diff --git a/doc/tshark.pod b/doc/tshark.pod
index ec4f743070..22ef5d7b6c 100644
--- a/doc/tshark.pod
+++ b/doc/tshark.pod
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ Print the version and options and exits.
 =item -H  E<lt>input hosts fileE<gt>
 
 Read a list of entries from a "hosts" file, which will then be written
-to a capture file.  Implies B<-W n>.
+to a capture file.  Implies B<-W n>. Can be called multiple times.
 
 The "hosts" file format is documented at
 L<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_(file)>.
diff --git a/epan/addr_resolv.c b/epan/addr_resolv.c
index 76c0ea4ec9..4d36231c08 100644
--- a/epan/addr_resolv.c
+++ b/epan/addr_resolv.c
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ static gboolean new_resolved_objects = FALSE;
 
 static struct addrinfo *addrinfo_list = NULL; /* IPv4 and IPv6 */
 static struct addrinfo *addrinfo_list_last = NULL;
+static GPtrArray* extra_hosts_files = NULL;
 
 static hashether_t *add_eth_name(const guint8 *addr, const gchar *name);
 static void add_serv_port_cb(const guint32 port);
@@ -2009,7 +2010,7 @@ ipxnet_addr_lookup(const gchar *name, gboolean *success)
 
 } /* ipxnet_addr_lookup */
 
-gboolean
+static gboolean
 read_hosts_file (const char *hostspath)
 {
   FILE *hf;
@@ -2075,6 +2076,36 @@ read_hosts_file (const char *hostspath)
   return TRUE;
 } /* read_hosts_file */
 
+gboolean
+add_hosts_file (const char *hosts_file)
+{
+  FILE *hf;
+  gboolean found = FALSE;
+  guint i;
+
+  if (!hosts_file)
+    return FALSE;
+
+  if ((hf = ws_fopen(hosts_file, "r")) == NULL)
+    return FALSE;
+
+  if (!extra_hosts_files)
+    extra_hosts_files = g_ptr_array_new();
+
+  for (i = 0; i < extra_hosts_files->len; i++) {
+    if (strcmp(hosts_file, (const char *) g_ptr_array_index(extra_hosts_files, i)) == 0)
+      found = TRUE;
+  }
+
+  if (!found) {
+    g_ptr_array_add(extra_hosts_files, g_strdup(hosts_file));
+    if (addrinfo_list) {
+      return read_hosts_file (hosts_file);
+    }
+  }
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
 gboolean
 add_ip_name_from_string (const char *addr, const char *name)
 {
@@ -2425,6 +2456,7 @@ void
 host_name_lookup_init(void) {
   char *hostspath;
   struct addrinfo *ai;
+  guint i;
 
 #ifdef HAVE_GNU_ADNS
 #ifdef _WIN32
@@ -2522,6 +2554,12 @@ host_name_lookup_init(void) {
 #endif /* HAVE_GNU_ADNS */
 #endif /* HAVE_C_ARES */
 
+  if(extra_hosts_files && !gbl_resolv_flags.load_hosts_file_from_profile_only){
+    for (i = 0; i < extra_hosts_files->len; i++) {
+      read_hosts_file((const char *) g_ptr_array_index(extra_hosts_files, i));
+    }
+  }
+
   subnet_name_lookup_init();
 }
 
diff --git a/epan/addr_resolv.h b/epan/addr_resolv.h
index 11657c0448..0f51d104f9 100644
--- a/epan/addr_resolv.h
+++ b/epan/addr_resolv.h
@@ -214,8 +214,16 @@ extern void add_ipv4_name(const guint addr, const gchar *name);
 /* adds a hostname/IPv6 in the hash table */
 extern void add_ipv6_name(const struct e_in6_addr *addr, const gchar *name);
 
-/* read a "hosts" file and add its entries to the IPv4 & IPv6 hash tables */
-extern gboolean read_hosts_file (const char *hostspath);
+/** Add an additional "hosts" file for IPv4 and IPv6 name resolution.
+ *
+ * The file can be added before host_name_lookup_init() is called and
+ * will be re-read each time host_name_lookup_init() is called.
+ *
+ * @param hostspath Absolute path to the hosts file.
+ *
+ * @return TRUE if the hosts file can be read.
+ */
+extern gboolean add_hosts_file (const char *hosts_file);
 
 /* adds a hostname in the hash table */
 extern gboolean add_ip_name_from_string (const char *addr, const char *name);
diff --git a/epan/libwireshark.def b/epan/libwireshark.def
index d2be0ef463..d300b01c83 100644
--- a/epan/libwireshark.def
+++ b/epan/libwireshark.def
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 EXPORTS
 abs_time_secs_to_str
 abs_time_to_str
+add_hosts_file
 add_new_data_source
 add_ip_name_from_string
 add_ipv4_name
@@ -905,7 +906,6 @@ range_copy
 range_empty
 range_foreach
 ranges_are_equal
-read_hosts_file
 read_keytab_file
 read_keytab_file_from_preferences
 read_prefs
diff --git a/tshark.c b/tshark.c
index 951fcb7804..b25badcf5a 100644
--- a/tshark.c
+++ b/tshark.c
@@ -889,7 +889,6 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
   volatile int         out_file_type = WTAP_FILE_PCAP;
 #endif
   volatile gboolean    out_file_name_res = FALSE;
-  gchar                *hosts_file = NULL;
   gchar               *volatile cf_name = NULL;
   gchar               *rfilter = NULL;
 #ifdef HAVE_PCAP_OPEN_DEAD
@@ -1277,7 +1276,11 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
       }
       break;
     case 'H':        /* Read address to name mappings from a hosts file */
-      hosts_file = optarg;
+      if (! add_hosts_file(optarg))
+      {
+        cmdarg_err("Can't read host entries from \"%s\"", optarg);
+        return 1;
+      }
       out_file_name_res = TRUE;
       break;
 
@@ -1842,16 +1845,6 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
       g_assert_not_reached();
     }
 
-  /*  Read in the hosts file after cf_open() (which calls init_dissection()
-   *  which resets the name database).
-   */
-  if (hosts_file) {
-    if (! read_hosts_file(hosts_file)) {
-      cmdarg_err("Can't read host entries from \"%s\"", hosts_file);
-      return 1;
-    }
-  }
-
     /* Process the packets in the file */
     TRY {
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBPCAP