares library])
+		have_good_c_ares=yes
+		  ],, $SOCKET_LIBS $NSL_LIBS
+		)
+	else
+		AC_MSG_RESULT(not required)
+	fi
+])
+
+
 #
 # AC_WIRESHARK_ADNS_CHECK
 #
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 245e1560b2..21d56f288b 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1194,9 +1194,31 @@ else
 fi
 
 
-dnl ADNS Check
-ADNS_LIBS=''
-AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether to use the GNU ADNS library if available)
+dnl c-ares Check
+C_ARES_LIBS=''
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether to use the c-ares library if available)
+
+AC_ARG_WITH(c-ares,
+  AC_HELP_STRING( [--with-c-ares@<:@=DIR@:>@],
+                  [use c-ares (located in directory DIR, if supplied). Supersedes --with-adns.   @<:@default=yes, if present@:>@]),
+[
+if   test "x$withval" = "xno";  then
+	want_c_ares=no
+elif test "x$withval" = "xyes"; then
+	want_c_ares=yes
+elif test -d "$withval"; then
+	want_c_ares=yes
+	AC_WIRESHARK_ADD_DASH_L(LDFLAGS, ${withval}/lib)
+fi
+])
+if test "x$want_c_ares" = "xno" ; then
+	AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+else
+	AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+	AC_WIRESHARK_C_ARES_CHECK
+fi
+AC_SUBST(C_ARES_LIBS)
+
 
 AC_ARG_WITH(adns,
   AC_HELP_STRING( [--with-adns@<:@=DIR@:>@],
@@ -1211,7 +1233,7 @@ elif test -d "$withval"; then
 	AC_WIRESHARK_ADD_DASH_L(LDFLAGS, ${withval}/lib)
 fi
 ])
-if test "x$with_adns" = "xno" ; then
+if test "x$want_adns" = "xno" -o "x$have_good_c_ares" = "xyes" ; then
 	AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
 else
 	AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
@@ -1639,6 +1661,12 @@ else
 	krb5_message="yes ($ac_krb5_version)"
 fi
 
+if test "x$have_good_c_ares" = "xyes" ; then
+	c_ares_message="yes"
+else
+	c_ares_message="no"
+fi
+
 if test "x$have_good_adns" = "xyes" ; then
 	adns_message="yes"
 else
@@ -1675,6 +1703,7 @@ echo "                   Use pcap library : $want_pcap"
 echo "                   Use zlib library : $zlib_message"
 echo "                   Use pcre library : $pcre_message"
 echo "               Use kerberos library : $krb5_message"
+echo "                 Use c-ares library : $c_ares_message"
 echo "               Use GNU ADNS library : $adns_message"
 echo "                Use SMI MIB library : $libsmi_message"
 echo "             Use GNU crypto library : $gcrypt_message"
diff --git a/epan/Makefile.am b/epan/Makefile.am
index a070bb8748..e7317bf9aa 100644
--- a/epan/Makefile.am
+++ b/epan/Makefile.am
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ libwireshark_la_LIBADD = \
 	dfilter/libdfilter.la dissectors/libcleandissectors.la \
 	dissectors/libdissectors.la dissectors/libasndissectors.la \
 	dissectors/libpidldissectors.la $(wslua_lib) @SOCKET_LIBS@ @NSL_LIBS@ \
-	@ADNS_LIBS@ @LIBGCRYPT_LIBS@ @LIBGNUTLS_LIBS@ @KRB5_LIBS@ \
+	@C_ARES_LIBS@ @ADNS_LIBS@ @LIBGCRYPT_LIBS@ @LIBGNUTLS_LIBS@ @KRB5_LIBS@ \
 	@SSL_LIBS@ @LIBSMI_LDFLAGS@ -lm
 libwireshark_la_DEPENDENCIES = \
 	@INET_ATON_LO@ @INET_PTON_LO@ @INET_NTOP_LO@ libwireshark_generated.la \